The age of consent for sex outside of marriage varies by jurisdiction across Europe. The age of consent – hereby meaning the age from which one is deemed able to consent to having sex with anyone else of consenting age or above – varies between 14 and 18. The majority of countries set their ages in the range of 14 to 16; only four countries, Cyprus (17), the Republic of Ireland (17), Turkey (18), and the Vatican City (18), set an unrestricted age of consent higher than 16. Some countries have close-in-age exceptions, allowing partners close in age of whom one or both may be below the standard unrestricted age of consent to be able to both legally consent to engage in sexual acts with each other.

The highlighted age is that from which a young person can lawfully engage in a non-commercial sexual act with an older person, regardless of their age difference. If a participant in a sexual act is under 18 but above the age of consent then sexual acts with another person who is at or over the age of consent may still be illegal if the older participant is in a position of authority over the younger, as in the case of a teacher and their student or a police officer and a civilian. Sexual acts may not be legal if those engaging are blood relatives, regardless of age, though the legality of incest varies between European countries.

Neither the European Union nor the Council of Europe have suggested any specific age of consent, and there has not been any effort so far to standardise the age across member states. However, most countries in Europe now have binding legal obligations in regard to the sexual abuse of children under 18. The Lanzarote Convention, which was ratified, as of 2021, by all member states of the Council of Europe, and which came into effect in 2011, obliges the countries that ratify it to criminalise certain acts concerning children under 18, such as the involvement of such children in prostitution and pornography. Other acts that must be criminalised include:

Engaging in sexual activities with a child ('child' is defined in Article 3 as 'person under the age of 18 years') where:

The age of consent is called "the legal age for sexual activities" and must be chosen by states at the age they see fit. (No specific age is recommended.) As of February 2021, the convention has been ratified by all states of the Council of Europe. In the European Union (EU 27), there is a directive regarding the sexual abuse of children under 18, known as Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography.

Since 2001, the age of consent in Albania is 14, regardless of gender and sexual orientation. In the case of a girl, however, sex is illegal if she is over 14 but has not reached "sexual maturity", as provided by article 100 of the criminal code.

The age of consent in Andorra is 14. It is also illegal – regardless of age – for a person occupying a position of authority or superiority over a person to engage in sexual activity with them, or when it involves abuse of trust, or a situation of need or dependence. The penalty is more severe when the subject is below the age of 18. Sexual acts with anyone younger than 14 is punishable with imprisonment between three months and three years. If the sexual act involved sexual penetration, then the punishment is imprisonment between three and ten years.

The age of consent of Andorra, its restrictions and its punishments are described in Article 147, 148 and 149 of the Penal Code.