Is prostitution legal in Italy?

Legal & regulated

Prostitution is legal in Italy, but organized prostitution and brothel operations are prohibited, with individual sex workers tolerated.

Italy 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

San Marino
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in San Marino and not commonplace.
Vatican City
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Vatican City and not commonplace.
Croatia
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Croatia, with penalties for brothel operations and procuring, though voluntary prostitution is treated as a public order infraction.
Slovenia
Decriminalized / unregulated Prostitution was decriminalized in Slovenia in June 2003.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal in Bosnia and Herzegovina but related activities like solicitation and brothel keeping are illegal.
Monaco
Decriminalized / unregulated Prostitution is legal but organized forms and solicitation are prohibited, with penalties for forcing someone into prostitution.

Other laws in Italy

Same-Sex Marriage
Civil unions
Same-Sex Activity
Legal
Age of Consent
14–15
Divorce
Legal
Same-Sex Adoption
Limited (step-child / single)
Incest Laws
Criminal offense
Marriage Age
18+

Every law in Italy → · 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.