Sex Museum in Reykjavik, Iceland

Iceland follows the Nordic model. Under Article 206 of the General Penal Code, paying or promising payment for prostitution is punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison, and up to two years where the person is under 18. Basing one's livelihood on the prostitution of others, mediating it or deriving income from it, for example by renting out premises, carries up to four years, and offering, arranging or seeking paid sex in a public advertisement is an offence. In practice first purchase offences are closed with a police fine of ISK 200,000; a government bill introduced in the Althingi on 29 October 2026 would abolish fines so every case goes to court. Source: Prostitution Laws (prostitutionlaws.org), https://prostitutionlaws.org/countries/iceland/, reviewed 2026-11-04, CC BY 4.0.