Is prostitution legal in the Maldives?
Illegal
Prostitution is illegal under Islamic sharia law in the Maldives.
The Maldives is one of 101 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 46% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Prostitution in Asia
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Sri Lanka
- Illegal Prostitution and related activities are illegal in Sri Lanka.
- Seychelles
- Illegal Selling sex is illegal, though police generally do not apprehend prostitutes unless other crimes are involved.
- India
- Varies by region Prostitution is legal only in private residences, while related activities like brothel management are crimes.
- Oman
- Illegal Prostitution is strictly illegal in Oman, with specific criminal penalties for women and living on proceeds.
- Bangladesh
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated, requiring registration and affidavits from workers.
- Somalia
- Illegal Selling sex is illegal, with little voluntary prostitution reported in the country.
Other laws in Maldives
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized
- Same-Sex Activity
- Illegal
- Pornography
- Illegal
- Marriage Age
- 18+
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.