Car seat lawsin SpainIn a seven seater hire car · height decides, and the third row counts as the back
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What do Spain's car seat rules ask of a child?
Landing at the south airportCar seat laws in Spain go by height, not age: a child of 135 cm or under travels in an approved restraint suited to their weight and size, and as a general rule in the rear seats. It is Spanish road law, so it applies on Tenerife and in a hire car as anywhere else in the country. An unsecured child costs EUR 200 for each child and 3 points on the driver's licence, and fines are the renter's to pay.
Each child's restraint is fitted where the car is handed over, before it moves. At Tenerife South that is the arrival area, and if the holiday starts with the long drive north from Tenerife South Airport, Puerto de la Cruz is about 81 minutes and 97 km away without traffic; a real drive takes that long or longer, with every child in the back for all of it.
Where do the child seats go in a seven seater?
See the larger cars
In a seven seater the third row counts as the back, and the front passenger seat does not. Both rear rows are where the restraints belong, and a spare seat beside the driver is no reason on its own to put a child there. Height decides here too: a tall child of 135 cm or under still needs the restraint, and still rides in the back.
The front is allowed only by exception, and there are three: the car has no rear seats at all, every rear seat is already taken by another child in a restraint, or the restraints cannot all be fitted in the back. A seven seater always has rear seats, so the first never applies to it, and with two rear rows the other two arise only once the back is full of children in restraints or the restraints will not all go in.
Ready when you are
All pickup pointsSearch your dates for a seven seater, and each car shows its deposit, its cover levels and its minimum driver age and experience before you book.
Check datesLive prices for your dates, with the deposit and the cover on each car.
Which seven seaters are there, and when should I book?
The crater driveSeven seaters are scarce on the island's list, so a family that needs one books early. Cars with seven or nine seats exist but are few: the DFSK 580, the Opel Zafira, the VW Caddy, the Renault Trafic, the Peugeot Traveller and the Citroen Jumpy. Count the children of 135 cm or under before choosing, and pick the car that seats the whole party with every one of them in the back.
The driver's minimum age and driving experience are listed on each car's page, and they can differ even between similar models, so check them on the seven seater itself. The rental agent can refuse the car if the driver does not meet them.
What should I check before booking the seven seater?
What the cover leaves out01 A restraint for each child
Count by height, not age: each child of 135 cm or under needs an approved restraint suited to their weight and size, and a place for it in the second or third row. Plan where each one goes before the handover, so the back is set up for it.
02 Book as soon as the dates are fixed
Seven seaters are scarce, and the larger cars on the list are few. Book once the dates and the size of the party are settled.
03 The licence card itself
A valid licence with its details in Latin script and an expiry no earlier than the end of the rental. Copies and electronic licences are not accepted. If the licence is valid only in the country that issued it, an International Driving Permit is strongly recommended.
04 The card in the main driver's name
The booking may require a physical embossed credit card in the main driver's name. Where a debit card is accepted, the booking and the voucher say so, and it too must be physical, personalised, embossed and in that name. How the deposit is held and when it is refunded are shown during booking and in the voucher.
05 Fuel back at the same level
The car goes back with the fuel level it had at the handover; a lower level is charged at the rental company's rates and a fuller tank is not refunded. There is no fuel station inside the Teide national park, so on a family day up at the Teide crater the tank is filled before the climb, not on it. Tenerife's motorways are toll-free.
What else does the law ask of a family car?
Check dates01 The V-16 beacon
The V-16 beacon replaced warning triangles in Spain on 1 January 2026. Check it is in the car at pick-up; driving without one is an EUR 80 fine.
02 Pets, restrained too
Only small pets may travel in a hire car, in their travel carriers the whole time. The road law asks the same of any animal: it must be restrained so the driver keeps full freedom of movement, visibility and attention. Loose in the back it is a fine of EUR 80 to 200, and in the front passenger seat it can reach EUR 500, even inside a carrier.
03 What standard cover leaves out
Standard insurance does not cover the wheels, the undercarriage, the windscreen or the interior. That is the standard level: each car lists its cover levels, and the deductible each car shows per cover level is there to compare before you book. After any insured event, tell the rental agent at once and get a police report, or the insurance is cancelled.
04 Paved roads and a phone that answers
Hire cars may travel only on paved public roads. The phone number given at booking must be reachable throughout the rental and on the day before pick-up.
Frequently asked questions
The island's road rulesThe questions below cover Spain's child restraint rule in a seven seater: who needs a restraint, where it can go and what an unsecured child costs. The rule sits alongside the other rules of the road on Tenerife, from the V-16 beacon to the parking colours, and the questions end with the seven seater itself and the handover.
What do Spain's car seat laws require?
A child of 135 cm or under must travel in an approved restraint suited to their weight and size, and as a general rule in the rear seats. It is Spanish road law, so it applies on Tenerife and in a hire car exactly as it does anywhere else in Spain.
Does age or height decide whether a child needs a car seat in Spain?
Height decides, not age. The line is 135 cm: at that height or under, the child needs an approved restraint suited to their weight and size, whatever their birthday says.
Can a child sit in the front of a seven seater?
Only by exception. The front is allowed when the car has no rear seats at all, when every rear seat is already taken by another child in a restraint, or when the restraints cannot all be fitted in the back. In a seven seater the third row counts as the back, so both rear rows come first.
What is the fine for an unsecured child in Spain?
EUR 200 for each unsecured child, and 3 points on the driver's licence. Fines are the renter's to pay in a hire car, along with fuel and parking.
Are seven seaters easy to find in Tenerife?
They are scarce, so book early. Cars with seven or nine seats exist but are few: the DFSK 580, the Opel Zafira, the VW Caddy, the Renault Trafic, the Peugeot Traveller and the Citroen Jumpy. Each car shows its own minimum driver age and experience, and they can differ even between similar models.
What does the driver need at the handover?
The licence card itself, with its details in Latin script and an expiry no earlier than the end of the rental; copies and electronic licences are not accepted. The booking may also require a physical embossed credit card in the main driver's name; where a debit card is accepted, the booking and the voucher say so, and it must be physical, personalised, embossed and in the same name.