Haas anyone's 16 year old travelled alone to Spain?

[travellingminor]

Just that really. My ds is 16, has a UK passport and is travelling alone to Spain to see my parents. Flight booked on BA, who let 16 year olds fly alone and we have flown many times, so he will be fine.

I have just been looking and some sites say he will need a letter from us (his parents) to get through the Spanish customs (fine) and some sites say it needs to be signed by a notary! But I cannot find a definitive answer. So, does anyone here know?

Thank you for any advice.

16 in the U.K. is adult for passport purposes. Get them to carry a letter from you and her father (unless deceased/no parental responsibility) stating she’s visiting grandparents. She needs to carry a letter from her grandparents (with their address and phone number) stating she is staying with them and they will be supporting her whilst she’s there (this latter problem is a Brexit thing, passport age has always been an anomaly). There’s a large possibility they won’t ask for either but having them with her means she has something to show if asked

There are two issues. Can she leave and reenter the UK? - the answer to that is yes. And can she enter and leave Spain? - and that is more complicated. My understanding is that under 18's must have proof of parental permission as OP described. I would suggest contacting the local spanish consulate for clarity on what is acceptable.

Thanks both. @helpfulperson sorry to be dim, but what is the local Spanish consulate? Here in the U.K.? (Sorry, clueless!)

My daughter flew alone to Spain one day after her 16th birthday to stay with family. She was a fairly frequent flyer by that age and negotiated it all like a pro. I was a bit of a nervous wreck, but was happy for her to do it, knowing she was being met at the other end.

@Tinytigertail thats great to hear. Did you write a letter or have a letter from her family out there?

Is there anything else I haven’t thought about?

Consulate of Spain in EDINBURGH This is the one nearest to me. Although most of their role is to advice Spanish Citizens in the UK they can also provide advice on Spanish legal issues.

Yes.

Check the airline policy. Some have forms for you to fill in.

We also sent him with a letter of consent , details of where he was staying, who with, their contact details etc.

No one looked at any of it !

She didn't have anything in terms of letters. She flew with easyJet, not sure if requirements might differ from airline to airline?

@helpfulperson thanks. I googled and saw the London one. They sent a long email back to acknowledge receipt and said they have a long backlog and won’t get back to things if listed on the website.

@itsmeafterall flying BA. I can only see a form for 14-15 year olds flying, but might email them. Just in case … I also got chat gpt to write a consent form. Just in case.

@Tinytigertail fingers crossed my son won’t need it. He’s
well traveled but would be stressed by things like that.

thanks so much all!