Prostitution laws in Algeriaالجزائر
Algeria's Penal Code (Ordinance No. 66-156 of 1966) targets the organisation and visibility of prostitution rather than the private sale of sex. Publicly soliciting people to debauchery by gestures, words, writings or any other means carries six months to two years (Article 347). Aiding or protecting another's prostitution, sharing its proceeds, living with a person who habitually engages in it, recruiting or acting as an intermediary carries two to five years (Article 343), and five to ten years in aggravated cases (Article 344). Owners and managers of hotels, bars and other places open to the public who tolerate prostitution there face two to five years, loss of licence and closure (Article 346). Paying for sex is not a specific offence. UN reviews nonetheless describe prostitution as illegal. The official consolidated text could not be opened for this overview.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
Borderline. The Penal Code, as reproduced in the consolidations consulted, has no offence of selling or buying sex in private and no general offence of sex outside marriage (only adultery, on a spouse's complaint). It criminalises public soliciting (Article 347), procuring (Articles 343–344) and premises where prostitution is tolerated (Articles 346 and 348). UN gender-justice reviews describe prostitution as illegal; this classification follows the statutory text, and enforcement practice was not checked.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | The Penal Code does not make selling sex in private an offence, but publicly soliciting people of either sex to debauchery by gestures, words, writings or any other means is punishable by six months to two years and a fine of 1,000 to 20,000 dinars (Article 347).[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | No provision of the Penal Code makes paying an adult for sex an offence, and consensual sex between unmarried adults is not criminalised. A married client may be prosecuted for adultery (one to two years) only on the complaint of the offended spouse (Article 339).[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Anyone who owns, manages, runs or finances a hotel, furnished house, bar, restaurant, club, dance hall or any place open to the public and habitually tolerates prostitution or the search for clients there faces two to five years and a fine of 10,000 to 100,000 dinars, loss of licence and closure for at least a year (Article 346). Tolerating habitual clandestine prostitution in private premises one controls carries two to five years (Article 348).[1][2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Article 343 punishes with two to five years anyone who knowingly aids, assists or protects another's prostitution, shares in its proceeds, lives with a person who habitually engages in it, cannot justify their lifestyle while in habitual relations with such persons, recruits a person even with consent, or acts as an intermediary. Aggravating circumstances (minors, coercion, several victims, among others) raise this to five to ten years (Article 344).[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | There is no specific advertising offence, but public soliciting "by writings or any other means" is punishable under Article 347, and aiding or protecting another's prostitution "in any manner" is procuring under Article 343(1).[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
The Penal Code does not make selling sex in private an offence, but publicly soliciting people of either sex to debauchery by gestures, words, writings or any other means is punishable by six months to two years and a fine of 1,000 to 20,000 dinars (Article 347).[1][2]
Confidence: low. The Ministry of Justice legal portal (droit.mjustice.gov.dz) could not be reached; the text was read from an unofficial consolidation and a UNDP review. The UNDP review states that prostitution is illegal; how sex workers are prosecuted in practice was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No provision of the Penal Code makes paying an adult for sex an offence, and consensual sex between unmarried adults is not criminalised. A married client may be prosecuted for adultery (one to two years) only on the complaint of the offended spouse (Article 339).[1]
Confidence: low. Read from an unofficial consolidation; the official text could not be opened.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Anyone who owns, manages, runs or finances a hotel, furnished house, bar, restaurant, club, dance hall or any place open to the public and habitually tolerates prostitution or the search for clients there faces two to five years and a fine of 10,000 to 100,000 dinars, loss of licence and closure for at least a year (Article 346). Tolerating habitual clandestine prostitution in private premises one controls carries two to five years (Article 348).[1][2]
Confidence: low. Read from an unofficial consolidation; the official text could not be opened.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Article 343 punishes with two to five years anyone who knowingly aids, assists or protects another's prostitution, shares in its proceeds, lives with a person who habitually engages in it, cannot justify their lifestyle while in habitual relations with such persons, recruits a person even with consent, or acts as an intermediary. Aggravating circumstances (minors, coercion, several victims, among others) raise this to five to ten years (Article 344).[1][2]
Confidence: low. Read from an unofficial consolidation; the official text could not be opened.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
There is no specific advertising offence, but public soliciting "by writings or any other means" is punishable under Article 347, and aiding or protecting another's prostitution "in any manner" is procuring under Article 343(1).[1]
Confidence: low. Read from an unofficial consolidation. Whether and how these provisions are applied to online advertisements or hosting sites was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Code pénal algérien (Ordonnance n° 66-156 du 8 juin 1966), version consolidée Penal Code (Ordinance No. 66-156 of 8 June 1966), as amended art. 339 · art. 342–349 | Articles 342 to 349 cover the corruption of minors, procuring, premises tolerating prostitution and public soliciting; Article 339 covers adultery.[1] |
Timeline
- 8 June 1966Penal Code adopted by Ordinance No. 66-156.[1]
- 17 June 1975Ordinance No. 75-47 rewrites the procuring offence (Article 343) and the offence of tolerating prostitution in private premises (Article 348).[1]
- 13 February 1982Law No. 82-04 rewrites the offences on establishments tolerating prostitution (Article 346) and public soliciting (Article 347).[1]
Sources
- Code pénal algérien (Ordonnance n° 66-156 du 8 juin 1966), version consolidée (Algerian Penal Code (Ordinance No. 66-156 of 8 June 1966), consolidated version). algdz.com (unofficial consolidation based on the Ministry of Justice text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Algeria: Gender Justice & The Law. UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA and UN ESCWA, 2018. intergovernmental · accessed 30 October 2026