Prostitution Prostitution laws in PolandPolska
In Poland, selling and buying sex between adults are legal and unregulated, but almost every form of third-party involvement is a crime: inducing a person into prostitution or facilitating it for financial gain, or profiting from someone else's prostitution, carries three months to five years (Art. 204 Criminal Code), and bringing a person into prostitution by abusing dependence, force or deceit carries up to fifteen years (Art. 203). Brothels are therefore illegal. Importunate soliciting in public is a petty offence. No law addresses advertising sexual services specifically.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
Neither selling nor buying sex between adults is an offence, and there is no registration or licensing scheme. The Criminal Code instead targets third parties: inducing or facilitating another person's prostitution for financial gain, or deriving financial benefit from it, is a crime (Art. 204), which in practice covers brothel keeping and pimping. Importunate public soliciting for gain is a petty offence.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: administrative offence | Selling sex is not an offence. Proposing a sexual act to another person importunately, by imposing oneself or in another way that breaches public order, with a view to material gain, is a petty offence (Art. 142 Petty Offences Code), punishable by arrest, restriction of liberty or a fine.[2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is legal. Having sexual intercourse or another sexual act with a minor in exchange for, or on the promise of, a financial or personal benefit is a crime (Art. 199 § 3 Criminal Code, three months to five years).[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | There is no specific brothel offence, but running a brothel, renting rooms to sex workers or otherwise facilitating another person's prostitution for financial gain falls under Art. 204 § 1 Criminal Code (three months to five years), and deriving financial benefit from it under Art. 204 § 2.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Inducing a person into prostitution or facilitating it for financial gain, and deriving financial benefit from another person's prostitution, are crimes (Art. 204 §§ 1-2, three months to five years; one to ten years if the person is a minor). Bringing a person into prostitution by abusing dependence or a critical situation carries one to ten years, and by force, unlawful threat or deceit two to fifteen years (Art. 203).[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No provision targets advertising sexual services as such, and advertising one's own services is not an offence. Putting up an indecent notice, sign or drawing in a public place is a petty offence (Art. 141 Petty Offences Code). A third party who publishes ads for profit could in principle be charged with facilitating prostitution for financial gain (Art. 204 § 1 Criminal Code).[1][2] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not an offence. Proposing a sexual act to another person importunately, by imposing oneself or in another way that breaches public order, with a view to material gain, is a petty offence (Art. 142 Petty Offences Code), punishable by arrest, restriction of liberty or a fine.[2]
Arrest lasts 5 to 30 days and a fine is PLN 20 to 5,000 (Arts. 19 and 24 § 1 of the Petty Offences Code).
Note. Petty offences (wykroczenia) are tried under a separate code; they are not crimes, although arrest is a possible sanction.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is legal. Having sexual intercourse or another sexual act with a minor in exchange for, or on the promise of, a financial or personal benefit is a crime (Art. 199 § 3 Criminal Code, three months to five years).[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
There is no specific brothel offence, but running a brothel, renting rooms to sex workers or otherwise facilitating another person's prostitution for financial gain falls under Art. 204 § 1 Criminal Code (three months to five years), and deriving financial benefit from it under Art. 204 § 2.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Inducing a person into prostitution or facilitating it for financial gain, and deriving financial benefit from another person's prostitution, are crimes (Art. 204 §§ 1-2, three months to five years; one to ten years if the person is a minor). Bringing a person into prostitution by abusing dependence or a critical situation carries one to ten years, and by force, unlawful threat or deceit two to fifteen years (Art. 203).[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No provision targets advertising sexual services as such, and advertising one's own services is not an offence. Putting up an indecent notice, sign or drawing in a public place is a petty offence (Art. 141 Petty Offences Code). A third party who publishes ads for profit could in principle be charged with facilitating prostitution for financial gain (Art. 204 § 1 Criminal Code).[1][2]
Confidence: medium. How courts apply Art. 204 § 1 to advertising websites was not verified; the statement on third-party liability rests on the statutory wording only.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Obwieszczenie Marszałka Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 2 października 2026 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu ustawy – Kodeks karny (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1342) Criminal Code of 6 June 1997 (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 1342) Art. 199 § 3 · Art. 203 · Art. 204 | Procuring, facilitating and profiting from prostitution, and paid sexual acts with minors.[1] | |
| Obwieszczenie Marszałka Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 2 października 2026 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu ustawy – Kodeks wykroczeń (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1372) Petty Offences Code of 20 May 1971 (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 1372) Art. 141 · Art. 142 | Importunate public soliciting for gain and indecent public notices.[2] |
Sources
- Obwieszczenie Marszałka Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 2 października 2026 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu ustawy – Kodeks karny (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1342) (Criminal Code of 6 June 1997, consolidated text announced on 2 October 2026). Sejm RP, Dziennik Ustaw (ELI API), 2 October 2026. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Obwieszczenie Marszałka Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 2 października 2026 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu ustawy – Kodeks wykroczeń (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1372) (Petty Offences Code of 20 May 1971, consolidated text published on 21 October 2026). Sejm RP, Dziennik Ustaw (ELI API), 21 October 2026. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026