The police on your doorstep 
The police will sometimes visit the homes of people who sell sex, or they may visit the place where you work. The aim is often to prove that prostitution is taking place there. Once they have established this, they will notify the owner of the building or the landlord.Threatening to report the issue will often make the landlord terminate the tenancy agreement since renting out property and earning money from other people’s prostitution is illegal.

The police will often pose as clients to obtain proof that you are selling sex. Only then will they identify themselves as police officers. These are your rights and obligations in such a situation: 

  • You must give your name, date and year of birth, employment status and home address. 
  • You do not have to give any further information about yourself. Nor do you have to answer any further questions. 
  • If you are not a Norwegian national, you must show documentation stating that you are permitted to stay in Norway. 

Contact one of the social workers at Pro Sentret if you want more information about what to do if the police comes. Click here to book an appointment.

The police and ID control 
The police regularly check ID documents and residence permits for foreigners. These are your rights and obligations in such a situation: 

  • You must give your name, date and year of birth, employment status and home address. 
  • You must show documents confirming your identity and that you are staying legally in Norway 
  • If the police need confirmation that your papers are valid, they may ask you to come with them to the police station. They may also take your passport with them, if so you will be told to come and get it at the police station a few days later. 

You do not have to give any further information about yourself, or answer any further questions. 

The police and clients 
If the police arrive while you are with a client, they will probably try to question you on the spot. This is to make you admit that you are selling sex and that a sex sale has been agreed on or taken place. Remember it is legal to sell sex in norway and illegal to buy sex. However, you do not need to explain yourself or answer questions from the police. 

These are your rights and obligations in such a situation: 

  • You will have status as a witness in the case. 
  • You must give your name, date and year of birth, employment status and home address, but that is all you have to tell them about yourself. 

As a witness, you do not have to give a statement. In other words, the police cannot demand that you give a statement and answer questions about the situation – not there and then, and not at a later date. It is your right to choose not to say anything about yourself, the client or the situation. 

The police may still call you in for a meeting at the police station to ask you if you want to give a statement. You must attend the meeting, but you can still choose whether to give a statement or not. If you wish to give a statement to the police – either there and then, or at a later date, you must tell the truth. You can bring someone with you as support if you wish. 

You are obligated to appear as a witness, but only if the case is brought before a court of law. In that case you must attend as a witness in court, and you must tell the truth. If you are a witness in the case, you must be given written notice. The same rules apply to the client, who will have status as a suspect in the case. In other words, the client does not have to give a statement to the police either. 

The police asks you to leave 
The police may ask you to leave and stay away from certain streets or parts of town. If you meet the police again the same day or night, they may give you a fine. These are your rights and obligations in such a situation: 

  • You must give your name, date and year of birth, employment status and home address. 
  • You do not have to give any further information about yourself, nor do you have to answer any further questions. 

  • If you are not a Norwegian national, you must show documentation stating that you are permitted to stay in Norway. 

Accepting the fine is not always the right thing to do. If you sign for it, you have accepted the fine. If you are uncertain about whether or not you should have been fined, do not sign until you have talked to someone at Pro Sentret or a lawyer who can help you. You should be given a deadline for accepting the fine. 

Do you need legal advice? Click here to read more about our free legal aid service.