Prostitution Laws

Prostitution laws in SpainEspaña

Legal, organisation bannedOverview · last reviewed 30 October 2026

Prostitution between adults is not a crime in Spain. The Penal Code punishes coercion into prostitution and profiting from exploited prostitution, but not consensual third-party involvement without exploitation, and not renting premises. Since 2015 a national public-safety law fines clients who solicit near places used by minors or where it endangers traffic, and many municipalities, including Barcelona, fine soliciting in public space. Since October 2022 advertising that 'promotes prostitution' is unlawful advertising under the General Advertising Law. Bills to criminalise all procuring, tercería locativa and buying were taken into consideration in 2022 but lapsed, and were rejected at first reading in May 2024. The Cortes were dissolved on 6 October 2026 for elections on 29 November 2026, so all pending bills lapsed.

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 crimes. Art. 187 of the Penal Code punishes coercing someone into prostitution and profiting from 'exploiting' another person's prostitution, even with consent, but only where exploitation (vulnerability or abusive conditions) is shown. Renting premises for prostitution (tercería locativa) is not an offence. Clients and sex workers in public space face administrative fines under the 2015 public-safety law and municipal ordinances.[1][2][3]

Regional differences

  • Barcelona (municipal ordinance): Barcelona's 2005 civic-coexistence ordinance (Ordenança de mesures per fomentar i garantir la convivència ciutadana a l'espai públic) has a chapter on offering and demanding sexual services in public space. The city's 2019 schedule of fines lists art. 40.2 (favouring or promoting the consumption of sexual services in public space, including by advertising, EUR 1,000 to 1,200) and art. 40.3 (the client having paid sex in public space, EUR 1,500.01 to 3,000), alongside the national art. 36.11 LO 4/2015 fine for clients. A new Ordenança de convivència entered into force on 15 February 2026; its provisions on sexual services could not be read for this entry.[4][5]

At a glance

QuestionStatusIn short
Selling sexual servicesLegalSelling sex as an adult is not an offence under national law. On the street, police must order sex workers to stop offering services near places used by minors or where traffic is endangered; ignoring the order can be fined as disobedience under art. 36.6 LO 4/2015.[1][2]
Buying sexual servicesRestricted
Breach: administrative offence
Buying sex from an adult is not a crime. A client who requests or accepts paid sexual services in public transit areas near places used by minors, or where it endangers road safety, commits a serious administrative infringement under art. 36.11 LO 4/2015 (fine EUR 601 to 30,000). Some municipalities also fine clients.[1][2][3]
Brothels and managed venuesRestricted
Breach: criminal offence
There is no offence of keeping a brothel or of renting premises for prostitution (tercería locativa). Operators of clubs and flats commit the art. 187 offence only if they profit by exploiting a sex worker, which the Code presumes where she is personally or economically vulnerable or is subject to burdensome, disproportionate or abusive conditions.[1][3]
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)Restricted
Breach: criminal offence
Art. 187 punishes inducing an adult into prostitution by violence, intimidation, deception or abuse (two to five years) and profiting from exploiting another's prostitution even with consent (two to four years). Profiting without exploitation is not an offence; bills to punish all procuring 'in all its forms' failed in 2022 to 2024.[1][3]
Advertising sexual servicesRestrictedSince 7 October 2022 the General Advertising Law treats advertising that 'promotes prostitution' as unlawful advertising (art. 3.a Ley 34/1988, as amended by LO 10/2022). The remedy is civil (injunction and related actions under unfair-competition law), not a criminal or administrative fine. Barcelona's ordinance fines promotion of sexual services in public space.[4][6][7][8]
Street-based sex work and solicitingRestricted
Breach: administrative offence
Street-based prostitution is not banned nationally, but clients soliciting near places used by minors or where traffic is endangered are fined (art. 36.11 LO 4/2015), and sex workers who ignore a police order to stop can be fined for disobedience (art. 36.6). Municipal ordinances, such as Barcelona's, add fines for public space.[2][9][10]

The law in detail

Selling sexual services

LegalArts. 36.6, 36.11 and 39 Ley Orgánica 4/2015

Selling sex as an adult is not an offence under national law. On the street, police must order sex workers to stop offering services near places used by minors or where traffic is endangered; ignoring the order can be fined as disobedience under art. 36.6 LO 4/2015.[1][2]

No provision of the Penal Code (Ley Orgánica 10/1995) penalises a person for selling sexual services. LO 4/2015 on the protection of public safety (art. 36.11) targets the client, but adds that officers 'will require' people offering such services in those places to refrain, and warns them that failing to comply may be the serious infringement of disobedience in art. 36.6 (fine EUR 601 to 30,000 under art. 39). Municipal ordinances add further rules for public space (see subnational).

Checked 30 October 2026

Buying sexual services

Legal with restrictionsArt. 36.11 Ley Orgánica 4/2015 · Art. 39.1 Ley Orgánica 4/2015 · Art. 188 Código Penal (minors)

Buying sex from an adult is not a crime. A client who requests or accepts paid sexual services in public transit areas near places used by minors, or where it endangers road safety, commits a serious administrative infringement under art. 36.11 LO 4/2015 (fine EUR 601 to 30,000). Some municipalities also fine clients.[1][2][3]

Art. 36.11 LO 4/2015 covers 'la solicitud o aceptación por el demandante de servicios sexuales retribuidos' in public transit areas near schools, playgrounds or leisure spaces accessible to minors, or where the conduct creates a road-safety risk. Fines for serious infringements range from EUR 601 to 30,000 (art. 39.1). Paying for sex with a minor or a person with a disability needing special protection is a crime under art. 188 of the Penal Code. The PSOE bill rejected in May 2024 would have created a new art. 187 ter making it a crime to agree to sexual acts in exchange for money (fine of 12 to 24 months).

Checked 30 October 2026

Brothels and managed venues

Legal with restrictionsArt. 187.1 Código Penal

There is no offence of keeping a brothel or of renting premises for prostitution (tercería locativa). Operators of clubs and flats commit the art. 187 offence only if they profit by exploiting a sex worker, which the Code presumes where she is personally or economically vulnerable or is subject to burdensome, disproportionate or abusive conditions.[1][3]

Art. 187.1, second paragraph, of the Penal Code: two to four years' imprisonment and a fine for whoever profits 'explotando la prostitución de otra persona, aun con el consentimiento de la misma'; exploitation exists in any case where (a) the victim is in a situation of personal or economic vulnerability, or (b) burdensome, disproportionate or abusive conditions are imposed. The PSOE's 2024 bill states in its preamble that this exploitation requirement has led to the provision being largely unapplied, and proposed a new art. 187 bis punishing whoever habitually and for profit uses a property, premises or establishment to promote, favour or facilitate another person's prostitution, even with consent. That bill was rejected in May 2024. Licensing of venues is a regional and municipal matter and was not researched for this entry.

Checked 30 October 2026

Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)

Legal with restrictionsArt. 187 Código Penal · Art. 177 bis Código Penal (trafficking)

Art. 187 punishes inducing an adult into prostitution by violence, intimidation, deception or abuse (two to five years) and profiting from exploiting another's prostitution even with consent (two to four years). Profiting without exploitation is not an offence; bills to punish all procuring 'in all its forms' failed in 2022 to 2024.[1][3]

Aggravated penalties apply where the offender is a public official, belongs to a criminal organisation or group, or endangered the victim's life or health (art. 187.2). Trafficking for sexual exploitation is a separate offence (art. 177 bis). The PSOE bill of 2024 (122/000077) would have replaced the exploitation requirement with a general offence for anyone who, for profit, 'promueva, favorezca o facilite la prostitución de otra persona, aun con el consentimiento de la misma'.

Checked 30 October 2026

Advertising sexual services

Legal with restrictionsArt. 3.a and 6 Ley 34/1988 General de Publicidad · Art. 11.1 and final provision 3 Ley Orgánica 10/2022 · Art. 16 Ley 34/2002 (LSSI) · Art. 40.2 Barcelona civic-coexistence ordinance (2005)

Since 7 October 2022 the General Advertising Law treats advertising that 'promotes prostitution' as unlawful advertising (art. 3.a Ley 34/1988, as amended by LO 10/2022). The remedy is civil (injunction and related actions under unfair-competition law), not a criminal or administrative fine. Barcelona's ordinance fines promotion of sexual services in public space.[4][6][7][8]

LO 10/2022 on the comprehensive guarantee of sexual freedom (the 'solo sí es sí' law) added the phrase 'así como la que promueva la prostitución' to art. 3.a of the General Advertising Law (final provision 3) and states in art. 11.1 that advertising promoting prostitution is unlawful. Under art. 6 of that law, actions against unlawful advertising are those of the Unfair Competition Act (cessation, removal, rectification, damages). The specific standing of the Government Delegation for Gender Violence, women's institutes, women's associations and the Public Prosecutor in art. 6.2 covers discriminatory images of women and surrogacy, not the prostitution clause. No national criminal offence targets advertising by sex workers themselves; a publisher could face art. 187 only where it profits from exploited prostitution. Hosting providers are covered by the notice-based safe harbour in art. 16 Ley 34/2002 (LSSI) and by the EU Digital Services Act. How courts have applied the 2022 clause to online classified-ad sites was not verified.

Confidence: medium. The statutory wording is verified; no case law or enforcement data on online advertising under the 2022 clause was found.

Checked 30 October 2026

Street-based sex work and soliciting

Legal with restrictionsArts. 36.6, 36.11, 37.5 and 39 Ley Orgánica 4/2015

Street-based prostitution is not banned nationally, but clients soliciting near places used by minors or where traffic is endangered are fined (art. 36.11 LO 4/2015), and sex workers who ignore a police order to stop can be fined for disobedience (art. 36.6). Municipal ordinances, such as Barcelona's, add fines for public space.[2][9][10]

Art. 37.5 LO 4/2015 also makes acts against sexual freedom or 'exhibición obscena' a minor infringement (fine EUR 100 to 600) where not a crime. A 2024 cross-party bill to reform LO 4/2015 (122/000131) would have removed the warning and disobedience clause aimed at sex workers from art. 36.11 while keeping the fine for clients, and removed 'exhibición obscena' from art. 37.5; it lapsed with the dissolution of the Cortes on 6 October 2026.

Checked 30 October 2026

Key legislation

LawWhat it does hereIn force
Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal (texto consolidado)
Organic Law 10/1995 of 23 November, Penal Code
Art. 187 · Art. 188 · Art. 177 bis
Defines the prostitution-related crimes: coercion and exploitative profiting (art. 187), minors and persons with disabilities (art. 188), trafficking (art. 177 bis).[1]24 May 1996
Ley Orgánica 4/2015, de 30 de marzo, de protección de la seguridad ciudadana (texto consolidado)
Organic Law 4/2015 of 30 March on the protection of public safety
Art. 36.6 · Art. 36.11 · Art. 37.5 · Art. 39
Administrative fines for clients soliciting in public near places used by minors or endangering traffic, and the disobedience fine applied to sex workers who ignore a police order.[2]1 July 2015
Ley 34/1988, de 11 de noviembre, General de Publicidad (texto consolidado)
Law 34/1988 of 11 November, General Advertising Law
Art. 3.a · Art. 6
Art. 3.a makes advertising that promotes prostitution unlawful advertising (since 7 October 2022).[6]
Ley Orgánica 10/2022, de 6 de septiembre, de garantía integral de la libertad sexual
Organic Law 10/2022 of 6 September on the comprehensive guarantee of sexual freedom
Art. 11 · Final provision 3
The 'solo sí es sí' law: amended the General Advertising Law to cover advertising promoting prostitution; it did not create a tercería locativa offence.[7]7 October 2022

Pending and under review

Rejected · updated 21 May 2024

PSOE bill to prohibit procuring 'in all its forms' (Proposición de Ley Orgánica 122/000077)

Would have punished any profit-seeking promotion of another's prostitution (new art. 187.2), tercería locativa (new art. 187 bis) and paying for sex (new art. 187 ter, fine; the person selling never punished). The Congress rejected it at the taking-into-consideration stage on 21 May 2024 by 122 votes to 184 with 36 abstentions. Speakers in that debate recalled that an amendment on procuring was dropped from the 'solo sí es sí' law in 2022 and that an almost identical PSOE bill was taken into consideration on 7 June 2022 but lapsed when the 2019 to 2023 legislature ended.[3][11]

Stalled · updated 6 October 2026

Reform of Organic Law 4/2015 on public safety (Proposición de Ley Orgánica 122/000131)

Bill by the Socialist, Sumar, EH Bildu, Republican and PNV groups, taken into consideration in October 2024. It would have removed from art. 36.11 the warning and disobedience clause aimed at sex workers in public space while keeping fines for clients near places used by minors. It was still at committee report stage when the Cortes were dissolved, and lapsed (caducado) on 6 October 2026.[9][10][12]

Next, 29 November 2026: General election; a new Cortes would have to start the bill again

Timeline

  1. 24 November 1995New Penal Code (Organic Law 10/1995) published; it contains no offence of renting premises for prostitution.[1]
  2. 31 March 2015Organic Law 4/2015 on public safety published, introducing fines for clients soliciting near places used by minors or endangering traffic (art. 36.11).[2]
  3. 1 July 2015Current wording of art. 187 (exploitation presumed in cases of vulnerability or abusive conditions) enters into force, via Organic Law 1/2015.[1]
  4. 7 June 2022Congress takes into consideration a PSOE bill to prohibit procuring in all its forms; it later lapses at the end of the legislature (as recalled in the 2024 debate).[11]
  5. 7 October 2022Organic Law 10/2022 ('solo sí es sí') in force; advertising that promotes prostitution becomes unlawful advertising under art. 3.a of the General Advertising Law. No tercería locativa offence is included.[6][7]
  6. 21 May 2024Congress rejects the PSOE bill to prohibit procuring in all its forms, including tercería locativa and buying, by 122 votes to 184 with 36 abstentions.[11]
  7. 15 February 2026Barcelona's new civic-coexistence ordinance (Ordenança de convivència) enters into force.[5]
  8. 6 October 2026Royal Decree 806/2026 dissolves the Cortes and calls a general election for 29 November 2026; pending bills, including the public-safety law reform, lapse.[10][12]

Sources

  1. Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal (texto consolidado) (Organic Law 10/1995 of 23 November, Penal Code (consolidated text)). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 24 November 1995. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
  2. Ley Orgánica 4/2015, de 30 de marzo, de protección de la seguridad ciudadana (texto consolidado) (Organic Law 4/2015 of 30 March on the protection of public safety (consolidated text)). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 31 March 2015. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
  3. Proposición de Ley Orgánica por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal, para prohibir el proxenetismo en todas sus formas (122/000077), BOCG Congreso, Serie B, núm. 89-1 (PSOE bill amending the Penal Code to prohibit procuring in all its forms (122/000077)). Congreso de los Diputados, 5 April 2024. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026
  4. Tipologia de sancions per infraccions de l'Ordenança de Convivència (nomenclàtor CONV-LOPSC per naturalesa, 2019) (Schedule of fines under Barcelona's civic-coexistence ordinance and the public-safety law (2019)). Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2019. government · accessed 30 October 2026
  5. Ban de l'Alcalde de Barcelona: pel civisme i la convivència (Mayor's proclamation on the new civic-coexistence ordinance in force from 15 February). Ajuntament de Barcelona, February 2026. government · accessed 30 October 2026
  6. Ley 34/1988, de 11 de noviembre, General de Publicidad (texto consolidado) (Law 34/1988 of 11 November, General Advertising Law (consolidated text)). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
  7. Ley Orgánica 10/2022, de 6 de septiembre, de garantía integral de la libertad sexual (Organic Law 10/2022 of 6 September on the comprehensive guarantee of sexual freedom). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 7 September 2022. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
  8. Ley 34/2002, de 11 de julio, de servicios de la sociedad de la información y de comercio electrónico (Law 34/2002 of 11 July on information society services and electronic commerce (LSSI)). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
  9. Proposición de Ley Orgánica de protección de las libertades y seguridad ciudadana (122/000131), BOCG Congreso, Serie B, núm. 148-1 (Bill on the protection of freedoms and public safety (reform of Organic Law 4/2015)). Congreso de los Diputados, 11 October 2024. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026
  10. Datos abiertos: Proposiciones de ley, XV Legislatura (situación y tramitación) (Open data: members' bills of the 15th legislature, with status and procedure). Congreso de los Diputados, 30 October 2026. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026
  11. Diario de Sesiones del Congreso de los Diputados, Pleno, XV Legislatura, núm. 40, sesión de 21 de mayo de 2024 (Congress plenary record, 21 May 2024 (debate and vote on bill 122/000077)). Congreso de los Diputados, 21 May 2024. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026
  12. Real Decreto 806/2026, de 5 de octubre, de disolución del Congreso de los Diputados y del Senado y de convocatoria de elecciones (Royal Decree 806/2026 dissolving the Congress and Senate and calling elections). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 6 October 2026. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026