What is the legal drinking age in Gibraltar?
Short answer
The legal age to buy alcohol in Gibraltar is 18, and it is an offence to sell alcohol to or buy it for anyone younger. The one exception lets 16 and 17-year-olds be served beer, wine or cider up to 15% (or pre-packaged drinks up to 5.5%) for drinking on licensed premises such as bars and restaurants.
Detailed answer
The main rules are in the Children and Young Persons (Alcohol, Tobacco, Vaping Products and Gaming) Act 2006. It is an offence to sell alcohol to anyone under 18, and where the sale happens on licensed premises the licensee is also guilty of an offence. It is a separate offence to procure alcohol for someone under 18, which covers an adult buying drinks on a young person's behalf. The Act makes one exception for 16 and 17-year-olds. On licensed premises such as a bar or restaurant, they may be sold beer, wine or cider of no more than 15% alcohol, or a drink sold in or poured from a pre-packaged container of no more than 5.5%, for drinking on the premises. An adult may obtain the same lower-strength drinks for a 16 or 17-year-old to drink on licensed premises, or to drink under the supervision of a parent, or with a parent's consent. There is no exception for shops, so supermarkets and off-licences may not sell alcohol to anyone under 18, and spirits may not be sold to under-18s anywhere. Selling alcohol to, or obtaining it for, an under-18 who is drunk is always an offence. The police can require someone under 18 who is drinking in a public place to hand over their alcohol, unless the exception for 16 and 17-year-olds applies, and failing to do so is itself an offence. Expect to be asked for ID. A seller has a defence only if they believed the buyer was 18 or over and were shown a passport, identity card or driving licence that would have convinced a reasonable person. Every premises that sells alcohol must display a notice stating that it is illegal to sell alcohol to, or procure alcohol for, anyone under the age of 18 in circumstances prohibited by law. The position is close to the UK's. UK government guidance says that under-18s may not buy alcohol, and that 16 and 17-year-olds accompanied by an adult may drink, but not buy, beer, wine or cider with a meal. In Gibraltar, 16 and 17-year-olds may also be sold the lower-strength drinks themselves on licensed premises.