Guide · rules
The limit is 18, with no exceptions
Alcohol is not sold or handed over to anyone under 18. The rule applies in shops, in bars and at the door from a courier's hand, and it does not depend on who is paying.
In short
- Minimum age
- 18 years
- ID
- the seller may and must ask
- Refusal
- the seller refuses if age is not proven
- Buying for someone else
- prohibited, adults included
- Courier at the door
- checks exactly as the till does
- Liability
- rests with the seller and the person handing over, not only the buyer
Why ID is asked for even when age is obvious
The seller is personally liable. If age is not proven, refusing is the only correct act — even when the customer is clearly older. Many chains have an internal rule to ask everyone below a certain age, and the person at the till cannot override it.
The same logic applies at the door. A courier makes no exceptions and has no right to hand over an order without ID: the liability sits with whoever hands it over. Having the document ready is simply faster than arguing.
Buying for someone else is a separate prohibition: an adult may not buy alcohol for a minor, including their own child. Both the buyer and the person handing it on are in breach.
What counts as ID
The most common and always accepted.
Accepted if the photo and date of birth are legible.
Accepted, including a foreign passport.
Accepted.
Not accepted. The document has to be physical.
Common questions
Can a 17-year-old buy alcohol if an adult is present?
No. Sale and handover to anyone under 18 is prohibited regardless of who is with them.
May a seller demand ID?
They may and must if there is any doubt about age. Without proof, a refusal follows.
Does a photo of the document on a phone work?
No. A physical document is required.
Who is liable if a minor ends up with alcohol?
Primarily the seller or the person handing it over. A buyer who passes it on is also in breach.