Escort Service in Sweden, everything you need to know
TLDR
- Sweden pioneered the “Nordic model”: selling sexual services is legal, while buying them is a criminal offence.
- The key legislation, SFS 1998:408, has been in force since 1999 and forms part of Sweden’s Penal Code. A 2025 update now also criminalises purchases of sexual acts performed remotely or online (for example, paid live streams or custom content).
- See the official government releases from February 17, 2025 and April 2, 2025, as well as the Gender Equality Agency’s official explainer (May 21, 2025).
- No legal brothels exist in Sweden. Organising or profiting from others’ work is prohibited, while independent activity and mutual consent remain lawful.
Escorting in Sweden: Law, Privacy, and Enforcement
Sweden’s approach focuses on reducing demand rather than punishing those who sell services. The law, known as Köp av sexuell tjänst (“Purchase of sexual services”), came into effect on 1 January 1999 and has since been integrated into the Swedish Penal Code. You can read the original legal text on the Swedish Parliament’s website, or consult an English overview of Chapter 6 (sexual offences) provided by the Council of Europe.
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TLDR
- Sweden pioneered the “Nordic model”: selling sexual services is legal, while buying them is a criminal offence.
- The key legislation, SFS 1998:408, has been in force since 1999 and forms part of Sweden’s Penal Code. A 2025 update now also criminalises purchases of sexual acts performed remotely or online (for example, paid live streams or custom content).
- See the official government releases from February 17, 2025 and April 2, 2025, as well as the Gender Equality Agency’s official explainer (May 21, 2025).
- No legal brothels exist in Sweden. Organising or profiting from others’ work is prohibited, while independent activity and mutual consent remain lawful.
Escorting in Sweden: Law, Privacy, and Enforcement
Sweden’s approach focuses on reducing demand rather than punishing those who sell services. The law, known as Köp av sexuell tjänst (“Purchase of sexual services”), came into effect on 1 January 1999 and has since been integrated into the Swedish Penal Code. You can read the original legal text on the Swedish Parliament’s website, or consult an English overview of Chapter 6 (sexual offences) provided by the Council of Europe.
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