Moving with teenagers

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a relocation to Spain with a teenager. You will find help with resistance and anger, new independence and social norms, old friendships and screens, warning signs and where to turn, older teens who want to stay behind, and how to weigh exams against wellbeing.

Start with "What really changes when you move to Spain with a teenager". It sets out the big picture and helps you decide which of the other pages to read next.

School admission, finding mental-health services for young people and making friends in the community are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Drinking age: The minimum age to buy or be served alcohol is 18 everywhere in Spain.
• When to seek help: Seek professional help if low mood, withdrawal, school refusal or sleep and eating changes last two weeks or more and are getting worse or disrupting school and home life.
• Age of majority: A child can get residence as a dependent minor only while under 18, so apply for them before they turn 18.
• Emergency number: In immediate danger to a teenager, call 112; for suicidal thoughts without immediate danger, call 024.
• Say in the move: Give your teen real choices inside the move, even if the move itself is already decided.
• Exam years: A move during the last years of secondary school carries the highest stakes for qualifications and university access.

Moving with teenagers: the whole process, step by step

• Understand what changes for a teenager and plan around it (read: What really changes when you move to Spain with a teenager): before you decide on dates and schools

• If your 17- or 18-year-old wants to stay behind, decide early and apply for residence as a dependent minor (read: When your 17- or 18-year-old wants to stay behind): before they turn 18

• Weigh exam stakes against wellbeing, and ask whether a school-type change solves the teen's problem or yours (read: Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager; Is international or boarding school solving your teenager's problem or yours?): before you choose the school and the moving date

• Give your teen real choices in the move, such as their room, activities and how they keep in touch with friends (read: Your teenager did not want to move and what happens next): from the moment the move is planned

• Expect the strongest resistance and homesickness (read: Your teenager did not want to move and what happens next): in the weeks before the move and the first weeks to months after arrival

• Keep old friendships alive while building local ones (read: Keeping your teenager's old friendships alive without one foot out the door): through the first months

• Watch for warning signs and seek professional help, starting with the pediatrician or GP (read: Warning signs in a teenager after the move and where to turn): if low mood, withdrawal, school refusal or sleep and eating changes last two weeks or more

• Expect most teenagers to settle: over roughly 6 to 12 months, and up to two years for some

Documents you may need

• Your teen's ID — When your 17- or 18-year-old wants to stay behind, Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager

• School credentials and certified translations — When your 17- or 18-year-old wants to stay behind, Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager

• Official translation of that certificate into Spanish — When your 17- or 18-year-old wants to stay behind

• Official translation of the certificate of studies if it is not in Spanish — Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager

• Certificate of your teen's completed studies — When your 17- or 18-year-old wants to stay behind

• Certificate of studies from your teen's previous school — Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager

Moving with teenagers: questions that cross several articles

How long does it take a teenager to settle after moving to Spain?

Many teenagers settle in roughly 6 to 12 months, and some need up to two years. It takes longer if the move falls in exam years or the teen struggles with the language. Read "Your teenager did not want to move and what happens next" and "Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager".

What choices can I give a reluctant teenager about the move?

You can let your teen choose their room and its decoration, the activities or clubs they join, and how they keep in touch with friends at home. Where you have the choice, they can also help pick the school type and the language tutor. Read "Your teenager did not want to move and what happens next" and "Keeping your teenager's old friendships alive without one foot out the door".

Does my teenager need homologation before starting school in Spain?

No, homologation of foreign studies is not needed to enrol in a school. The school inspection or regional education authority decides placement from age and studies completed, and your teen can start while any application is pending. Read "What really changes when you move to Spain with a teenager" and "Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager".

How does a teenager with foreign school credentials get into a Spanish university?

Most students apply through UNEDasiss, which issues an accreditation with a grade, and may sit the PAU entrance exams if they need a higher mark. Systems without an agreement require the PAU. Read "Weighing exam stakes against wellbeing when moving a teenager" and "When your 17- or 18-year-old wants to stay behind".