Prostitution Prostitution laws in NauruRipublik Naoero
In Nauru, the Crimes Act 2016, which repealed the Criminal Code 1899, does not penalise selling sex but makes it an offence to intentionally engage, employ, cause or permit another person to provide a commercial sexual service (up to five years, seven with aggravating circumstances). Owning, leasing or controlling premises knowing they are made available for commercial sexual services by two or more people carries six years. Using intimidatory conduct to make someone enter or stay in prostitution, or hand over its earnings, carries 25 years. No offence aimed specifically at advertising sexual services was found.
Legal model
Buying criminalised (Nordic model). Buying sex is an offence; selling it is not (the "Nordic" or "Equality" model).
The Crimes Act 2016 contains no offence of selling sex, but makes it an offence to intentionally engage, employ, cause or permit another person to provide a commercial sexual service (s. 107, five years), which on its wording covers clients as well as managers, and to hold an interest in premises used for commercial sexual services by two or more people (s. 108). Amnesty International read ss. 107-109 as criminalising the organisation and buying of sexual services.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Legal | No offence of selling or offering sexual services was found in the Crimes Act 2016; its commercial sexual services offences are aimed at those who engage, employ, cause or permit another person to provide them.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | A person who intentionally engages, employs, causes or permits another person to provide a commercial sexual service commits an offence punishable by five years, or seven with aggravating circumstances. 'Engages' on its ordinary meaning includes a client who pays for the service.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | A person who owns, leases, rents or is entitled to use premises, or controls an entity that does, commits an offence if they know the premises are or will be made available for commercial sexual services by two or more people (six years; strict liability as to the interest). Employing or permitting others to provide such services is separately caught by s. 107.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Engaging, employing, causing or permitting another person to provide a commercial sexual service carries five years (seven if aggravated). Using threats or promises (intimidatory conduct) that contribute to a person entering or remaining in prostitution, or giving up payments earned from it, carries 25 years.[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted | No offence aimed specifically at advertising sexual services was found. A person who advertises others' services for profit could be said to 'cause' them to provide commercial sexual services under s. 107.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
No offence of selling or offering sexual services was found in the Crimes Act 2016; its commercial sexual services offences are aimed at those who engage, employ, cause or permit another person to provide them.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Read from the Crimes Act 2016 as enacted (copy hosted by ILGA World); the official RONLAW portal serves documents only through a JavaScript application that could not be read automatically, so later amendments were not checked. Other legislation, such as police offences laws, was not checked for street soliciting offences.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
A person who intentionally engages, employs, causes or permits another person to provide a commercial sexual service commits an offence punishable by five years, or seven with aggravating circumstances. 'Engages' on its ordinary meaning includes a client who pays for the service.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Read from the Crimes Act 2016 as enacted (copy hosted by ILGA World); the official RONLAW portal serves documents only through a JavaScript application that could not be read automatically, so later amendments were not checked. No court decision applying s. 107 to clients was found; the reading follows the wording and Amnesty International's 2016 analysis.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
A person who owns, leases, rents or is entitled to use premises, or controls an entity that does, commits an offence if they know the premises are or will be made available for commercial sexual services by two or more people (six years; strict liability as to the interest). Employing or permitting others to provide such services is separately caught by s. 107.[1]
Confidence: medium. Read from the Crimes Act 2016 as enacted (copy hosted by ILGA World); the official RONLAW portal serves documents only through a JavaScript application that could not be read automatically, so later amendments were not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Engaging, employing, causing or permitting another person to provide a commercial sexual service carries five years (seven if aggravated). Using threats or promises (intimidatory conduct) that contribute to a person entering or remaining in prostitution, or giving up payments earned from it, carries 25 years.[1]
Confidence: medium. Read from the Crimes Act 2016 as enacted (copy hosted by ILGA World); the official RONLAW portal serves documents only through a JavaScript application that could not be read automatically, so later amendments were not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence aimed specifically at advertising sexual services was found. A person who advertises others' services for profit could be said to 'cause' them to provide commercial sexual services under s. 107.[1]
Confidence: low. Inference from the absence of a specific provision in the code reviewed; electronic-communications, obscenity and trafficking laws were not reviewed for platform liability.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Crimes Act 2016 (Act No. 18 of 2016) Crimes Act 2016 (Act No. 18 of 2016) s. 107 · s. 108 · s. 109 | Engaging a person to provide commercial sexual services (s. 107), holding an interest in premises used for them (s. 108) and compelling prostitution or the giving of its earnings (s. 109).[1] |
Timeline
Sources
- Crimes Act 2016 (Act No. 18 of 2016). Republic of Nauru (copy hosted by ILGA World legal database), 2016. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Nauru: New Crimes Act 2016 a welcome step. Amnesty International Australia, 2016. ngo · accessed 30 October 2026