Services4SexWorkers
Sex Work

Sex work per se is not punishable. Taking profits from sex work by third parties is punishable. This includes keeping a brothel. Sex workers’ income is not liable to taxation. The sex industry is organised in outdoor areas (streets, train stations) as well as in hotels and through sex clubs that are officially registered as (escort) agencies. The agencies may not officially act as intermediaries for offering sexual services and thus are registered as organisations that are renting premises to private individuals. This makes sex workers solely responsible for all consequences. Internet soliciting is an important part of the market. Police registration of sex workers is prohibited but in practice the approach is ambiguous. Sex work is not recognized as an occupational activity and thus there are no health and social insurance regulations. Restrictive measures usually focus on closing down agencies and penalizing advertising for sex work. Liberal positions in current public debates consider legal changes that would recognize sex work as an occupational activity and thus protect sex workers from exploitation.