Sex work in Bulgaria is neither criminalized nor legalized. On a national scale there is no law that explicitly or directly concerns sex workers.

For other subjects within the sex industry in the country, and indirectly sex workers, in the Penal Code, Debauchery section, the following infractions are criminalized:

- Pimping/persuading to prostitution;

- Organizing and offering venues for prostitution;

- Prostitution of minors and coerced prostitution;

- Traffickers of people for the purpose of prostitution.

This legislation applies to all persons on the territory of Bulgaria regardless of their nationality or citizenship. On one hand, the law pursues the owners and people who are directly in charge of organization and control of the sex business. On the other hand, the access to sex workers depends mainly on their managers/pimps. If there arise any problems of legal substance, it means that any contacts with the target group will be very complicated and sometimes even impossible.

There is an old article in the Penal code “Unearned income in immoral way” which says that if “an able-bodied person of age, who continuously does not practice a socially useful labour, receives unearned income in unwarranted or immoral way shall be punished by imprisonment or by probation”. Lately, based on this article sex workers have started to be arrested more often. This article is used especially in street-based prostitution.

As a result, the police often detain sex workers and charge them with disturbing public order or for the absence of ID documents, etc. It is usual for sex workers to be registered at district police offices as criminals. Because of the lack of regulatory controls, there are frequent cases of police corruption and police violence against sex workers, blackmail, and other arbitrary acts of abuse.

There are two legalized activities that, at times, are directly or indirectly connected to sex work: massage and escort services. In accordance with the law for local taxation and fees, from the start of 2008, these activities are now subject to a municipality-imposed annual patent taxation. (Up to the end of 2007, the Law for taxation of the income of physical persons regulated this final annual patent taxation). Escorts (companions) and masseurs are included in the list of “Types of patent activities and annual amounts of taxes”.  For instance, these activities include Carpenter’s services, Dressmaker’s services, Trade, Hairdresser’s Services, Cosmetic Services and Tattooing, Male and Female Companions, Masseurs and Masseuses, etc.

On that basis, part of the sex business in Bulgaria could be considered as “legal”. It is a “public secret” that most of the clubs and apartments offering paid sex are registered as massage parlours or as escort firms. An individual could register as a sole entrepreneur; however, the fee is very high (about €3000). In practise, those who have registered in this guise are few in number by now. So, some sex workers could practice their profession by payment of a defined amount of taxes, which is determined by the State and is dependent on the amount of profit.

Sex work in Bulgaria is neither criminalized nor legalized. On a national scale there is no law that explicitly or directly concerns sex workers.

For other subjects within the sex industry in the country, and indirectly sex workers, in the Penal Code, Debauchery section, the following infractions are criminalized:

- Pimping/persuading to prostitution;

- Organizing and offering venues for prostitution;

- Prostitution of minors and coerced prostitution;

- Traffickers of people for the purpose of prostitution.

This legislation applies to all persons on the territory of Bulgaria regardless of their nationality or citizenship. On one hand, the law pursues the owners and people who are directly in charge of organization and control of the sex business. On the other hand, the access to sex workers depends mainly on their managers/pimps. If there arise any problems of legal substance, it means that any contacts with the target group will be very complicated and sometimes even impossible.

There is an old article in the Penal code “Unearned income in immoral way” which says that if “an able-bodied person of age, who continuously does not practice a socially useful labour, receives unearned income in unwarranted or immoral way shall be punished by imprisonment or by probation”. Lately, based on this article sex workers have started to be arrested more often. This article is used especially in street-based prostitution.

As a result, the police often detain sex workers and charge them with disturbing public order or for the absence of ID documents, etc. It is usual for sex workers to be registered at district police offices as criminals. Because of the lack of regulatory controls, there are frequent cases of police corruption and police violence against sex workers, blackmail, and other arbitrary acts of abuse.

There are two legalized activities that, at times, are directly or indirectly connected to sex work: massage and escort services. In accordance with the law for local taxation and fees, from the start of 2008, these activities are now subject to a municipality-imposed annual patent taxation. (Up to the end of 2007, the Law for taxation of the income of physical persons regulated this final annual patent taxation). Escorts (companions) and masseurs are included in the list of “Types of patent activities and annual amounts of taxes”.  For instance, these activities include Carpenter’s services, Dressmaker’s services, Trade, Hairdresser’s Services, Cosmetic Services and Tattooing, Male and Female Companions, Masseurs and Masseuses, etc.

On that basis, part of the sex business in Bulgaria could be considered as “legal”. It is a “public secret” that most of the clubs and apartments offering paid sex are registered as massage parlours or as escort firms. An individual could register as a sole entrepreneur; however, the fee is very high (about €3000). In practise, those who have registered in this guise are few in number by now. So, some sex workers could practice their profession by payment of a defined amount of taxes, which is determined by the State and is dependent on the amount of profit.

Sex work in Bulgaria is neither criminalized nor legalized. On a national scale there is no law that explicitly or directly concerns sex workers.

For other subjects within the sex industry in the country, and indirectly sex workers, in the Penal Code, Debauchery section, the following infractions are criminalized:

- Pimping/persuading to prostitution;

- Organizing and offering venues for prostitution;

- Prostitution of minors and coerced prostitution;

- Traffickers of people for the purpose of prostitution.

This legislation applies to all persons on the territory of Bulgaria regardless of their nationality or citizenship. On one hand, the law pursues the owners and people who are directly in charge of organization and control of the sex business. On the other hand, the access to sex workers depends mainly on their managers/pimps. If there arise any problems of legal substance, it means that any contacts with the target group will be very complicated and sometimes even impossible.

There is an old article in the Penal code “Unearned income in immoral way” which says that if “an able-bodied person of age, who continuously does not practice a socially useful labour, receives unearned income in unwarranted or immoral way shall be punished by imprisonment or by probation”. Lately, based on this article sex workers have started to be arrested more often. This article is used especially in street-based prostitution.

As a result, the police often detain sex workers and charge them with disturbing public order or for the absence of ID documents, etc. It is usual for sex workers to be registered at district police offices as criminals. Because of the lack of regulatory controls, there are frequent cases of police corruption and police violence against sex workers, blackmail, and other arbitrary acts of abuse.

There are two legalized activities that, at times, are directly or indirectly connected to sex work: massage and escort services. In accordance with the law for local taxation and fees, from the start of 2008, these activities are now subject to a municipality-imposed annual patent taxation. (Up to the end of 2007, the Law for taxation of the income of physical persons regulated this final annual patent taxation). Escorts (companions) and masseurs are included in the list of “Types of patent activities and annual amounts of taxes”.  For instance, these activities include Carpenter’s services, Dressmaker’s services, Trade, Hairdresser’s Services, Cosmetic Services and Tattooing, Male and Female Companions, Masseurs and Masseuses, etc.

On that basis, part of the sex business in Bulgaria could be considered as “legal”. It is a “public secret” that most of the clubs and apartments offering paid sex are registered as massage parlours or as escort firms. An individual could register as a sole entrepreneur; however, the fee is very high (about €3000). In practise, those who have registered in this guise are few in number by now. So, some sex workers could practice their profession by payment of a defined amount of taxes, which is determined by the State and is dependent on the amount of profit.

Sex work in Bulgaria is neither criminalized nor legalized. On a national scale there is no law that explicitly or directly concerns sex workers.

For other subjects within the sex industry in the country, and indirectly sex workers, in the Penal Code, Debauchery section, the following infractions are criminalized:

- Pimping/persuading to prostitution;

- Organizing and offering venues for prostitution;

- Prostitution of minors and coerced prostitution;

- Traffickers of people for the purpose of prostitution.

This legislation applies to all persons on the territory of Bulgaria regardless of their nationality or citizenship. On one hand, the law pursues the owners and people who are directly in charge of organization and control of the sex business. On the other hand, the access to sex workers depends mainly on their managers/pimps. If there arise any problems of legal substance, it means that any contacts with the target group will be very complicated and sometimes even impossible.

There is an old article in the Penal code “Unearned income in immoral way” which says that if “an able-bodied person of age, who continuously does not practice a socially useful labour, receives unearned income in unwarranted or immoral way shall be punished by imprisonment or by probation”. Lately, based on this article sex workers have started to be arrested more often. This article is used especially in street-based prostitution.

As a result, the police often detain sex workers and charge them with disturbing public order or for the absence of ID documents, etc. It is usual for sex workers to be registered at district police offices as criminals. Because of the lack of regulatory controls, there are frequent cases of police corruption and police violence against sex workers, blackmail, and other arbitrary acts of abuse.

There are two legalized activities that, at times, are directly or indirectly connected to sex work: massage and escort services. In accordance with the law for local taxation and fees, from the start of 2008, these activities are now subject to a municipality-imposed annual patent taxation. (Up to the end of 2007, the Law for taxation of the income of physical persons regulated this final annual patent taxation). Escorts (companions) and masseurs are included in the list of “Types of patent activities and annual amounts of taxes”.  For instance, these activities include Carpenter’s services, Dressmaker’s services, Trade, Hairdresser’s Services, Cosmetic Services and Tattooing, Male and Female Companions, Masseurs and Masseuses, etc.

On that basis, part of the sex business in Bulgaria could be considered as “legal”. It is a “public secret” that most of the clubs and apartments offering paid sex are registered as massage parlours or as escort firms. An individual could register as a sole entrepreneur; however, the fee is very high (about €3000). In practise, those who have registered in this guise are few in number by now. So, some sex workers could practice their profession by payment of a defined amount of taxes, which is determined by the State and is dependent on the amount of profit.

Sex work in Bulgaria is neither criminalized nor legalized. On a national scale there is no law that explicitly or directly concerns sex workers.

For other subjects within the sex industry in the country, and indirectly sex workers, in the Penal Code, Debauchery section, the following infractions are criminalized:

- Pimping/persuading to prostitution;

- Organizing and offering venues for prostitution;

- Prostitution of minors and coerced prostitution;

- Traffickers of people for the purpose of prostitution.

This legislation applies to all persons on the territory of Bulgaria regardless of their nationality or citizenship. On one hand, the law pursues the owners and people who are directly in charge of organization and control of the sex business. On the other hand, the access to sex workers depends mainly on their managers/pimps. If there arise any problems of legal substance, it means that any contacts with the target group will be very complicated and sometimes even impossible.

There is an old article in the Penal code “Unearned income in immoral way” which says that if “an able-bodied person of age, who continuously does not practice a socially useful labour, receives unearned income in unwarranted or immoral way shall be punished by imprisonment or by probation”. Lately, based on this article sex workers have started to be arrested more often. This article is used especially in street-based prostitution.

As a result, the police often detain sex workers and charge them with disturbing public order or for the absence of ID documents, etc. It is usual for sex workers to be registered at district police offices as criminals. Because of the lack of regulatory controls, there are frequent cases of police corruption and police violence against sex workers, blackmail, and other arbitrary acts of abuse.

There are two legalized activities that, at times, are directly or indirectly connected to sex work: massage and escort services. In accordance with the law for local taxation and fees, from the start of 2008, these activities are now subject to a municipality-imposed annual patent taxation. (Up to the end of 2007, the Law for taxation of the income of physical persons regulated this final annual patent taxation). Escorts (companions) and masseurs are included in the list of “Types of patent activities and annual amounts of taxes”.  For instance, these activities include Carpenter’s services, Dressmaker’s services, Trade, Hairdresser’s Services, Cosmetic Services and Tattooing, Male and Female Companions, Masseurs and Masseuses, etc.

On that basis, part of the sex business in Bulgaria could be considered as “legal”. It is a “public secret” that most of the clubs and apartments offering paid sex are registered as massage parlours or as escort firms. An individual could register as a sole entrepreneur; however, the fee is very high (about €3000). In practise, those who have registered in this guise are few in number by now. So, some sex workers could practice their profession by payment of a defined amount of taxes, which is determined by the State and is dependent on the amount of profit.