Prostitution laws in Syriaسوريا

Selling and buying prohibitedOverview · last reviewed 30 October 2026

Syria prohibits prostitution under Law No. 10 of 1961 on Combating Prostitution, issued during the union with Egypt and applied in Syria from six months after its publication. The law repealed Syria's 1933 law on licensed prostitution and empowered the Syrian social affairs minister to place licensed women in a special institution. Habitually practising prostitution or debauchery is punishable by three months to three years and/or a fine (Article 9(c)); working or habitually living in a brothel by up to a year (Article 13). Inciting or facilitating prostitution, running a brothel and exploiting another's prostitution carry up to three years, as does advertising an invitation to prostitution (Article 14). The Penal Code of 1949 adds offences of habitually inciting young people to debauchery and of practising or facilitating secret prostitution (Article 509).

Legal model

Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.

Law No. 10 of 1961 on Combating Prostitution, adopted for the whole United Arab Republic and still applied in Syria, punishes the habitual practice of prostitution, procuring, brothels and advertising; the Penal Code (Articles 509–516) separately punishes practising or facilitating secret prostitution. Neither law has a specific offence for the client. Changes after the December 2024 change of government were not checked.^[1][2][3]

At a glance

Question	Status	In short
Selling sexual services	Illegal Criminal offence	Anyone who habitually practises debauchery or prostitution is punishable by three months to three years and/or a fine of 250 to 3,000 Syrian pounds (Law No. 10/1961 Article 9(c)). Anyone who works or habitually resides in a place of prostitution, knowing it, faces up to one year (Article 13). Practising secret prostitution is also an offence under Penal Code Article 509.^[1][2][3]
Buying sexual services	Legal	Law No. 10 of 1961 contains no offence of paying for sex; its offences target the person practising prostitution habitually and third parties. Adultery is a separate offence under Articles 473 and 474 of the Penal Code.^[1][3]
Brothels and managed venues	Illegal Criminal offence	Opening or managing a place for debauchery or prostitution, or helping to manage it, is punishable by one to three years and a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 Syrian pounds, with closure and confiscation (Article 8). Renting out premises run for prostitution, or habitually facilitating it in furnished rooms or places open to the public, is punishable under Article 9. The 1961 law repealed Syria's 1933 law on licensed prostitution (Article 17).^[1][2]
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)	Illegal Criminal offence	Inciting, assisting or facilitating a person's prostitution, or employing or luring a person for it, is punishable by one to three years and a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 Syrian pounds (Article 1). Helping a woman to practise prostitution, even financially, or exploiting another's prostitution carries six months to three years (Article 6). The Penal Code also punishes habitually inciting people under 21 to debauchery and facilitating secret prostitution (Article 509).^[1][2]
Advertising sexual services	Illegal Criminal offence	Announcing by any means of advertisement an invitation that entices to debauchery or prostitution, or draws attention to it, is punishable by up to three years and/or a fine of up to 1,000 Syrian pounds (Law No. 10/1961 Article 14).^[1]

The law in detail

Selling sexual services

IllegalLaw No. 10/1961 art. 9(c) · Law No. 10/1961 art. 13 · Penal Code art. 509

Anyone who habitually practises debauchery or prostitution is punishable by three months to three years and/or a fine of 250 to 3,000 Syrian pounds (Law No. 10/1961 Article 9(c)). Anyone who works or habitually resides in a place of prostitution, knowing it, faces up to one year (Article 13). Practising secret prostitution is also an offence under Penal Code Article 509.^[1][2][3]

Confidence: medium. Law No. 10 was read in the 1961 Official Gazette of the United Arab Republic, which sets separate fines for the Syrian region; later Syrian amendments, if any, were not checked. Article 509 is described from a 2022 UN review, not from the statute.

Checked 30 October 2026

Buying sexual services

LegalPenal Code art. 473–474

Law No. 10 of 1961 contains no offence of paying for sex; its offences target the person practising prostitution habitually and third parties. Adultery is a separate offence under Articles 473 and 474 of the Penal Code.^[1][3]

Confidence: low. Whether clients are prosecuted as accomplices or under other provisions in practice was not checked.

Checked 30 October 2026

Brothels and managed venues

IllegalLaw No. 10/1961 art. 8–10 · Law No. 10/1961 art. 17–18

Opening or managing a place for debauchery or prostitution, or helping to manage it, is punishable by one to three years and a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 Syrian pounds, with closure and confiscation (Article 8). Renting out premises run for prostitution, or habitually facilitating it in furnished rooms or places open to the public, is punishable under Article 9. The 1961 law repealed Syria's 1933 law on licensed prostitution (Article 17).^[1][2]

Confidence: medium. Fine amounts are those set in 1961 for the Syrian region.

Checked 30 October 2026

Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)

IllegalLaw No. 10/1961 art. 1 · Law No. 10/1961 art. 6 · Penal Code art. 509

Inciting, assisting or facilitating a person's prostitution, or employing or luring a person for it, is punishable by one to three years and a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 Syrian pounds (Article 1). Helping a woman to practise prostitution, even financially, or exploiting another's prostitution carries six months to three years (Article 6). The Penal Code also punishes habitually inciting people under 21 to debauchery and facilitating secret prostitution (Article 509).^[1][2]

Confidence: medium.

Checked 30 October 2026

Advertising sexual services

IllegalLaw No. 10/1961 art. 14

Announcing by any means of advertisement an invitation that entices to debauchery or prostitution, or draws attention to it, is punishable by up to three years and/or a fine of up to 1,000 Syrian pounds (Law No. 10/1961 Article 14).^[1]

Confidence: medium. The 2022 Cybercrime Law (Law No. 20 of 2022) was not checked for provisions on online advertising.

Checked 30 October 2026

Key legislation

Law	What it does here	In force
قرار رئيس الجمهورية العربية المتحدة بالقانون رقم 10 لسنة 1961 في شأن مكافحة الدعارة في الجمهورية العربية المتحدة Law No. 10 of 1961 on Combating Prostitution in the United Arab Republic arts. 1–19	The core statute: habitual prostitution, procuring, brothels and advertising; repealed Syria's 1933 licensing law.^[1]
الجمهورية العربية السورية: العدالة بين الجنسين والقانون Penal Code (Legislative Decree No. 148 of 1949), as described by the UN art. 509–516	Articles 509 to 516 cover incitement to debauchery and secret prostitution.^[2]

Timeline

14 March 1961Law No. 10 of 1961 on Combating Prostitution is published in the Official Gazette of the United Arab Republic; it repeals Syria's 1933 law on licensed prostitution.^[1]
September 1961The law takes effect in the Syrian region, six months after publication as its Article 19 provides.^[1]

Sources

قرار رئيس الجمهورية العربية المتحدة بالقانون رقم 10 لسنة 1961 في شأن مكافحة الدعارة في الجمهورية العربية المتحدة (Decree-Law No. 10 of 1961 on Combating Prostitution in the United Arab Republic (Official Gazette No. 62, 14 March 1961)). Manshurat Qanuniya (scan of the Official Gazette), 14 March 1961. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
الجمهورية العربية السورية: العدالة بين الجنسين والقانون (Syrian Arab Republic: Gender Justice and the Law). UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women and UN ESCWA, 2022. intergovernmental · accessed 30 October 2026
Country matrix 2024: Syria — Gender Justice and the Law. UN ESCWA, UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women. intergovernmental · accessed 30 October 2026