Is prostitution legal in Germany?

Legal & regulated

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Germany, including brothels and sex work services.

Germany is one of 73 countries classified “Legal & regulated” for sex work — 33% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)

Source

Taken from
Wikipedia: Prostitution in Europe
Last checked
7 July 2026
How it was classified
Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.

Nearby countries

Luxembourg
Decriminalized / unregulated Prostitution is legal but regulated, with specific areas and times allowed for street work, and related activities like brothel-keeping are illegal.
Netherlands
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated, with new laws punishing customers who know or suspect coercion or trafficking.
Czech Republic
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal in the Czech Republic, though brothels and procuring are prohibited.
Austria
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated in Austria, though with restrictions on minors and locations.
Belgium
Decriminalized / unregulated Prostitution was decriminalized in Belgium on 1 June 2022, but pimping is prohibited.
Liechtenstein
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Liechtenstein but tolerated if not street-based.

Other laws in Germany

Same-Sex Marriage
Marriage legal
Same-Sex Activity
Legal
Age of Consent
14–15
Divorce
Heavily restricted
Non-Binary Recognition
Limited recognition
Same-Sex Adoption
Joint adoption legal
Incest Laws
Criminal offense
Marriage Age
18+

Every law in Germany → · Where is sex work legal? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.