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Kink & BDSM Legal Map
Consensual adult BDSM has a different legal status from sex work. Some countries treat consent as a complete defence; some (notably the UK, much of the US, Canada, Australia) do not — meaning a partner can be prosecuted for assault even with full consent. This is the country-by-country reference.
Three legal layers
- Public-order / morality: can the activity exist at all? In illegal-status countries this is the binding layer.
- Consent as defence: if a partner is bruised or injured, can the other party be prosecuted? UK R v Brown (1993) said no — the gold standard for "restricted".
- Commercial / professional: can pro-dommes / pro-subs operate? Overlaps with sex-work law — see legal status lookup.
27
Legal between adults
44
Gray zone
14
Consent not a defence
6
Criminalised
Legal between adults (27)
Argentina Consent valid Austria Consent valid Belgium Consent valid Brazil Consent valid Chile Consent valid Colombia Consent valid Costa Rica Consent valid Croatia Consent valid Czech Republic Consent valid Denmark Consent valid Finland Consent valid France Consent valid Germany Consent valid Greece Consent valid Israel Consent valid Italy Consent valid Japan Consent valid Latvia Consent valid Netherlands Consent valid New Zealand Consent valid Norway Consent valid Portugal Consent valid South Africa Consent valid Spain Consent valid Sweden Consent valid Switzerland Consent valid Taiwan Consent valid
Gray zone (44)
Albania Consent invalid Bahamas Consent invalid Bolivia Consent invalid Bulgaria Consent invalid Cambodia Consent invalid China Consent invalid Cuba Consent invalid Curacao Consent invalid Cyprus Consent invalid Dominican Republic Consent invalid Ecuador Consent invalid Fiji Consent invalid Ghana Consent invalid Guatemala Consent invalid Hong Kong Consent invalid Hungary Consent invalid Iceland Consent invalid India Consent invalid Ireland Consent invalid Jamaica Consent invalid Kazakhstan Consent invalid Kenya Consent invalid Lebanon Consent invalid Macau Consent invalid Malta Consent invalid Mexico Consent invalid Nepal Consent invalid Panama Consent invalid Paraguay Consent invalid Peru Consent invalid Philippines Consent invalid Poland Consent invalid Puerto Rico Consent invalid Romania Consent invalid Senegal Consent invalid Serbia Consent invalid South Korea Consent invalid Sri Lanka Consent invalid Thailand Consent invalid Trinidad & Tobago Consent invalid Ukraine Consent invalid Uruguay Consent invalid Venezuela Consent invalid Vietnam Consent invalid
Consent not a defence (14)
Australia Consent invalid Bahrain Consent invalid Bangladesh Consent invalid Canada Consent invalid Jordan Consent invalid Myanmar Consent invalid Nigeria Consent invalid Pakistan Consent invalid Russia Consent invalid Singapore Consent invalid Tanzania Consent invalid Turkey Consent invalid United Kingdom Consent invalid United States Consent invalid
Criminalised (6)
Sources: National Coalition for Sexual Freedom case-law tracker; ILGA reports; specific national criminal codes; case law (R v Brown 1993, People v Jovanovic 1998, R v Welch 1995, Landgericht Aachen 2008). Last verified April 2026. Verify with a local sex-positive lawyer before relying on this for any specific legal question.