Living With Teenagers in Spain

Youth Organisations

There are a number of national and regional youth councils which aim to bring together youth groups and promote activities and the interests of young people in Spain.

Attached to the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, the Institute of Youth (Insituto de la Juventud, INJUVE) aims to promote cultural communication between youth associations, develop and co-ordinate an information and documentation system, maintain international relations and co-operation in matters related to youth and promote youth exchanges at national and international level.

The INJUVE website has much useful information regarding youth opportunities as well as links to all the local youth councils in the various regions of Spain.

• For the INJUVE website: Click here (in Spanish)
• For more addresses and contact details: Click here

Youth sports

There is a range of social and sporting activities available to teenagers but these can vary greatly depending on location. Facilities in cities and major towns are generally very good. Municipal sports complexes, known as polideportivos ("multisports"), are located in the larger towns and cities and there are many private country clubs, sports centres and gymnasiums.

Swimming pools and tennis courts are widely available. The cost for most facilities is reasonable.

The local Yellow Pages or Tourist Office is an excellent source of information for these facilities. Alternatively, consult the website of the Ministry of Education and Science which has links to sports associations.

• For the contact information of organisations from Ministry of Education and Science: Click here

Many schools run clubs for sporting and other activities after the school day has finished. There is usually a fee to participate.

Scouting is popular in Spain. Anyone interested in joining or finding out more about the Scout movement in Spain can visit one of the following websites:

• Federation of Scouting Associations in Spain (Federación de Asociaciones de Scouts de España, ASDE)
• The Catholic Scout Movement (Movimiento Scout Católico, MSC)
• The Federation of Scouts and Guides in Catalonia (Federació Catalana d'Escoltisme i Guiatge, FCEG)

International youth clubs

The Iberoamerican Youth Organisation gathers together the Ministries and Agencies responsible for youth in Spain, Portugal and Latin America and arranges various activities, training and research. The website (in Spanish) has a useful resource list of all the state institutions dealing with youth in these countries.

• Website Generation Europe lists Spanish youth organisations: Click here

School Holidays

Spain has long holiday periods compared to many countries with the school year running from mid-September to mid-June. The long summer holidays can present a problem for parents in terms of organising care and activities for their teenagers.

Most families go away at some point during the long summer break – taking children out of school during term-time for holidays is strongly discouraged.

• Residential and non-residential holiday camps have become more common in recent years. Many are sports orientated (such as soccer camps).
  • Outward Bound runs courses in Spain: Click here
• Older teenagers may like to travel and there are various schemes to help reduce the cost of this.
  • See the European Youth Portal for details: Click here
  • INJUVE has information on reduced price travel, youth hostels: Click here (in Spanish)

Museums and other attractions

Many museums hold workshops and youth oriented sessions during school holidays. Local tourist information offices have details.

• For information in English visit the official tourist site for Spain: Click here
• The Art and Culture section has regular updates on special events and offers for reduced admission prices: Click here (in Spanish)

Exchange visits

Within the European Union and beyond there are plenty of study exchanges for young people.

• The European Youth Portal has more information on finding opportunities in Spain and elsewhere: Click here

Voluntary Work and Exchanges

Voluntary work is also popular and often allows young people to gain valuable work experience. The European Youth Portal is a good source of information on projects and provides links to organisations looking for voluntary workers in and outside Spain.

• For more information: Click here
• Additional information on voluntary work worldwide can be found by contacting the International Voluntary Service (IVS)

Youth Employment

The minimum working age in Spain is 16, although permission from parents or guardians is required up to 18 years of age in most cases. Any work contract with a child under 16 is invalid although an employer must pay for any services provided. Employers who breach the rules governing child employment in Spain are punished.

Various contract types exist including: indefinite contracts, fixed duration contracts, contracts for specific tasks or services, temporary contracts, training contracts and work experience contracts. The contracts used in youth employment are collectively known as los contratos formativos.

1. Young people may be given training/trainee contract (Contrato para la formación) – these are designed for workers over 16 but under 21 years of age. They can run for between six months and two years
2. If the teenager has recent relevant qualifications they may instead have a work experience contract (Contrato en prácticas). These contracts also last for between six months and two years

Children under 18 years of aged are prohibited from working at night (between 22:00 and 06:00) or working overtime. Any other activities considered by the Government to be unhealthy, difficult, detrimental or dangerous, both to the person's health and the person's professional and personal development are also outlawed.

Seasonal work and part-time work for young people is available but depends to a large extent on location. There are many opportunities in tourist areas to bilingual English-Spanish teens. Unemployment is still a problem in many rural areas of Spain. 

• Find more information on Spanish employment law see the European job mobility portal, EURES
• Further information is available in Spanish from the website of the Ministry of Economy (Ministerio de Economía y Hacienda)

Finding work

Many companies publicise vacation jobs in local media and online. EEA (European Economic Area) nationals have free access to the services of the Spanish employment service, INEM or Oficina de Empleo. All cities and most towns have an office and staff can assist in finding temporary and permanent jobs.

For private temping agencies see the Yellow Pages for "Empresas de Trabajo Temporal".

Teenagers and Counselling

Spain has a problem with drugs and alcohol among its young people. However, it is constantly working to address this and the government supported INJUVE publishes guides on matters relevant to young people, including information on anorexia and bulimia and how to find a holiday job.

• For information: Click here (in Spanish)

• The Ministry of Health has an English version of some of its website where it publishes health guides for teenagers: Click here

Teenagers and alcohol

Spain has similar youth alcohol issues to many other European countries including France and the UK. Government quoted figures claim that 65 percent of 14 to 18 year olds in Spain drink regularly.

• The Ministry of Health is responsible for monitoring alcohol related issues and publishes information on its website to discourage young people from drinking: Click here (in Spanish)

The minimum drinking age is 18, but 16 year olds may buy beer and wine if accompanied by their parents. However the law is seldom enforced and the Spanish government has threatened new legislation to make sure that things are tightened up. Legislation on the matter is currently in a state of flux although Government proposals include imposing stricter limits on drinking in public areas and increasing the legal age for buying alcohol from 16 to 18.

Alcoholics Anonymous (Alcoholicos Anonimos) is active in Spain and there is an English-language version of its website. There are also English language meetings in many areas.

• Full details can be found on the website: Click here

Teenagers and drugs

Government figures from the Spanish Ministry of Health indicate that drug-taking among Spanish teenagers continues to rise.

Drug use and possession for personal use of some drugs does not constitute a criminal offence under Spanish law. However, public consumption is penalised with fines. One clear difference is Spain's marijuana policy - it encourages marijuana smokers to grow their own product. Personal consumption and home cultivation have been decriminalised, but buying or selling marijuana/hashish remains a criminal offence.

• For further information: Click here

According to research commissioned by the Spanish government, teenagers report few problems in obtaining drugs and alcohol, and the number of teenagers who admit to using cocaine has gone up dramatically. Only heroin usage has declined. Criticism of the National Drugs Plan has been common.

Teenage pregnancy

Spain has traditionally had low rates of teenage pregnancy compared to other European countries. The family planning association, FPFE (Federacion de Planificcacion Familiar de Espana) has a website section aimed at young people with information on regional centres.

• For regional contact details: Click here (in Spanish)

Contraception is rarely free in Spain. The morning after pill (la pildora del dia despues) is widely used and is sold on prescription at pharmacies. Clinical abortion is legal and in some instances a proportion of the cost is covered by social security. 

• See AngloINFO INFOrmation Page Termination of Pregnancy/Abortion in Spain

Driving

The minimum age for driving a car is 18. Drivers must hold a licence which is only awarded after successful completion of a theory and practical driving test.

Over 14s may drive scooters (mopeds) without a licence, but must still provide medical evidence of their fitness to be in charge of the vehicle. In addition they must spend a minimum period (usually at least three hours) with a driving school and undertake a basic theory and practical test.

• See Spanish Driving Licences: Getting, Renewing & Points

Further Information

• Spanish Ministry of Education and Science
• European Youth Portal
• European Job Mobility Portal (EURES)