Prostitution laws in KazakhstanҚазақстан / Казахстан
In Kazakhstan, selling and buying sex between adults are not offences in themselves. Importuning people in public places for prostitution or other sexual services is an administrative offence: a warning or a fine of 5 monthly calculation indices (MCI), and for foreigners possible expulsion. Knowingly providing premises for prostitution carries fines of 100 MCI and upwards. Organising or keeping a brothel and pimping for gain are crimes punishable by up to five years, rising to three to seven years when committed through the internet or by advertising. Since September 2024 the Criminal Code covers "other sexual services", including those provided remotely, and defines advertising of prostitution as distributing or placing information on a person, price, method or place of obtaining the services.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
The Code of Administrative Offences has no offence of engaging in prostitution as such. It penalises only "importuning" in public places for prostitution (Article 449) and knowingly providing premises (Article 450). Buying sex from an adult is not an offence. Organising or keeping brothels, pimping for gain and drawing people into prostitution are crimes (Articles 308-309 of the Criminal Code). The 2024 amendments extended all of these to "other sexual services", including remote services such as webcam shows.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: administrative offence | Selling sex is not itself an offence. Importuning ("persistent approaching") in public places for prostitution or other sexual services is punishable by a warning or a fine of 5 MCI. A repeat within a year carries 10 MCI, up to 20 hours of community work or up to five days' arrest. A foreign national faces 5 MCI, up to five days' arrest or administrative expulsion.[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. Obtaining prostitution or another sexual service from a person known to be a minor is a crime punishable by three to six years' imprisonment.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Organising or keeping a brothel for prostitution or other sexual services is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment with confiscation of property. Knowingly providing premises for prostitution is an administrative offence fined at 100 MCI for individuals, up to 1,000 MCI for large businesses, with suspension of activity for up to three months.[1][2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Pimping (сводничество) for gain carries up to five years' imprisonment, rising to three to seven years if committed repeatedly, in a group, through telecommunications networks including the internet, or by promoting or advertising sexual services. Drawing a person into prostitution by violence, threats, blackmail, deception or advertising carries up to three years.[2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Advertising prostitution is not a standalone offence, but it aggravates both criminal offences: drawing a person into prostitution "by propaganda and/or advertising", and keeping a brothel or pimping by advertising (three to seven years). Advertising is defined as distributing or placing information about the person, price, method or place of obtaining sexual services, which describes the content of escort and ad sites.[2][3] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not itself an offence. Importuning ("persistent approaching") in public places for prostitution or other sexual services is punishable by a warning or a fine of 5 MCI. A repeat within a year carries 10 MCI, up to 20 hours of community work or up to five days' arrest. A foreign national faces 5 MCI, up to five days' arrest or administrative expulsion.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. Obtaining prostitution or another sexual service from a person known to be a minor is a crime punishable by three to six years' imprisonment.[1][2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Organising or keeping a brothel for prostitution or other sexual services is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment with confiscation of property. Knowingly providing premises for prostitution is an administrative offence fined at 100 MCI for individuals, up to 1,000 MCI for large businesses, with suspension of activity for up to three months.[1][2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Pimping (сводничество) for gain carries up to five years' imprisonment, rising to three to seven years if committed repeatedly, in a group, through telecommunications networks including the internet, or by promoting or advertising sexual services. Drawing a person into prostitution by violence, threats, blackmail, deception or advertising carries up to three years.[2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Advertising prostitution is not a standalone offence, but it aggravates both criminal offences: drawing a person into prostitution "by propaganda and/or advertising", and keeping a brothel or pimping by advertising (three to seven years). Advertising is defined as distributing or placing information about the person, price, method or place of obtaining sexual services, which describes the content of escort and ad sites.[2][3]
The note to Article 134, which also applies to Articles 308 and 309, defines propaganda as "распространение любой информации о проституции, иных услугах сексуального характера, выгодах и преимуществах оказания таких услуг". It defines advertising as "распространение и (или) размещение информации о лице, цене, способе и (или) месте получения таких услуг", when carried out to draw people into the activity or for pimping. A site operator that publishes such information for gain risks liability for pimping through the internet. The Law on Advertising contains no specific clause on sexual services; it bars advertising that incites unlawful acts.
Note. No case law was checked on whether a sex worker's own advertisement, without a third party, is treated as an offence.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Кодекс Республики Казахстан об административных правонарушениях от 5 июля 2014 года № 235-V Code of Administrative Offences (2014, No. 235-V) ст. 449 · ст. 450 | Importuning in public places for prostitution (Art. 449) and knowingly providing premises (Art. 450).[1] | |
| Уголовный кодекс Республики Казахстан от 3 июля 2014 года № 226-V Criminal Code (2014, No. 226-V) ст. 122 · ст. 134 · ст. 308 · ст. 309 | Buying sexual services from a minor (Art. 122), drawing a minor into prostitution (Art. 134), drawing a person into prostitution (Art. 308), brothels and pimping (Art. 309), with definitions of propaganda and advertising of sexual services.[2] | |
| Закон Республики Казахстан от 5 июля 2024 года № 111-VIII «О внесении изменений и дополнений в некоторые законодательные акты Республики Казахстан по вопросам противодействия торговле людьми, проявлению вандализма и порче чужого имущества» Law of 5 July 2024 No. 111-VIII on countering human trafficking, vandalism and damage to property | Extended the prostitution offences to "other sexual services" (including remote services), added internet and advertising aggravations, and created the offence of obtaining sexual services from a minor.[4] | 5 September 2024 |
| Закон Республики Казахстан от 19 декабря 2003 года № 508 «О рекламе» Law on Advertising (2003, No. 508) ст. 6 | General content rules for advertising; no clause specific to sexual services.[3] |
Timeline
- 5 July 2024Law No. 111-VIII amends the Criminal and Administrative Codes, extending the prostitution offences to "other sexual services", including those provided remotely such as webcam shows. It also makes internet use and advertising aggravating factors for pimping and brothel keeping. The changes took effect sixty days after publication, on 5 September 2024 according to press reports.[2][4][5]
- 16 July 2025Law No. 210-VIII further amends Article 309 of the Criminal Code.[2]
Sources
- Кодекс Республики Казахстан об административных правонарушениях от 5 июля 2014 года № 235-V (Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan). ИПС «Әділет», Министерство юстиции Республики Казахстан, 5 July 2014. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Уголовный кодекс Республики Казахстан от 3 июля 2014 года № 226-V (Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan). ИПС «Әділет», Министерство юстиции Республики Казахстан, 3 July 2014. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Закон Республики Казахстан от 19 декабря 2003 года № 508 «О рекламе» (Law on Advertising). ИПС «Әділет», Министерство юстиции Республики Казахстан, 19 December 2003. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Закон Республики Казахстан от 5 июля 2024 года № 111-VIII «О внесении изменений и дополнений в некоторые законодательные акты Республики Казахстан по вопросам противодействия торговле людьми, проявлению вандализма и порче чужого имущества» (Law of 5 July 2024 No. 111-VIII amending legislation on countering human trafficking, vandalism and damage to property). ИПС «Әділет», Министерство юстиции Республики Казахстан, 5 July 2024. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- В Казахстане официально запретили вебкам (Webcam officially banned in Kazakhstan). Tengrinews.kz, 6 September 2024. news · accessed 30 October 2026