Prostitution Prostitution laws in BulgariaБългария
In Bulgaria, selling and buying sex between adults are not offences under national law. Article 155 of the Criminal Code punishes inducing another person into prostitution (one to three years and a fine) and systematically providing premises to different people for sexual intercourse or lewd acts (up to five years and a fine), with one to six years where done for gain. Using a person who is a trafficking victim for lewd acts carries three to ten years (Article 159c). Article 329(1), which punished able-bodied adults living for a long time on income obtained by "impermissible or immoral" means, was declared unconstitutional by Constitutional Court decision No. 13 of 2022. Several sexual-offence provisions, including those on minors who sell sex, were amended in 2026. No specific offence of advertising sexual services was found.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
There is no national offence of selling or buying sex between adults. The Criminal Code punishes inducing a person into prostitution and systematically providing premises for sexual acts (Article 155), and using a trafficking victim (Article 159c). The vagrancy-type offence in Article 329(1), long used against people who sell sex, was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2022.[1]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Legal | Selling sex as an adult is not an offence under national law. Article 329(1) of the Criminal Code, which punished adults living for a long time on income obtained by "impermissible or immoral" means, was declared unconstitutional in 2022 (decision No. 13 of 2022, State Gazette No. 79/2022).[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. Using a person who is a victim of trafficking in human beings for lewd acts is punishable by three to ten years and a fine; sexual acts with a minor aged 16 or over who sells sex carry one to three years.[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Systematically providing premises to different people for sexual intercourse or lewd acts is punishable by up to five years and a fine; one to six years and a higher fine if done for gain.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Inducing another person into prostitution, or procuring a person for lewd acts or intercourse, is punishable by one to three years and a fine; one to six years where done for gain, with further aggravated forms.[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted | No offence specifically targeting the advertising of sexual services was found in the Criminal Code. Advertising for a third party could amount to inducement under Article 155(1).[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex as an adult is not an offence under national law. Article 329(1) of the Criminal Code, which punished adults living for a long time on income obtained by "impermissible or immoral" means, was declared unconstitutional in 2022 (decision No. 13 of 2022, State Gazette No. 79/2022).[1]
Confidence: medium. Municipal public order ordinances may sanction street solicitation; these were not reviewed for this overview. The court decision is cited from the consolidated-text annotation, not from the court's own website.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. Using a person who is a victim of trafficking in human beings for lewd acts is punishable by three to ten years and a fine; sexual acts with a minor aged 16 or over who sells sex carry one to three years.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Systematically providing premises to different people for sexual intercourse or lewd acts is punishable by up to five years and a fine; one to six years and a higher fine if done for gain.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Inducing another person into prostitution, or procuring a person for lewd acts or intercourse, is punishable by one to three years and a fine; one to six years where done for gain, with further aggravated forms.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence specifically targeting the advertising of sexual services was found in the Criminal Code. Advertising for a third party could amount to inducement under Article 155(1).[1]
Confidence: low. Inference from the absence of a specific criminal provision; advertising, media and e-commerce legislation was not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Наказателен кодекс (последно изм. ДВ, бр. 32 от 2026 г.) Criminal Code (1968, as amended) чл. 155 · чл. 159в · чл. 329 | Articles 155 and 159c cover procuring, premises and use of trafficking victims; Article 329(1) was struck down in 2022.[1] |
Timeline
- 2022Constitutional Court decision No. 13 of 2022 declares Article 329(1) of the Criminal Code unconstitutional (State Gazette No. 79/2022).[1]
- 2026Amendments to the Criminal Code (State Gazette Nos. 27 and 32 of 2026) revise sexual offences, including the prostitution-related provisions on minors.[1]
Sources
- Наказателен кодекс (последно изм. ДВ, бр. 32 от 2026 г.) (Criminal Code (consolidated)). Lex.bg (unofficial consolidated text of the State Gazette publications). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026