Law & Permits

Yes. Sex work has been legal in Switzerland since 1942 and is listed as a recognized employment activity in the Federal Court (BGE 137 III 593). Sex workers enjoy the same basic rights as all other workers, including freedom of contract, property protection and social security rights. However, pimping (Art. 195 StGB), promoting the prostitution of minors and human trafficking (Art. 182 StGB) are prohibited.

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That depends on the canton. Geneva, Bern, Neuchâtel, Ticino and Valais have a reporting or registration requirement for sex workers. In Zurich, Basel-Stadt and many other cantons there is no personal permit, but brothel, salon and establishment operators require patents. To become self-employed, you must also register with the AHV as self-employed.

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Restricted areas are zones in which street prostitution is prohibited - usually residential areas, near schools, hospitals or religious buildings. The determination is made by the canton or municipality. Zurich has limited street prostitution to a few streets; Bern only allows it in the Kocherpark area; Basel has no official restricted areas in the city center. Indoor sex work (apartments, salons) is usually not affected by restricted areas.

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In principle, yes, provided the apartment is rented out as a living space and there is no excessive commercial use (Art. 257f CO). Attention: Many rental agreements contain clauses against commercial use - openly announcing the salon can lead to termination. Condominium associations can restrict sex work through regulations. Discreet, individual receptions are generally permitted, but a furnished salon with a shop window is not.

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Pimping (Art. 195 StGB) occurs when someone introduces a person into prostitution, monitors their freedom of action or determines the conditions of their sex work in order to derive financial benefits from it. Detention in prostitution is also punishable. Renting out rooms at market prices or brokering them for a one-off fee is not a criminal offence. The boundaries are fluid in individual cases - advice from a specialist center (Aspasia, Xenia, FIZ) is recommended.

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From 18 years of age (Art. 196 StGB). Sexual acts with minors for payment are punishable in Switzerland - both for the minor offering the service (protective function) and especially for the customer, who risks a prison sentence of up to 3 years. Switzerland raised the age limit from 16 to 18 in 2014.

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