Greece is an ideal holiday destination for everyone, regardless of age. If you’re coming over with your close-to-adult teenagers or you are the teenager and you’re wondering whether you could buy something extra in Greece, then we’ll go over all you need to know today. What’s the legal drinking age in Greece? What’s the legal age to buy alcohol? Let’s take a look.
Regulations for selling alcohol in Greece are similar to the rest of Europe and there’s no debate to be had about them – you have to be at least 18 years old to buy alcohol. Of course, not everyone will check that, as ID checks aren’t that common. Still, the law is what it is.
What about drinking? Here, we have to distinguish between two scenarios: private and public drinking. Private drinking refers to drinking in one’s private grounds, at home with a family, for instance. There, you have no legal drinking age and it’s up to the parents or formal carers to decide when a child can and cannot drink. If you’re in public, however, this may be something the staff of the establishment could have to check, as you have to be at least 18 years old to consume alcohol in public. Is anyone going to actually check? If you don’t go overboard, then very unlikely.
One final note, not directly related to law but to alcohol in Greece, is to watch out for cheap alcohol. There are paradisiacal stories about incredibly cheap alcohol in beachside clubs in Greece – it’s true, and, my dears, they’re this cheap for a reason. Same with local homemade spirits, as you never know what people put in these bottles and whether all of it is safe. As such, be careful out there.
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