It is illegal to offer, arrange or solicit prostitution by public announcement. This is punishable by fines or imprisonment for up to 6 months.

Public announcement means all forms of advertising online, in newspapers and magazines, on posters and similar.

In principle, all earnings must be declared, including earnings from prostitution, but the way this is enforced varies. In some cases people have had their tax estimated on the basis of earnings from prostitution. Some have registered as self-employed, as masseurs etc., exactly in order to be able to pay tax. That way they also benefit from the rights that follow from paying tax, such as pension credits. Most services are liable to VAT in Norway.

It is illegal for Norwegian nationals / people domiciled in Norway to buy sexual services both in Norway and abroad. Buying sexual services is punishable by fines and prison for up to 1 year.

Buying sexual services from persons under the age of 18 is punishable by fines or prison for up to 2 years. In practice this clause applies to buying sex from persons in the age group 16–18. Buying sex from persons who are younger is subject to even stricter regulations under the Norwegian Penal Code concerning sexual intercourse with children under the ages of 14 and 16 respectivly.

The police are charged with keeping public order. This allows the police to intervene to stop breaches of the peace or when there is reason to fear such a breach.

Pro Centre has found that the law is occasionally applied to street prostitution. The police are entitled to ask you to move away from a specific area. If you fail to move on when asked, you can be fined.

The Planning and Building Act sets out certain requirements for premises where commercial activities take place.

The act has been used to close down massage parlours in premises that fail to meet the requirements for commercial activities.

It is illegal to make money from other people’s prostitution.

This is a wide-reaching law. Punishment ranges from fines to 5 years’ imprisonment, depending on how the person made money from the prostitution of others.

Pro Centre has found that the police usually apply this law in connection with the provision, advertising and organising of other people’s prostitution.

It is illegal to rent out an apartment, premises or a hotel room to persons who sell sex there.

There are three main aspects to human trafficking:

Exploitation: Human trafficking involves someone aiming to exploit other people.
Coercion/deception: Trafficking involves one person gaining control over another person through various kinds of threats, violence, coercion, deception or the abuse of a position of vulnerability.
Transport: Trafficking involves recruiting, transporting, receiving and housing people.

The following aspects are not relevant:

Whether or not national borders have been crossed.
Whether or not organised crime groups are involved.
Whether some freedom of choice was involved; which choices a person made
before he/she was a victim of human trafficking.
The level of exploitation, coercion and threats.
The willingness of the person to work with the police and other authorities.

Exploiting the prostitution of others is just one form of exploitation covered by the definition of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment