Prostitution Prostitution laws in Burundi
Burundi's Penal Code (Law No. 1/27 of 29 December 2017) defines prostitution as giving one's body to the pleasure of others and making a trade of it (Art. 561). Selling sex is not itself punished, but soliciting by a person who sells sex, by approaching clients or acting in public to attract them, carries one to six months and/or a fine of FBu 5,000–20,000 (Art. 571). Facilitating the prostitution of adults or recruiting a person into it carries one to five years (Arts. 562–563); running or financing a brothel two to five years (Art. 565); profiting from another's prostitution, even with consent, one to five years (Art. 566); assisting prostitution or soliciting, or acting as an intermediary, one to three years (Arts. 567–568); and letting premises for prostitution two to five years (Art. 569). No changes since 2017 were found.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
The 2017 Penal Code defines prostitution (Art. 561) but does not make selling or buying sex an offence as such. It punishes the person selling sex only for soliciting (racolage, Art. 571), and punishes incitement, procuring, brothel-keeping, profiting, assisting and letting premises (Arts. 562–569). Secondary sources often describe prostitution in Burundi as illegal because of the soliciting offence.[1]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Selling sex is not itself an offence, but racolage is: a person who sells sex and approaches clients, or does any act in public to attract clients, faces one to six months' penal servitude and/or a fine of FBu 5,000 to 20,000 (Art. 571). Obstructing prevention, assistance or rehabilitation work for people who sell sex is a separate offence (Art. 564).[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | No article of the 2017 Penal Code punishes a client for paying an adult for sex. Article 568 punishes intermediaries between people who sell sex and those who "exploit or remunerate the prostitution of others", but not the client as such.[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Directly or through an intermediary running, managing or knowingly financing a brothel (maison de prostitution) carries two to five years and a fine of FBu 100,000 to 1,000,000 (Art. 565). Knowingly letting or renting any building or premises for the prostitution of others carries two to five years and/or a fine of FBu 50,000 to 1,000,000 (Art. 569).[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Exciting, facilitating or favouring the prostitution of persons over 21 carries one to five years (five to ten if under 21), as does recruiting or keeping a person, even consenting, for prostitution (Arts. 562–563). Profiting from or sharing another's earnings, even with consent, carries one to five years (Art. 566); assisting or protecting another's prostitution or soliciting, or acting as intermediary, one to three years (Arts. 567–568).[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No article specifically on advertising sexual services was found. Public acts to attract clients are racolage (Art. 571), assisting another's soliciting is an offence (Art. 567), and advertising by any means songs, writings, images or objects contrary to good morals is punishable by a fine (Art. 587).[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not itself an offence, but racolage is: a person who sells sex and approaches clients, or does any act in public to attract clients, faces one to six months' penal servitude and/or a fine of FBu 5,000 to 20,000 (Art. 571). Obstructing prevention, assistance or rehabilitation work for people who sell sex is a separate offence (Art. 564).[1]
Note. Official French text in the Bulletin Officiel du Burundi; English wording is our translation. Enforcement practice was not assessed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No article of the 2017 Penal Code punishes a client for paying an adult for sex. Article 568 punishes intermediaries between people who sell sex and those who "exploit or remunerate the prostitution of others", but not the client as such.[1]
Confidence: medium. Adultery remains an offence for married persons under the Code; whether it is used against clients was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Directly or through an intermediary running, managing or knowingly financing a brothel (maison de prostitution) carries two to five years and a fine of FBu 100,000 to 1,000,000 (Art. 565). Knowingly letting or renting any building or premises for the prostitution of others carries two to five years and/or a fine of FBu 50,000 to 1,000,000 (Art. 569).[1]
Note. Our translation of the official French text.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Exciting, facilitating or favouring the prostitution of persons over 21 carries one to five years (five to ten if under 21), as does recruiting or keeping a person, even consenting, for prostitution (Arts. 562–563). Profiting from or sharing another's earnings, even with consent, carries one to five years (Art. 566); assisting or protecting another's prostitution or soliciting, or acting as intermediary, one to three years (Arts. 567–568).[1]
Note. Our translation of the official French text. Penalties double under Art. 570 for, among others, minors, non-consenting or vulnerable victims and organised groups.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No article specifically on advertising sexual services was found. Public acts to attract clients are racolage (Art. 571), assisting another's soliciting is an offence (Art. 567), and advertising by any means songs, writings, images or objects contrary to good morals is punishable by a fine (Art. 587).[1]
Confidence: low. Classification inferred from general provisions; whether online ads count as racolage or assistance has not been tested in any case found. Communications and cybercrime law was not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Loi n°1/27 du 29 décembre 2017 portant révision du Code pénal (Bulletin Officiel du Burundi n°12ter/2017) Law No. 1/27 of 29 December 2017 revising the Penal Code Arts. 561–571 · Art. 587 | Book II, Title VIII, Chapter II, Section 1 "De la prostitution": definition, incitement, procuring, facilitation and soliciting.[1] | 29 December 2017 |
Timeline
- 29 December 2017The revised Penal Code (Law No. 1/27) is promulgated and enters into force, with the prostitution-related offences in Arts. 561–571.[1]
Sources
- Loi n°1/27 du 29 décembre 2017 portant révision du Code pénal (Bulletin Officiel du Burundi n°12ter/2017) (Law No. 1/27 of 29 December 2017 revising the Penal Code (Official Bulletin of Burundi No. 12ter/2017)). Republic of Burundi, amategeko.gov.bi, 29 December 2017. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026