Prostitution laws in Macau澳門 / Macau
In Macau, selling and buying sex in private are not offences, but almost every form of third-party involvement is a crime. The Organised Crime Law (Law 6/97/M) punishes enticing or diverting a person into prostitution, or exploiting another person's prostitution, even with their consent (1 to 3 years), and recruiting clients for sex workers or in any way favouring or facilitating prostitution (up to 3 years). The Penal Code adds procuring (lenocínio) where a person's situation of abandonment or need is exploited (1 to 5 years; 2 to 8 years with violence or deceit). Soliciting or offering sex for payment in a public or publicly accessible place is fined 5,000 patacas, and non-residents fined for it are expelled and commit the crime of disobedience if they re-enter within two years.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
Macau has its own legal system; mainland China's prohibition does not apply. Selling and buying sex in private are not offences. Third-party involvement is criminalised broadly: Law 6/97/M punishes exploiting another person's prostitution even with consent, recruiting clients and "in any way" favouring or facilitating prostitution. Soliciting in a public place is an administrative offence with a fine and, for non-residents, expulsion.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted | Selling sex is not an offence in itself. Enticing someone or making an offer to engage in sexual acts for money or other economic benefit in a public or publicly accessible place is fined 5,000 patacas; non-residents so fined are expelled from Macau.[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. The offences in Law 6/97/M and the Penal Code target those who exploit, facilitate or recruit clients for prostitution, and the public-soliciting fine applies to the person making the offer.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Running premises where others sell sex falls under the offence of favouring or facilitating prostitution "by any means" (up to 3 years) and, where earnings are taken, exploiting another person's prostitution even with consent (1 to 3 years).[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Enticing, attracting or diverting a person into prostitution, even with their agreement, or exploiting another person's prostitution, even with consent, carries 1 to 3 years. Recruiting clients for sex workers, paid or unpaid, or in any way favouring or facilitating prostitution, carries up to 3 years. Attempt is punishable.[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No offence specific to advertising sexual services was found. A sex worker's own public solicitation is an administrative offence. Third parties who recruit clients for sex workers, or in any way favour or facilitate prostitution, commit a crime punishable by up to 3 years, which can extend to advertising carried out for others.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not an offence in itself. Enticing someone or making an offer to engage in sexual acts for money or other economic benefit in a public or publicly accessible place is fined 5,000 patacas; non-residents so fined are expelled from Macau.[1]
Law 6/97/M, art. 35 ("Prostituição"): n.º 1 sets the 5,000-pataca fine for soliciting in a public place or a place of public access; n.º 2 requires the expulsion of non-residents fined under n.º 1; n.º 3 makes re-entry within two years the crime of disobedience; n.º 4 gives the commander of the Public Security Police Force power to impose the fine and order expulsion. Translation of the Portuguese text is our own.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. The offences in Law 6/97/M and the Penal Code target those who exploit, facilitate or recruit clients for prostitution, and the public-soliciting fine applies to the person making the offer.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. No provision penalising adult clients was found in the texts checked; this is an inference from the absence of such an offence.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Running premises where others sell sex falls under the offence of favouring or facilitating prostitution "by any means" (up to 3 years) and, where earnings are taken, exploiting another person's prostitution even with consent (1 to 3 years).[1]
Confidence: medium. The law has no brothel-specific offence; applying article 8 to venues is our reading of its wording, not checked against case law.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Enticing, attracting or diverting a person into prostitution, even with their agreement, or exploiting another person's prostitution, even with consent, carries 1 to 3 years. Recruiting clients for sex workers, paid or unpaid, or in any way favouring or facilitating prostitution, carries up to 3 years. Attempt is punishable.[1][2]
Penal Code art. 163 (lenocínio) separately punishes, with 1 to 5 years, anyone who as a way of life or for profit promotes, favours or facilitates another person's prostitution by exploiting their situation of abandonment or need; art. 164 raises this to 2 to 8 years where violence, serious threat, deceit or the victim's mental incapacity are used. "Exploração de prostituição" is also listed among the offences that define a secret society under Law 6/97/M, art. 1.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence specific to advertising sexual services was found. A sex worker's own public solicitation is an administrative offence. Third parties who recruit clients for sex workers, or in any way favour or facilitate prostitution, commit a crime punishable by up to 3 years, which can extend to advertising carried out for others.[1]
Confidence: low. Applying article 8(2) to advertisements, including online advertising platforms, is an inference from its wording; no case law or official guidance was checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Lei n.º 6/97/M — Lei da Criminalidade Organizada Organised Crime Law (Law No. 6/97/M) art. 8.º · art. 35.º | Article 8 criminalises exploiting prostitution, recruiting clients and facilitating prostitution; article 35 fines public soliciting and requires the expulsion of non-residents.[1] | |
| Código Penal de Macau Macau Penal Code (approved by Decree-Law No. 58/95/M) arts. 163.º–164.º | Articles 163 and 164 punish procuring that exploits a person's abandonment or need, with aggravation for violence or deceit.[2] |
Timeline
Sources
- Lei n.º 6/97/M — Lei da Criminalidade Organizada (Law No. 6/97/M — Organised Crime Law). Imprensa Oficial / Direcção dos Serviços de Assuntos de Justiça, Boletim Oficial da RAEM, 30 July 1997. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Código Penal de Macau (Macau Penal Code). Imprensa Oficial / Direcção dos Serviços de Assuntos de Justiça, Boletim Oficial da RAEM. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026