Teenagers and evenings out, what is normal and family rules

Key rules

• Curfew: No national curfew exists, so you set your teenager's return time.
• Alcohol: The legal age to buy or be served alcohol is 18.
• Venue rules: Entry ages and hours for under-18s differ by region.
• Parents' liability: Parents or guardians can be held responsible for a minor's fines and damage.

What is normal for teenagers going out

Spanish teenagers go out later than in northern Europe, and no law sets a curfew. Each family decides the return time. Expect your teenager to compare your rules with their friends' rules.

Younger teens (12 to 15) meet in the late afternoon and early evening, roughly 17:00 to 21:00. They gather in squares, parks, shopping centres and neighbourhood streets. This is normal and part of town life.

Older teens start later. They meet from about 22:00 and move on to bars, street-drinking spots or, from 16 to 18, youth-oriented venues. Nights often run past 02:00. In summer and during fiestas, everything runs later still.

Typical return times

These are family norms, not rules. They vary by family, age and town.

• 12 to 14: home by about 21:00 to 22:30 at weekends.
• 15 to 16: often home around 23:00 to 01:00.
• 17 to 18: often out until 02:00 to 04:00 or later, especially in summer and during fiestas.
• Weekday evenings: much earlier, usually home by dinner, about 21:00 to 22:00.

What the law limits

Venue rules are set by each region (comunidad autónoma), so the entry ages and hours differ depending on where you live. Under-18s are generally barred from discotecas and nightclubs, and from bars whose main business is alcohol.

Some regions allow sesiones jóvenes (youth sessions) for roughly ages 14 to 17. They are usually in the afternoon or early evening, without alcohol, and end around 22:00 or 23:00. Under-16s may be asked to leave late-night venues. If police find a minor in a risky situation, they can take them back to their guardians.

On alcohol, the legal age to buy or be served is 18 across Spain, and most regions also ban minors from drinking it. Drinking in the street (botellón) is prohibited in most places by town rules. Fines are set by each town, typically from 100 to 600 euros or more, and the alcohol is seized. For a minor, you as parent or guardian can be held responsible for the fine and any damage.

Rules that work for families

Many Spanish parents use the same simple tools:

• Agree a fixed return time before each night out.
• Ask for the address and who else will be there.
• Make live location sharing a condition of going. Phone apps for messaging and maps all offer it.
• Drive younger teens or collect them, or take turns with other parents.
• Allow sleepovers (fiestas de pijamas) once you have met the other parents or swapped phone numbers.

Rules relax with age. By 16 to 18, many teens get home alone by bus, taxi or night transport. Agree the route home in advance, and talk through the street-drinking rules in your town.

Check your region's rules on venues and youth sessions, and your town hall's rules on street drinking. The checklist below turns this into steps.

Checklist

• Agree a fixed return time with your teenager before each night out, and set earlier times for weekday evenings than for weekends.

• Ask for the address and who else will be there.

• Agree on location sharing through a live-location feature in a messaging or maps app, as a condition of going out.

• Plan how your teenager gets home: a lift from you, a lift shared with other parents, or a bus, taxi or night transport once they are 16 to 18.

• Meet the parents of your teenager's friends or swap phone numbers before agreeing to a sleepover (fiesta de pijamas).

• Check your region's rules on which venues and youth sessions are open to under-18s and until what time.

• Check your town's rules on drinking in the street (botellón) and talk them through with your teenager.

What to watch out for

• Fines for street drinking fall on parents: Drinking in the street (botellón) is banned in most places. Fines are set by each town, typically from about 100 to 600 euros or more, and the alcohol is seized. Parents or guardians can be held responsible for a minor's fines and damage. Tell your teenager the rules and the likely fine before they go out, and ask your town hall about local rules.

• Alcohol is illegal for under-18s: The legal age to buy or be served alcohol is 18 across Spain, and most regions also ban minors from drinking it. Venues that sell or supply alcohol to minors face heavy fines. Make clear that being served is not a loophole, and agree what your teenager does if friends are drinking.

• Under-18s can be turned away from venues: Under-18s are generally barred from discotecas, nightclubs and bars whose main business is alcohol. Under-16s may be asked to leave late-night venues, and police can take a minor in a risky situation back to their guardians. Check your region's entertainment rules and look for youth sessions (sesiones jóvenes), which end early and serve no alcohol.

Frequently asked questions

What time do Spanish teenagers usually come home at weekends?

It depends on age: 12 to 14 usually come home by about 21:00 to 22:30 at weekends. At 15 to 16 it is often around 23:00 to 01:00, and at 17 to 18 many stay out until 02:00 to 04:00 or later.

Can my 16-year-old go into a nightclub in Spain?

No, under-18s are generally barred from discotecas and nightclubs in Spain.

Where do younger teenagers meet up in the evening?

Teens aged 12 to 15 usually meet in plazas, parks, shopping centres and neighbourhood streets from about 17:00 to 21:00.