Prostitution laws in LatviaLatvija
In Latvia adults may sell and buy sex. Cabinet Regulation No. 32 (2008) allows a person with a health card from a dermatovenereologist to offer sexual services only in a home they own or rent, requires monthly health checks, and bans group work, third-party facilitation and advertising sexual services online, in the press and other media. Since 1 July 2020 there has been no administrative penalty for breaking these rules, because the draft Prostitution Restriction Law meant to carry them was never adopted. The Criminal Law punishes setting up or running a brothel (up to three years), involving a person in prostitution (up to three years) and pimping (up to five years).
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
Selling and buying sex between adults are not offences. Cabinet Regulation No. 32 of 2008 restricts prostitution (health card, own or rented home only, no advertising), but since the Administrative Violations Code lapsed on 1 July 2020 no sanction attaches to breaching it. Brothels, involving a person in prostitution and pimping are crimes. Sometimes described as regulation because of the health-card rules; venues are not licensable, so it is classed here as abolitionism.[1][2][3]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted | Legal for adults who hold a health card and have a monthly check-up, and only in a home the person owns or rents, not within 100 m of a school or church, with no minor present and no objection from co-residents. People with HIV or listed infections may not sell sex. Breaches carry no sanction at present: administrative liability lapsed with the Administrative Violations Code on 1 July 2020.[1][2][3][4] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Buying sex from an adult is not an offence. Using the prostitution of a minor carries up to five years, and knowingly using the prostitution of a trafficking victim is covered by Section 164(2) of the Criminal Law. The Ombudsman has proposed banning the purchase of sex, but no bill to that effect was found.[2][4] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Setting up, maintaining, managing or financing a brothel, defined as an unauthorised place where prostitution services are organised and provided, is punishable by up to three years, short-term imprisonment, probation supervision, community work or a fine. Managers of entertainment venues must ensure no sexual services are offered there, and groups of sex workers may not work together.[1][2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Involving a person in prostitution is punishable by up to three years; coercion, deceit or abuse of dependency, up to five years. Pimping (sutenerisms), defined as exploiting a person engaged in prostitution for the purpose of enrichment, carries up to five years, rising to eight or fifteen years for groups, organised groups or offences against minors. Point 12 of the regulation bans any third-party activity that promotes prostitution.[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Prohibited, no penalty | Cabinet Regulation No. 32 bans offering and advertising sexual services on the internet, in the press and in other mass media, except erotic publications, and through intermediaries. Since 1 July 2020 no administrative penalty attaches to the ban. Police say they monitor such adverts for signs of pimping, involvement in prostitution or trafficking.[1][3][5] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Legal for adults who hold a health card and have a monthly check-up, and only in a home the person owns or rents, not within 100 m of a school or church, with no minor present and no objection from co-residents. People with HIV or listed infections may not sell sex. Breaches carry no sanction at present: administrative liability lapsed with the Administrative Violations Code on 1 July 2020.[1][2][3][4]
Points 2-10 and 13 of Cabinet Regulation No. 32 of 22 January 2008 (Prostitūcijas ierobežošanas noteikumi), issued under transitional provision 3(2) of the Criminal Law. Point 15 refers liability to the administrative and criminal laws. The Interior Ministry told LETA in September 2024 that administrative liability for breaching the regulation existed only until 1 July 2020 and is not currently provided; Latvia's eighth CEDAW report (2020-2025), approved by the government in 2026, repeats that the rules remain binding but cannot be enforced administratively. Section 163 of the Criminal Law (breach of prostitution-restricting rules) was repealed with effect from 1 April 2013.
Confidence: medium. The regulation was read in its original publication in Latvijas Vēstnesis (2008); the consolidated version on likumi.lv could not be opened (connection refused), so later amendments, if any, were not checked. The absence of a sanction rests on Interior Ministry and government statements reported by LETA.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Buying sex from an adult is not an offence. Using the prostitution of a minor carries up to five years, and knowingly using the prostitution of a trafficking victim is covered by Section 164(2) of the Criminal Law. The Ombudsman has proposed banning the purchase of sex, but no bill to that effect was found.[2][4]
Confidence: medium. Criminal Law text read in the Prosecutor's Office 2025 edition (amendments promulgated to 19 December 2024); amendments after that date were not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Setting up, maintaining, managing or financing a brothel, defined as an unauthorised place where prostitution services are organised and provided, is punishable by up to three years, short-term imprisonment, probation supervision, community work or a fine. Managers of entertainment venues must ensure no sexual services are offered there, and groups of sex workers may not work together.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Criminal Law text as consolidated to 19 December 2024 (Prosecutor's Office edition); likumi.lv could not be opened.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Involving a person in prostitution is punishable by up to three years; coercion, deceit or abuse of dependency, up to five years. Pimping (sutenerisms), defined as exploiting a person engaged in prostitution for the purpose of enrichment, carries up to five years, rising to eight or fifteen years for groups, organised groups or offences against minors. Point 12 of the regulation bans any third-party activity that promotes prostitution.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Criminal Law text as consolidated to 19 December 2024 (Prosecutor's Office edition); later amendments not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Cabinet Regulation No. 32 bans offering and advertising sexual services on the internet, in the press and in other mass media, except erotic publications, and through intermediaries. Since 1 July 2020 no administrative penalty attaches to the ban. Police say they monitor such adverts for signs of pimping, involvement in prostitution or trafficking.[1][3][5]
Point 11 of the regulation: Seksuālos pakalpojumus aizliegts piedāvāt un reklamēt internetā, presē un citos plašsaziņas līdzekļos (izņemot erotiska rakstura izdevumus), kā arī izmantojot citu personu starpniecību. The 2017 draft Prostitution Restriction Law would have attached a warning or a fine of up to EUR 700 to breaches of the offering and advertising restrictions (State Police, reported by TVNet, 2023). No offence specific to websites that host such adverts was found; liability for a platform would have to come from the general criminal provisions on involvement in prostitution or pimping, which was not tested here.
Confidence: medium. The ban is in force but currently unenforceable administratively according to the Interior Ministry; platform liability is our reading, not established case law.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Ministru kabineta 2008. gada 22. janvāra noteikumi Nr. 32 "Prostitūcijas ierobežošanas noteikumi" Cabinet Regulation No. 32 of 22 January 2008, Prostitution Restriction Rules Points 2-15 | Health card, premises rules, ban on group work, third-party facilitation and advertising of sexual services.[1] | 26 January 2008 |
| Krimināllikums. Ar grozījumiem, kas izsludināti līdz 2024. gada 19. decembrim (2025) Criminal Law (Krimināllikums) Section 163.1 · Section 164 · Section 165 · Section 165.1 | Section 163.1 (brothels), 164 (involving a person in prostitution, using the prostitution of a minor), 165 (pimping), 165.1 (sending a person for sexual exploitation).[2] |
Pending and under review
Stalled · updated 29 September 2024
Draft Prostitution Restriction Law (Prostitūcijas ierobežošanas likums)
Drafted in 2017 and submitted to the government in early 2020, which postponed it in February 2020. It would give the restrictions a statutory basis and sanctions. In September 2024 the Interior Ministry said it is not a priority and needs a political decision on the regulatory model.[3][4][5]
Timeline
- 26 January 2008Cabinet Regulation No. 32 (Prostitution Restriction Rules) entered into force, replacing Regulation No. 210 of 2001.[1]
- 1 April 2013Section 163 of the Criminal Law (breach of prostitution-restricting rules) repealed.[2]
- 1 July 2020Administrative Violations Code replaced by the Administrative Liability Law; breaches of the prostitution rules ceased to carry an administrative penalty.[3][5]
Sources
- Ministru kabineta 2008. gada 22. janvāra noteikumi Nr. 32 "Prostitūcijas ierobežošanas noteikumi" (Cabinet Regulation No. 32 of 22 January 2008, Prostitution Restriction Rules (official publication)). Latvijas Vēstnesis, 25 January 2008. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Krimināllikums. Ar grozījumiem, kas izsludināti līdz 2024. gada 19. decembrim (2025) (Criminal Law, with amendments promulgated to 19 December 2024 (Prosecutor's Office edition)). Latvijas Republikas prokuratūra, 2025. government · accessed 30 October 2026
- Prostitūciju regulējošais likumprojekts nav prioritāte, atzīst Iekšlietu ministrija (Draft law regulating prostitution is not a priority, Interior Ministry admits (LETA)). TV3 / LETA, 29 September 2024. news · accessed 30 October 2026
- Latvija atzīstas ANO: līdz galam netiekam galā ar prostitūciju (Latvia admits to the UN it is not fully coping with prostitution (LETA, on the 8th CEDAW report)). Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze / LETA. news · accessed 30 October 2026
- Policija: Karš un migrācijas radījušas pārmaiņas prostitūcijas jomā (Police: war and migration have changed prostitution). TVNET, 2 October 2023. news · accessed 30 October 2026