Digital Age of Consent in Europe: The GDPR Age in Every Country (13 to 16)
The age a child can consent to apps using their data without a parent: 13 in the UK, Sweden and Portugal, 16 in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. All 32 countries.
Muhammad Shahzeb·Published ·5 min read
The short answer
The GDPR digital age of consent ranges from 13 to 16 across Europe. It is 13 in the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Sweden, Norway and Iceland; 14 in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania and Spain; 15 in Czechia, France, Greece and Slovenia; and 16 in Germany, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Liechtenstein. Switzerland sets no fixed age.
When a child signs up for an app, the service often needs consent to use their data. Under GDPR Article 8, a child below the "digital age of consent" needs a parent to give that consent. The default is 16, and each country may lower it, but not below 13. This page lists the age in all 27 EU countries plus the UK, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, each checked against the national law or the data protection regulator on 16 October 2026.
13: the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
14: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania and Spain.
15: Czechia, France, Greece and Slovenia.
16: Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Liechtenstein, most by keeping the GDPR default.
Switzerland is not bound by GDPR, and its revised data protection law sets no fixed age; a child's capacity of judgement decides.
No country changed its age between 2024 and October 2026. Spain and Portugal have discussed raising theirs to 16 and Norway to 15, but none of these is law.
Why it matters for parents
The digital age of consent is not a social media ban. It decides when a service needs a parent's consent to rely on consent to use a child's data. Apps still set their own minimum ages, usually 13 (see each app's age), and some countries are adding separate social media age laws, such as the proposed EU KIDS Act, which would let children open their own account from 15.
EU rules on minors online
Digital Services Act guidelines on protecting minors were published by the European Commission on 14 July 2025.
The EU age-verification app has seven frontrunner countries (Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain); a Commission recommendation of 29 April 2026 asks countries to roll out age verification by the end of 2026 (European Commission).
The EU KIDS Act, proposed on 17 September 2026, would ban social media accounts under 13 and allow parent-managed accounts at 13 and 14; it is not law.
Each country's row links to its national data protection law or regulator page. EU items: European Commission, EU age verification and age verification FAQ.
Frequently asked
What is the digital age of consent?
The age at which a child can agree, without a parent, to an online service processing their personal data on the basis of consent. GDPR Article 8 sets 16 as the default and lets each country lower it to as low as 13.
What is the digital age of consent in Germany?
16. Germany did not set a lower age, so the GDPR default applies.
What is the digital age of consent in the UK?
13, under UK GDPR. Ministers can now change it by regulations, but decided in July 2026 not to change it at this stage.
Does the digital age of consent mean a child can use social media?
Not exactly. It is a data-protection rule about consent. Apps set their own minimum age (usually 13), and some countries have separate social media age laws.
Which countries in Europe use 16?
Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Liechtenstein, mostly because they kept the GDPR default.
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