Anyone who becomes pregnant unintentionally can have an abortion within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. To do so, they must visit a pregnancy conflict counsellor (such as at the Pro Familia counselling centre or the health department). If you do not have health insurance or do not have sufficient funds to pay for an abortion, you may apply for part of the costs for the abortion to be paid for.

Good advertisement is essential to any business. You should carefully consider what kind of information and images you want to publish: as we all know, the internet never forgets.

Sex work is allowed in Germany from 18 years of age.

Minors younger than 18 will not be punished if they engage in sex work. However, anyone who gives them a place to work may be punished by law. Because of this, they are typically forced to work on the street – the most risky kind of sex work. Often, getting into a car and/or going back to a customer’s home may result in a violent attack. We strongly advise against doing so. KASSANDRA also advises underage sex workers.

Adults who have sex for money with anyone under 18 are liable to prosecution, in particular if they have sex with someone under 16.

Special laws apply in Germany to sex workers between 18 and 21 years of age. If a sex worker is younger than 21 and files a criminal complaint against a brothel operator (due to violence, exploitation, sex trafficking, etc.), the punishments are stricter than if that complaint is filed by someone over 21.
Persons who encourage someone under 21 to engage in sex work may also be penalized. This means brothel operators are also at risk: if someone younger than 21 states during a police check that this is her first workplace, the owner may be investigated on sex trafficking charges in some cases.

In addition to our many other services, KASSANDRA also offers initial consulting for people thinking about starting sex work, or people who have only been in the industry for a short time. We can tell you what conditions are really like so that you can decide whether you want to try out the field or continue in your current job. We know what the “rules of the game” are, what is normal and what is not, what kinds of profits you might make and what different workplaces are like. We can give you tips on what not to do and how you can make money and stay safe. Of course, we can also advise you on the law and what you need to do so as not to run afoul of official agencies.

In general, working from your own home where children are living is not prohibited, but we strongly advise against it! You run the risk of having the child taken away by the youth welfare office. Working as a sex worker somewhere besides your home where your child lives, in contrast, is no reason for a child to be taken away from their mother.

Engaging in sexual acts in front of children or showing children pornographic materials is punishable by law.

You are entitled to child support benefits if

• The child is younger than 18 (or longer, in some circumstances)
• You regularly care for your child/stepchild/foster child/grandchild, who lives in your household
• You live in Germany, another EU country, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, or Switzerland.

Child support benefits may also be paid to a parent living in Germany if the child of the EU citizen does not live with their parent in Germany.

Advertising and offering anal, vaginal and oral sexual services without a condom is prohibited. Anyone who advertises unprotected sexual contact may be punished by law. This also applies to synonyms like “bare”, “+++”, etc.

Anyone who knowingly infects another person with an STI (sexually transmitted infection/disease) may be punished by law.

Sex workers who engage in unprotected contact may be punished by law. Customers who do not use a condom may be subject to high penalties. Penalties are even more severe if they use violence or deceit (secretly removing a condom). In such cases, you should always try to get the person’s information: Call security or the police, write down their license number, etc.

Restricted area regulations also apply to your “home” residence, where you generally are allowed to work. However, it is important to consider your particular situation. Please contact us or another sex worker information centre in the region for more information.

Drug use and excessive alcohol use can blur your personal boundaries, and in some circumstances you may let someone convince you to do something you would normally reject (such as having sex without a condom or practices you don’t otherwise offer).  If you are selling sex to finance drug usage, or offering sex for drugs or for a place to sleep, etc., you should be sure you offer your services when your head is as clear as possible. It is not only physically, but also emotionally unhealthy to wake up the next morning to find out everything that went wrong the night before. Information on drugs/safer use is available in Nuremberg from organisations like Mudra – Alternative Jugend- und Drogenhilfe or Lilith e.V. – Frauen beraten Frauen. You can ask KASSANDRA about anything related to sex work. Even persons who take drugs or use other addictive substances can work professionally!

You can participate in a German language course or PC training course even if you don’t want to switch to another field of work. You can start a beginner or advanced course at any time. You will learn terms you can use in sex work.

Please take care of your health. You can do so, for example, by

• requiring condom usage from your customers (see condom requirement)
• using lube to ensure condoms don’t tear
• getting vaccinated against hepatitis B
• taking advantage of (voluntary and anonymous) examinations from the health department. HIV/STI testing is available at the Nuremberg Health Department (Tel.: 0911-231 -2541).
• Contact us, the health department, or a physician or pharmacist promptly if a condom breaks. You can avoid pregnancy and go for a check-up for sexually transmitted infections. You do not need health insurance, and will not have to pay the health department. The health department’s office address is Burgstraße 4, room 3 on the ground floor. The business hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, morning and afternoon. Tel.: 0911-231-2767
• not using vaginal douches. Your vagina is self-cleaning. All you need to do is wash yourself with clean water every day. Please ensure you do not use any substances containing soap, disinfectants or perfumes. They can harm your natural vaginal bacteria. When your vaginal flora are healthy, they act as a natural barrier. When they are compromised, your risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection increases if a condom breaks.

Anyone who knowingly infects another person with an STI may be punished by law. Customers who secretly remove a condom may also be punished. If you can determine the customer’s identity (security, police, license plate number, etc.), you can file a complaint against them. If the customer has infected you with a sexually transmitted infection, their punishment will be even more severe. If you become pregnant and want to keep the child, the customer will have to pay support until the child is an adult. You should take care not only of your physical health, but also your mental health and your emotional well-being. Consider carefully which sexual services you want to offer, and which you don’t. Always remember that you are not obligated to fulfil all of your customer’s wishes, in particular a request for unprotected sex. Use a condom during oral and anal sex too. If someone treats you badly, becomes aggressive, defrauds you, or uses force, see the Violence section. Here, as well, you can contact the Middle Franconia crisis service if you are having a mental health crisis (Tel.: 0911 / 4248550). It is available between 6 PM and midnight, and on the weekends. It is staffed by multi-lingual employees. You can also contact KASSANDRA during our business hours!

In Germany, there is a dense network of information centres for all kinds of topics. There are also information centres for migrants, no matter whether they are legal or illegal residents. If you do not know how to find the right information centre, ask us.

You are welcome to contact us even if you are not in Nuremberg. We will help you find an information centre near you, or one dealing with your concerns.

Everyone living and working in Germany is required to have health insurance valid within Germany. In most cases, sex workers can choose between statutory and private health insurance.

If you are a resident of another EU country, you can typically purchase much less expensive EU health insurance in your home country. Such insurance policies are indicated by the EU circle of stars on the insurance card. They apply throughout Europe.
In some regions, there are facilities where people without health insurance can receive medical care free of charge. The Franz von Assisi street ambulance offers aid in Nuremberg. People who frequently change their sexual partners can receive anonymous testing for sexually transmitted infections free of charge at the Nuremberg Health Department.

The A&E department at the hospital can also help you if you do not have health insurance. In some circumstances, this may result in debts you will have to repay. If you are in a life-threatening situation, you will not be charged. You can always receive treatment free of charge at the hospital in a life or death situation!

Prostitution is legal in Germany.

Typically, the “law” means the Prostitute Protection Act (Prostituiertenschutzgesetz), which has been valid since 2017. You can find information on the Prostitute Protection Act at the following link: https://www.stmas.bayern.de/prostituiertenschutzgesetz/index.php Tantric massage practitioners, dominatrices and sexual surrogates, etc. are also considered sex workers under the Prostitute Protection Act. Even persons who only occasionally offer sex for money or other services (such as drugs, a place to sleep, clothing, cell phones, etc.) are generally considered sex workers. Many people in the sex work industry perceive the Prostitute Protection Act as a controlling law rather than a protective law, because they now have to out themselves to the government and comply with more regulations than in the past. The protective character of the law has not yet been proven. However, the fact that brothel operators are subject to stricter monitoring will likely have a positive effect.

The police may enter any location where sex work is carried out at any time, look into any room and check the identification papers of everyone present. During police checks, you only have to disclose the information on your personal ID/passport and your ID under the Prostitute Protection Act. Information on such checks is also available in the Downloads.

Offering or advertising for sexual acts with pregnant women six weeks before their due dates is prohibited.

If you are pregnant and need advice, you can contact a profamilia counselling centre, for instance. These centres are located all across Germany. The Nuremberg Health Department also offers a pregnancy counselling centre (see also Abortion). If you know who the father of the child is, and he does not want to pay child support, you can contact KASSANDRA. We will help you and your child assert your rights.

Sex workers decide themselves what services they want to offer their customers and how much money to ask for in return. Of course, the market and competitors also set limits. How much you can earn depends on your negotiating skills and your creativity – and there is wide latitude in what you can earn!

It is a good idea to request payment before beginning services, and placing it where it cannot be stolen. Advance payment is an accepted practice within the industry. If customers do not pay after you have performed a service, you can file a claim for payment against them in court. However, you will need their information to do so: Call the police and/or security, or write down their license plate number.

If you are thinking about switching to another field, we offer services such as free German language courses, PC and job interview training sessions and support in your job search and in dealing with official agencies. Please make a personal appointment with us in our the information centre so we can provide you with the best possible support.

You should collect receipts for all of your work-related expenses. This includes travel costs, room rent or club admission, advertisements, condoms, etc. If you purchase something in a store (such as a pharmacist, drugstore or supermarket), such as condoms and lube, you should keep your receipts. Never let yourself be cheated by a brothel operator, taxi driver or other service provider. Only pay the amount actually stated on the receipt. In addition, the receipt must state the following: the date, who is paying for what (your name and room rent, for instance), the recipient (such as the owner of club XXX), a receipt number and a signature from the person who received the money. This may also be someone hired to work at the club or brothel; the main thing is that their name must be legible. You can deduct all your work-related costs from your taxes. Every receipt you can save and submit with your tax return will reduce your tax liability!

Typically, rent for a work location is paid as a weekly rate or as a percentage of your income. The landlord or operator must issue a receipt for payment stating the amount of rent paid.

As of July, 2017, sex workers must register with the responsible agency and complete a health counselling session before beginning work. The responsible agencies may differ in different German states. You can find all the information you need on the laws in all states here: https://www.stmas.bayern.de/prostituiertenschutzgesetz/index.php. Tantric massage practitioners, dominatrices and sexual surrogates, etc. are also considered sex workers under the 2017 Prostitute Protection Act. Even people who only offer sex for money occasionally, or who perform sex to receive some other benefit (such as drugs, a place to sleep, clothing, a mobile phone, concert tickets, etc.) are considered sex workers as of 2017. Anyone who is not registered and who is subject to an official check may be penalised. Brothel operators who give non-registered sex workers a place to work may suffer heavy fines and may lose their operating license due to repeated violations. In Bavaria, health counselling is offered in health agencies and is provided by social education workers or physicians. How much the counsellors know about sex work may vary by region. Nevertheless, you can assume that the counsellors will have important health information for you, such as how to get medical assistance when you need it, even if you do not have health insurance. The health counselling session is subject to medical confidentiality requirements. You will receive a certificate stating you have completed the health counselling session, and must pay €35 (in Bavaria). The certificate is valid for 6 months for persons under 21, and 1 year for persons over 21 years of age. You must complete the health counselling session again after this time. If you change your name, for example, after getting married, you must have the certificate converted to your new name. Typically, the registration consultation is completed by official employees. They will explain the legal situation to you, as well as what you are allowed to do and what is illegal. They will provide your data to the responsible tax authority (in Germany, anyone who earns money must pay taxes). You must bring a photo to your registration consultation session, and pay another €35 (in Bavaria). You will receive an official sex worker ID. You must also register any name changes with the issuing authority. By paying another €35 fee (in Bavaria), you can have the health counselling certificate and registration certificate (sex worker ID) issued in an alias. Since there is a photo on your ID – which is valid only in conjunction with an official identifying document – this is not useful in practice if you are living a double life and want to conceal your sex work.

Citizens of EU member states may reside and work in any other EU member state for as long as they want (“EU free movement of persons”). Citizens of other nations require a permit to work in Germany (on a freelance basis) before immigrating and beginning work. Non-EU citizens can only obtain such permits if they are married to a German citizen. If you are married, you can only work in the EU country your spouse comes from. For instance, if you are from Ecuador and are married to someone from Belgium, you can only work in Belgium. If you are from Nigeria and are married to someone from Italy, you can only work in Italy. You may not work with a tourist visa, either in sex work or in any other job.

Every municipality has different regulations on where prostitution is allowed, and where it is not. Information on restricted areas is available from the Public Regulatory Authority. The Nuremberg restricted areas ordinance is availablein the Download area.

As a self-employed person, you should start a private pension plan, as you will not be entitled to any other pension. You should also have a savings fund in case you are sick, as you will not be able to earn income during this time.

If you feel unsafe alone, it may be a good idea to work in an apartment or house with colleagues. There are always emergency telephones and colleagues or security personnel in clubs and brothels.

We do not want to list all of our safety tips online. You are welcome to contact us or another information centre for sex workers in the region.

Sexually transmitted diseases are also called STIs (sexually transmitted infections) because you can carry an infection without yourself being sick. In Germany, sex workers do not have to undergo mandatory medical examinations. However, condom usage is mandatory (see condom requirement). Anonymous, free STI testing is offered in Nuremberg, for instance by the health department (Tel.: 0911/231 -2767 or -2292). Anyone who knowingly infects another person with an STI may be punished by law.

There are a wide variety of infections that can be transmitted during unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex. Using a condom is the best protection, with lube, during vaginal and anal sex. When someone has sex with many different people, it is a good idea to have a check-up with the health department every couple of months. If you have pain, itching, burning, etc., you should be examined as soon as possible. For contact information, see Health.

In addition to using a condom, getting vaccinated against hepatitis B and HPV provides good protection. German health insurance policies pay for these vaccines for persons under 18 years of age. In some EU countries, such as Hungary, young people are routinely vaccinated against hepatitis B. Unfortunately, this does not apply in all EU countries. Do you have a vaccination card? It states all of your vaccinations. You may be able to be vaccinated against hepatitis B at the health department at cost.
Of course, you can also go to any dermatology and STI practice or a gynaecologist if you have health insurance or are able to pay yourself. However, you should tell the treating physician what you do for a living. Otherwise, in some cases they may not be able to properly assess your symptoms

No matter whether you are a sex worker or not: no one may force someone to engage in sexual acts. And no one may tell another person when, where or how they have to have sex with someone.

According to the United Nations, all “people should have the opportunity to engage in a satisfying and safe sexual life, as well as to utilise their ability to procreate […] and be able to freely decide whether, when, and how often they want to take advantage of these opportunities (Zinsmeister 2013, p. 48, quote translated from German).

Sexual surrogacy and sexual assistance are sexual services specifically for people who can no (longer) carry on their own sexuality, whether due to physical or mental impairments

Get an easy to read calendar and write down how many customers you had on which work days paying what amount. Write down where exactly you worked that day, and which expenses you had that were subtracted from your income. Also write down whenever you take days off or when you are ill (preferably with a doctor’s note).

If you only record one customer per day at a low price, but pay a high rent and purchase a 100 pack of condoms every week, the tax authorities will not believe you. Being investigated by the tax authorities is extremely stressful – your whole life will be combed through and examined. You can avoid this by providing believable information and paying your taxes.

EU citizens who have worked and paid taxes in Germany for at least 6 months can apply for financial support from the state in certain circumstances (Jobcenter/Arbeitsagentur).

Anyone who earns money must pay taxes. When you register as a sex worker, the registration office will transmit your data to the tax authorities. It is a good idea to get a tax ID number as soon as possible from the tax authorities when you start work and to submit a tax declaration at the end of each fiscal year. You may need assistance from a tax advisor to do so.

See also Tax authorities

Sex workers are usually self-employed and must register as such with the tax authorities. They must pay income and sales taxes through a tax return. 
To do so, they must keep a simple accounting book of their daily income and expenses. It is a good idea to save all receipts for your expenses (such as rental spaces, condoms, sex toys, advertisement) as verified expenses reduce your tax burden. If you do not pay taxes, you may be punishable for tax fraud.

Anyone in Germany who experiences violence or any other threats (whether sexual, physical or emotional) can turn to counselling centres that support women and men in difficult circumstances. These include, for instance:

• JADWIGA Fachberatungsstellen für Opfer von Frauenhandel (Counselling centre for victims of human trafficking), Nuremberg, telephone: 0911 431 06 56
• Frauenberatung Nürnberg für gewaltbetroffene Frauen & Mädchen (Nuremberg women’s counselling centre for women and girls affected by violence), Telephone 0911 28 44 00
• Wildwasser Nürnberg e.V., Telephone 0911/ 33 13 30
• Jungenbüro Nürnberg (Nuremberg boy’s welfare office), Telephone 0911/ 52 81 37 51
• Frauenhaus Nürnberg (Nuremberg women’s shelter), Telephone 0911/ 33 39 15, Women’s house counselling centre 0911/378 88 78

You can contact the police in acute situations involving violence or threats. Call the police on 110 anywhere in Germany if you are in danger. You can also receive occupational safety and self-defence training from KASSANDRA. Ask about it in our information centre.

If you only come to Germany to work occasionally, with long breaks between visits, you should always save your travel tickets to verify your income in your home country.

Of course, this also applies if you live in Germany and take longer breaks. You must always verify your income during these times. Of course, you can also live off of your savings from sex work, if you have paid taxes on these amounts in advance.

Every work location, such as an apartment, brothel, sauna club, studio or the street, has advantages and disadvantages. Working hours, working conditions, and the clientele may vary, for instance. In addition, not every location is a suitable workplace for every person. Please observe the restricted areas ordinance (see restricted area)! Here, as well, you are welcome to contact KASSANDRA if you have questions.