Legal Status Lookup

Formally criminalised; enforcement uneven. Tirana market has grown rapidly with tourism since 2015; pricing 30-50% below Western European peers.

Selling sex is illegal in Andorra, though buying sex is not itself criminalised.

Legal for adults; pimping and brothels are illegal. Active independent scene in Buenos Aires.

Legal and regulated (Dutch Caribbean): sex workers need an "adult entertainer" work permit and undergo mandatory medical examinations.

Legal status varies by state. NSW and NT are decriminalised; Victoria and Queensland are legalised/regulated.

Legal with mandatory registration and weekly health checks. Brothels operate under licence.

Illegal; small underground scene. Tourist law-enforcement focus.

Illegal but tolerated in some hotels. Severe penalties on paper.

Contradictory framework: government regulates a small number of brothels (Daulatdia) while criminalising most sex work. Foreign tourist adult-tourism limited.

Selling sex is legal, but related activities such as brothel-keeping and solicitation are prohibited.

Decriminalised since 2022 — the first European country to do so. Workers have employment rights and social security.

Legal in licensed establishments with mandatory health checks. La Paz and Santa Cruz have established scenes; pricing among lowest in South America.

A special municipality of the Netherlands; prostitution is legal and regulated, with a single state-sanctioned brothel on the island.

Selling sex is legal, but solicitation and brothel-keeping are illegal and procuring is treated as a serious crime.

Sex work itself is legal and recognised as a profession. Pimping and brothels are illegal but tolerated.

Illegal; selling, buying, and soliciting can be punished with imprisonment and fines.

Sex work itself is not criminalised but brothels and pimping are illegal.

Illegal since 2008 anti-trafficking law but tolerated in practice. Tourist-area focus.

Nordic model since 2014: selling is legal, buying and most third-party activities are criminalised.

Legal for adults but with restrictions; brothels in many cities.

Strictly illegal with severe penalties for both parties. Periodic crackdowns; KTV and massage gray-market.

Legal in designated "tolerance zones" with registration. Major scenes in Medellin, Cartagena, Bogota.

Legal for adults; San Jose has well-known venues. Pimping is illegal.

Selling and buying are both illegal under public-order laws. Underground scene.

Illegal but Havana has a long-running tourist-focused gray scene known locally as "jineterismo".

Legal in the famous Campo Alegre licensed brothel and a few smaller venues.

Sex work itself is legal but brothels, pimping and soliciting are illegal.

Sex work itself is not criminalised but brothels are technically illegal. Tolerated in practice — Prague has a thriving scene.

Decriminalised since 1999 but pimping and brothels are illegal. Independent work is common.

Sex work is not criminalised but pimping, brothels and trafficking are. Major tourist-area scenes.

Legal in licensed brothels with health checks. Quito, Guayaquil have established scenes.

Illegal with severe penalties under public-morality law.

Not prohibited by national law and brothel ownership is legal, but pimping is illegal and individual municipalities may ban the sale or purchase of sex — a patchwork status.

Criminalised; same-sex activity also criminalised. Small discreet market through hotel bars at major resorts (Nadi, Suva); not a primary adult-tourism destination.

Selling and buying sex are generally legal; pimping and organised prostitution are illegal.

Nordic model since 2016: clients face fines; workers are not criminalised but have lost income and safety.

A French overseas collectivity; selling sex is legal but brothels are not. It is unclear whether France's 2016 law criminalising the purchase of sex applies here.

Fully legal and regulated since 2002. Brothels operate openly; workers must register and pay tax. FKK clubs are a German specialty.

Criminalised; same-sex activity more severely criminalised under colonial-era law. Tourist-facing infrastructure routes through hotel bars at Accra premium properties.

Legal in licensed brothels with registered workers. Street work and unlicensed venues are illegal.

Legal for adults 18+; pimping criminal. Market concentrates in Guatemala City Zona Viva; security situation is dominant practical concern.

Not specifically prohibited by statute, but selling sex is prosecuted under a colonial-era "common nuisance" provision and brothel-keeping is illegal; enforcement is inconsistent.

Illegal, though it remains widespread in streets, bars, hotels, and brothels.

Selling sex is legal (no law prohibits prostitution), but brothel ownership and pimping are illegal.

Independent work is legal; brothels (2+ workers), soliciting, and pimping are illegal. "One-woman" apartments common.

Legal but heavily restricted. Workers must register and operate only in designated zones.

Nordic Model since 2009 — purchase criminal, selling not. Small Reykjavik market; premium-tier pricing among highest in Europe.

Sex work itself is not criminalised but pimping, brothels and soliciting are. Major red-light districts in Mumbai, Kolkata.

Illegal under public morality laws. Some areas (Jakarta, Bali) have a tolerated tourist-focused scene.

Nordic model: selling is legal, buying is criminalised since 2017. Workers cannot legally work together for safety.

Nordic model since 2020: buying sex is illegal; selling is not. Pre-2020 the scene was decriminalised.

Sex work itself is legal; brothels and organised prostitution are illegal. Mostly street and apartment-based.

Illegal under public-morality laws. Tourist resort scenes exist.

Penetrative sex for money is illegal but a wide gray-market of "soaplands", delivery health and snack bars operates legally.

Criminalised with active enforcement in tourist contexts. Conservative Islamic-aligned law; risk substantial for Western tourists.

Administrative offence (not criminal); small market in Almaty and Astana. Russian-speaking, limited Western adult-tourism infrastructure.

Sex work itself is not criminalised but pimping, brothels and soliciting are. Active scenes in Nairobi and coastal cities.

Illegal, and can incur a prison sentence of up to sixty days.

A criminal activity subject to severe prosecution; criminalised since 1975.

Legal with registration and health checks. Brothels are illegal; independent work only.

Legal in licensed "super-nightclubs" with registered workers. Independent work is illegal.

Selling sex is legal, but organised prostitution (brothels, profiting from prostitution) is illegal; street work is permitted only on two designated streets near Luxembourg City station during set hours.

Sex work is legal; brothels and pimping are not. Casino-hotel scene is internationally famous.

Illegal under Sharia and federal law. Severe penalties on paper but tourist-area scenes exist.

Sex work decriminalised; pimping/brothel-keeping criminal. Small market in Sliema/St. Julian's and Paceville; mobile providers from EU on short stints.

Status varies by state; tolerance zones in many cities. Tijuana, Mexico City have major scenes.

An illegal (administrative) offence, though it is widespread.

Selling sex is legal, but organised prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings, pimping) is prohibited and solicitation is illegal.

Illegal in all forms.

Illegal but underground scene tolerated to varying degrees.

Illegal under the Suppression of Prostitution Act 1949; enforcement is arbitrary under post-coup military rule.

Illegal under public-decency laws. Underground scene; Kathmandu has known venues.

Legal and regulated since 2000. Window prostitution in red-light districts (Amsterdam, Rotterdam) and licensed brothels.

Fully decriminalised since 2003 — the international gold standard. Sex work treated like any other labour.

Selling sex is legal, but promoting prostitution and procuring are prohibited.

Illegal under federal and Sharia law in northern states. Underground scene in southern cities.

Selling sex is legal with restrictions, but procuring, pimping, profiting, providing premises, and public soliciting are prohibited.

Nordic model since 2009. Sex work itself is legal but buying it is criminalised.

Illegal; sex work is criminalised under the Penal Code and all extramarital sex (zina) is itself a criminal offence under Hudood-era law.

Legal with registration and health checks. Established scene in Panama City.

Generally regarded as illegal via case law; brothel-keeping and living on the earnings of prostitution are offences, though rarely enforced.

Legal for adults 18+; pimping criminal. Small market in Asuncion and Ciudad del Este border area; pricing among lowest in South America.

Legal but tightly regulated; brothels permitted in zoned areas with health checks.

Illegal under Anti-Trafficking law but widely tolerated, especially in entertainment districts.

Sex work itself is legal but pimping, brothels and organised prostitution are illegal.

Decriminalised but pimping/brothel operation is illegal. Tolerated independent work.

Illegal under US-territory law. Underground scene in San Juan.

Both selling and buying are illegal but enforcement is uneven. Underground scene.

Administrative offence; small fine but stigma is severe. Pimping is a serious criminal offence.

Illegal under the Crimes Act 2013, as are procuring and brothel-keeping.

Selling sex is illegal, though buying sex is not itself criminalised.

Illegal under Sharia; all extramarital sex (zina) is a serious crime for citizens and visitors alike.

Uniquely regulated framework in sub-Saharan Africa: workers register, undergo mandatory health checks, carry permits. Dakar is the centre.

Illegal for both seller and buyer; misdemeanour offence.

Legal in licensed brothels (Geylang). Strict regulation; soliciting and street work are illegal.

Both selling and buying are illegal but a 2022 Cabinet decision recommended decriminalisation. Reform pending.

Illegal since 2004 Anti-Prostitution Special Law but enforcement varies; "room salons" operate widely.

Sex work itself is not illegal but pimping and brothels are. Large gray-market scene; highway clubs operate openly.

Illegal but loosely enforced. Small tourist-focused scene.

Illegal but widespread and rarely enforced; brothels are technically illegal but usually tolerated.

The original Nordic model since 1999: buying is criminalised, selling is not.

Legal and regulated. Workers must register; cantons set local rules. Zurich has supervised "sex boxes".

Legal in designated "special zones" since 2011 but no zone has actually been established. Effectively gray.

Criminalised; same-sex activity additionally criminalised under colonial-era law. Tourist-facing enforcement uneven; Zanzibar enforces more strictly than Dar es Salaam.

Technically illegal under 1996 act but openly tolerated. Massive industry; foreign tourists rarely targeted.

Selling sex is legal, but soliciting and brothel-keeping are forbidden under the Criminal Offences Act.

Illegal under Sexual Offences Act. Underground scene exists.

Legal in registered state-licensed brothels (genelev). Workers must be registered Turkish citizens.

Strictly illegal under Sharia law with severe penalties (deportation, prison). Discreet hotel scene exists in Dubai.

Administrative offence with small fines. Wartime conditions have changed the landscape significantly.

Selling sex is legal but soliciting, kerb-crawling, brothels (2+ workers in one premises) and pimping are illegal.

Illegal in 49 states. Legal in 10 rural Nevada counties under licensed brothels (Mustang Ranch, etc.).

Legal, regulated, and recognised as labour since 2002. Workers register and access social security.

Legal for adults 18+; economic crisis has reshaped market with USD-denominated pricing. Security context is dominant practical concern.

Illegal; periodic crackdowns. Underground scene exists in major cities.