Prostitution Prostitution laws in Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no single prostitution law: criminal law is set separately by the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District, and public order misdemeanours by the cantons, Republika Srpska and Brčko. In Sarajevo Canton, both engaging in prostitution and using prostitution services are fined 200–600 KM, and inducing others or renting premises for prostitution 500–1,500 KM. In Brčko District, engaging in prostitution is fined 100–1,000 KM, with no corresponding offence for buyers. The three criminal codes punish inducing or luring a person to provide sexual services for gain, handing them over to others, or taking part in organising or running the provision of sexual services, with six months to five years. Offences involving children are separate. No offence of advertising adults' sexual services was found.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
Prostitution law is set by the two entities, Brčko District and, in the Federation, the ten cantons. Selling sex is a public order misdemeanour in the jurisdictions checked (Sarajevo Canton, Brčko District); Sarajevo Canton also fines buyers. Procuring and organising prostitution are crimes under all three criminal codes. Republika Srpska's public order law could not be checked.[1][2][3]
Regional differences
- Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Selling and buying prohibited: Public order is cantonal law, so sanctions differ between the ten cantons; only Sarajevo Canton was checked, where selling and buying are both fined 200–600 KM (Art. 8(2)(c)) and inducing or providing premises 500–1,500 KM (Art. 8(5)(c)). The Federation Criminal Code (Art. 210) punishes procuring and organising prostitution with six months to five years.[1][3]
- Republika Srpska: Has its own Law on Public Order and Peace (Službeni glasnik RS 11/15, amended 58/19); its prostitution provisions could not be checked for this overview. The Criminal Code of Republika Srpska (Art. 169) punishes procuring and organising prostitution with six months to five years and a fine, or one to eight years where several people are involved.[4][5][6]
- Brčko District Selling and buying prohibited: Engaging in prostitution is fined 100–1,000 KM (Art. 16 of the Law on Public Order and Peace); that article does not mention buyers. The Brčko Criminal Code (Art. 207) punishes procuring and organising prostitution with six months to five years.[2][7]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Varies | Selling sex is a public order misdemeanour in the jurisdictions checked: 200–600 KM in Sarajevo Canton and 100–1,000 KM in Brčko District. Other cantons and Republika Srpska have their own public order laws, which were not checked.[1][2][4] |
| Buying sexual services | Varies | Sarajevo Canton fines anyone who uses prostitution services 200–600 KM, the same as sellers. Brčko District's public order law penalises only the person engaging in prostitution. Using the sexual services of a child aged 15 or over for payment is a crime in the Federation and Republika Srpska (six months to five years).[1][2][3][6] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Taking part in any way in organising or running the provision of sexual services is a crime punishable by six months to five years in all three criminal codes. In Sarajevo Canton, renting or providing premises for prostitution is also a misdemeanour (500–1,500 KM).[1][3][6][7] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Inducing, inciting or luring another person to provide sexual services for gain, or otherwise enabling their handover to another for that purpose, is punishable by six months to five years in the Federation, Republika Srpska (plus a fine; one to eight years if several people are involved) and Brčko District. Whether the person already sold sex is irrelevant.[3][6][7] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted | No offence of advertising adults' sexual services was found in the three criminal codes or the public order laws checked. The Federation Criminal Code makes advertising the sexual services of a child a crime (six months to five years). Advertising for a third party could fall within "taking part in organising" prostitution.[3][6][7] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is a public order misdemeanour in the jurisdictions checked: 200–600 KM in Sarajevo Canton and 100–1,000 KM in Brčko District. Other cantons and Republika Srpska have their own public order laws, which were not checked.[1][2][4]
Confidence: medium. Statute texts were read in the Paragraf Lex BA database, an unofficial consolidation; official gazettes for the entities and cantons are not freely available in consolidated form.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Sarajevo Canton fines anyone who uses prostitution services 200–600 KM, the same as sellers. Brčko District's public order law penalises only the person engaging in prostitution. Using the sexual services of a child aged 15 or over for payment is a crime in the Federation and Republika Srpska (six months to five years).[1][2][3][6]
Confidence: medium. Statute texts were read in the Paragraf Lex BA database, an unofficial consolidation; official gazettes for the entities and cantons are not freely available in consolidated form.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Taking part in any way in organising or running the provision of sexual services is a crime punishable by six months to five years in all three criminal codes. In Sarajevo Canton, renting or providing premises for prostitution is also a misdemeanour (500–1,500 KM).[1][3][6][7]
Confidence: medium. Statute texts were read in the Paragraf Lex BA database, an unofficial consolidation; official gazettes for the entities and cantons are not freely available in consolidated form.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Inducing, inciting or luring another person to provide sexual services for gain, or otherwise enabling their handover to another for that purpose, is punishable by six months to five years in the Federation, Republika Srpska (plus a fine; one to eight years if several people are involved) and Brčko District. Whether the person already sold sex is irrelevant.[3][6][7]
Confidence: medium. Statute texts were read in the Paragraf Lex BA database, an unofficial consolidation; official gazettes for the entities and cantons are not freely available in consolidated form.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence of advertising adults' sexual services was found in the three criminal codes or the public order laws checked. The Federation Criminal Code makes advertising the sexual services of a child a crime (six months to five years). Advertising for a third party could fall within "taking part in organising" prostitution.[3][6][7]
Confidence: low. Inference from the absence of a specific provision; cantonal laws other than Sarajevo's and Republika Srpska's public order law were not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Krivični zakon Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine ("Sl. novine FBiH", br. 36/2003 … 31/2023 i 58/2025) Criminal Code of the Federation of BiH (2003, as amended) čl. 210 · čl. 210g | Article 210 (procuring) and Article 210g (child prostitution, including advertising).[3] | |
| Krivični zakonik Republike Srpske ("Sl. glasnik RS", br. 64/2017 … 85/2025) Criminal Code of Republika Srpska (2017, as amended) čl. 169 · čl. 180 | Article 169 (procuring) and Article 180 (child prostitution).[6] | |
| Krivični zakon Brčko distrikta Bosne i Hercegovine ("Sl. glasnik Brčko distrikta BiH", br. 19/2020 - prečišćen tekst, 3/2024 i 14/2024) Criminal Code of Brčko District (consolidated 2020, as amended) čl. 207 | Article 207 (procuring).[7] | |
| Zakon o prekršajima protiv javnog reda i mira ("Sl. novine Kantona Sarajevo", br. 18/2007, 7/2008 i 34/2020) Sarajevo Canton Law on Misdemeanours against Public Order and Peace (2007, as amended) čl. 8 | Fines selling, buying, inducing and providing premises.[1] | |
| Zakon o javnom redu i miru Brčko distrikta BiH ("Sl. glasnik Brčko distrikta BiH", br. 32/2009 i 14/2010 - ispr.) Brčko District Law on Public Order and Peace (2009) čl. 16 | Fines engaging in prostitution.[2] |
Sources
- Zakon o prekršajima protiv javnog reda i mira ("Sl. novine Kantona Sarajevo", br. 18/2007, 7/2008 i 34/2020) (Sarajevo Canton Law on Misdemeanours against Public Order and Peace). Paragraf Lex BA (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Zakon o javnom redu i miru Brčko distrikta BiH ("Sl. glasnik Brčko distrikta BiH", br. 32/2009 i 14/2010 - ispr.) (Brčko District Law on Public Order and Peace). Paragraf Lex BA (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Krivični zakon Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine ("Sl. novine FBiH", br. 36/2003 … 31/2023 i 58/2025) (Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Paragraf Lex BA (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Закон о јавном реду и миру (Службени гласник 11/15) (Republika Srpska Law on Public Order and Peace (adopted-laws register entry)). Народна скупштина Републике Српске, 5 February 2015. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026
- Закон о измјенама и допунама Закона о јавном реду и миру (Службени гласник 58/19) (Republika Srpska law amending the Law on Public Order and Peace (register entry)). Народна скупштина Републике Српске, 16 July 2019. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026
- Krivični zakonik Republike Srpske ("Sl. glasnik RS", br. 64/2017 … 85/2025) (Criminal Code of Republika Srpska). Paragraf Lex BA (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Krivični zakon Brčko distrikta Bosne i Hercegovine ("Sl. glasnik Brčko distrikta BiH", br. 19/2020 - prečišćen tekst, 3/2024 i 14/2024) (Criminal Code of Brčko District). Paragraf Lex BA (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026