Is prostitution legal in Nepal?
Illegal
Prostitution is illegal in Nepal under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2064, criminalizing it as part of human trafficking.
Nepal is one of 105 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 48% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Prostitution in Asia
- 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
- India
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal except in private residences, with many brothels operating illegally.
- Bhutan
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal but practiced openly in border towns and Thimphu.
- Bangladesh
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated with registration required, and brothel villages exist.
- Pakistan
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Pakistan, with some regions imposing severe penalties including death, though it is practiced underground.
- Myanmar
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Myanmar, with significant trafficking affecting women and children both domestically and internationally.
- Tajikistan
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal but related activities like soliciting and brothel keeping are prohibited, with penalties including imprisonment.
Other laws in Nepal
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal
- Pornography
- Illegal
- Divorce
- Legal
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Recognized
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Not permitted
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+
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.