Registering as an Independent Sex Worker in Switzerland: the Canton-by-Canton Procedure (2026)

Sex work is legal in Switzerland — our canton-by-canton legal guide explains why and how. But legal does not mean formality-free. Article 199 of the Penal Code refers to cantonal provisions, and the cantons have each answered in their own way: depending on where you work, the same activity requires an in-person notification to the police, a paid permit, a form filed with the commune — or no step at all.

This article describes the procedure as the authorities publish it, canton by canton, with addresses, opening hours and costs where they are published. It is information, not legal advice: before any step, check the official page of the canton concerned — they are all linked below.

What is required everywhere

Two constants recur in every canton with a procedure:

• Being of age and acting freely.
• Having the right to work in Switzerland: Swiss nationality, EU/EFTA citizenship (with the federal notification procedure or a permit depending on duration — see the box below), or a residence permit that allows work.

The activity is in principle carried out as self-employed, with the obligations of that status — notably AVS affiliation and taxes; the legal guide gives the orders of magnitude. None of the official pages consulted, however, requires an AVS certificate at the moment of registration itself.

Geneva: in person at the BTPI, free of charge

In Geneva, anyone practising must register before starting, in person, with the Brigade de lutte contre la traite d'êtres humains et la prostitution illicite (BTPI), by appointment: Boulevard Carl-Vogt 17-19, 1205 Geneva, Monday to Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. (tel. +41 22 427 71 40, gprost@police.ge.ch). The formality is free. You must be Swiss or hold a work authorisation at the time of registration.

The association ASPASIE publishes a detailed practical guide to the procedure and has been supporting the people concerned, free of charge, since 1982.

Vaud: registration in Renens, then an information session

In the canton of Vaud, registration takes place with the cantonal police, Avenue de Longemalle 1, 1020 Renens, with online appointment booking. The procedure has two steps: registration with the police, then a mandatory information session with the association Fleur de Pavé, Avenue de Sévelin 52, in Lausanne. The official page states that only persons of Swiss nationality or holding a valid residence permit authorising them to work in Switzerland, as well as EU/EFTA nationals, can book an appointment.

Zurich: a permit for the street, nothing for the salon

Zurich works differently — and only at city level, through its communal ordinance (PGVO), with no cantonal law.

For street prostitution, an individual permit is mandatory. It is applied for in person at Selnaustrasse 27, 8001 Zurich, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1.30 to 4.30 p.m. Published conditions: being over 18, being Swiss, EU/EFTA (with a notification confirmation) or holding a valid residence permit, and having valid health insurance. The permit costs 40 francs, payable in cash on site. The procedure includes a second mandatory step: an information conversation with Flora Dora, the city's support service, at the same place and times.

For salon or escort work, the ordinance imposes no individual obligation. It creates only two permits: one for the person who wants to work on public ground (art. 8 para. 1 PGVO), and one for whoever provides premises (art. 11 para. 1) — the latter also being the one who must keep the list of people present and submit to inspections (art. 14). The exemption is narrow, and the text deserves quoting: a permit is not required from "whoever does not provide more than two such premises. Prostitution may then be exercised there by at most one further person" (art. 11 para. 2 PGVO). Flora Dora also advises people working in escort — walk-in at Langstrasse 14, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.

Bern: no step alone, a communal form for two

The canton of Bern has the most counter-intuitive regime: a person working alone has no notification duty at all. As soon as you work as two (at most, in no more than two premises), the activity becomes a "Kleinstbetrieb": the responsible person files a notification form with the commune where the premises are located, before the activity begins. Larger establishments fall under an operating permit issued by the prefectures (Regierungsstatthalterämter). The association xenia supports sex workers in the canton.

Ticino: in Lugano, in person, 100 francs

In Ticino, the notification ("notifica") is made in person with the cantonal police, Reparto Giudiziario 4 — TESEU, Via Bossi 2B, Lugano, during counter hours: Monday and Wednesday from 10 to 12, Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. Pre-notification by e-mail is possible, with formalisation at the counter within two working days. Accepted documents: a valid Swiss permit, the certificate of the federal 90-day notification procedure for the self-employed (EU/EFTA), or the residence-with-gainful-activity application form. The formality costs 100 francs, payable upon signature.

Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Valais, Jura: registration in brief

• Fribourg — registration in person with the Police de sûreté, prostitution and morals group, Place Notre-Dame 2, 1700 Fribourg, by telephone appointment (026 304 17 19), on Monday afternoons or Thursday mornings, with a valid identity document.
• Neuchâtel — prior notification is mandatory and free: the cantonal law (LProst, RSN 941.70, art. 12) requires informing the competent service in person before starting, then reporting any change — place or modalities of practice — and the end of activity. The law says so expressly: the notification procedure is free of charge (art. 12 para. 5).
• Valais — prior notification with the cantonal police is mandatory: appointment by e-mail (surname, first name, date of birth, nationality, place of work), then appearing in person with an identity document and, where applicable, a work authorisation.
• Jura — the revised law has been in force since 1 January 2026 (RSJU 943.1). The cantonal economy and employment office publishes the individual notification form (F53) and the salon forms (F51, F52).

And where there is no registration?

Elsewhere, the official pages we consulted publish no individual registration procedure — which does not mean there is nothing to do. In Lucerne, it is the establishment that is regulated: operating premises where sex work takes place requires an authorisation. Basel-Stadt owns a liberal model: in its 2019/2020 report to the cantonal parliament, the government writes that prostitution there is "in principle permitted without authorisation", subject to building, immigration and labour law; only street prostitution is regulated, through tolerance zones. For St. Gallen, the cantonal page for people in the sector describes the self-employment steps (compensation fund, taxes) but mentions no registration with the police. And for the thirteen cantons with no dedicated law (from Uri to Thurgau), we have identified no cantonal procedure: obligations may exist at communal level — check with the commune where you intend to work, and with the cantonal police. The detailed typology is in our legal guide.

Coming from the EU/EFTA for less than 90 days?

The cantonal registration described here does not replace the federal notification procedure: self-employed EU/EFTA workers coming to work for up to 90 days per calendar year fall under the independent service provider regime, and notification is made online at least eight days before the activity starts, and starting before those eight days have elapsed is not permitted. The often-quoted "no later than the day before" applies to the other case — short-term employment with an employer in Switzerland. It is the certificate of this federal notification that Ticino, for example, asks for at the counter. These are two distinct procedures: the federal one (the right to work) and the cantonal one (local practice); if you are unsure which regime applies to you, ask the cantonal labour-market authority before setting your start date. A dedicated guide will follow shortly.

Frequently asked questions

Is registration mandatory everywhere in Switzerland? No. It is individual and mandatory in Geneva, the canton of Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Valais, Ticino and Jura. In Zurich, only street prostitution requires an individual permit. In Bern, a person working alone has nothing to file. Elsewhere there is no individual registration — but communal regulations apply.

How much does the procedure cost? Geneva states the formality is free, and in Neuchâtel the free-of-charge rule is written into the law (art. 12 para. 5 LProst). The Zurich street permit costs 40 francs, the Ticino notification 100 francs. The other cantons publish no fee online.

I work in a salon in Zurich: do I have to register? No. The communal ordinance creates only two permits: one for the person working on public ground (art. 8 para. 1 PGVO) and one for whoever provides premises (art. 11 para. 1). Salon and escort work carries no individual obligation under it, and the permit concerns the street only.

Does the registration have to be renewed? It depends on the canton, and few publish it. Valais states that the registration only has to be done once. Elsewhere, the official pages consulted publish no renewal rule online: ask at the counter when you register, and report changes — in Neuchâtel, the law expressly requires declaring any change of place or modalities, and the end of activity; Geneva also asks that the end of activity be reported.

Who can help me free of charge with these steps? Specialised, free and confidential associations: ASPASIE in Geneva, Fleur de Pavé in the canton of Vaud, Flora Dora and the FIZ in Zurich, xenia in Bern, and the national umbrella organisation ProCoRe for orientation everywhere else.

— The IntimX Editorial Team

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This article is informative and constitutes neither legal advice nor administrative assistance. Cantonal procedures evolve, and practical modalities (hours, fees, documents) can change: before any step, check the official page of the canton concerned, or seek support from one of the associations mentioned. Data verified on the official cantonal pages on 30 July 2026.