Is prostitution legal in Nepal?

Illegal

Prostitution is illegal in Nepal and criminalized under the Human Trafficking Act.

Nepal 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

India
Varies by region Prostitution is legal only in private residences, while related activities like brothel management are crimes.
Bhutan
Illegal Prostitution is illegal, and a 2017 proposal to legalize it was rejected.
Bangladesh
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated, requiring registration and affidavits from workers.
Pakistan
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Pakistan, with stricter penalties in some regions.
Myanmar
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Myanmar.
Tajikistan
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal, but soliciting, procuring, and brothel keeping are prohibited with administrative or criminal penalties.

Other laws in Nepal

Same-Sex Marriage
Marriage legal
Same-Sex Activity
Legal
Age of Consent
18+
Pornography
Illegal
Divorce
Legal
Non-Binary Recognition
Recognized
Same-Sex Adoption
Not permitted
Incest Laws
Criminal offense
Marriage Age
18+

Every law in Nepal → · Where is sex work legal? →

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.