If you are interested in sex work there are some points you should think about. Sex work is rife with prejudice and negative stigma. There are certain circumstances that can promote abuse of power and oppression in sex work. Furthermore, you should know the legal framework, as well as your rights and responsibilities.
However, since sex work allows you to work very independently and may generate very high income, the activity of sex work is very attractive despite negative prejudices.
The legal situation in Germany
The new Prostitute Protection Act is not only intended to “protect” sex workers but also imposes a number of duties on them. These obligations must be observed or followed in Germany since 01.07.2017.
New is the obligation to register before starting with sexwork. For the registration there is the obligation to participate in a health consultation. This is carried out at the health office. The sex workers receive a certificate of attendance. This certificate must be presented when registering with the Public Order Office. Registration must take place in person. German and EU citizens only need their identity card or passport. An information and counseling interview must be conducted at the time of registration. In this conversation, the sex workers are to be informed about their rights and obligations. The sex workers receive a certificate of registration. This must be carried with them at all times when working and must be presented to businesses in the event of cooperation.
Registration procedure:
- Make an appointment at the health office for a health consultation.
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- The health consultation must be repeated every 12 months. Prostitutes under 21 years of age must even attend this consultation at least every 6 months.
- Go to the Public Order Office for the registration certificate with the health consultation certificate. Register all federal states.
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- The registration certificate from the Public Order Office is valid for two years and for persons under 21 years for one year. It must therefore be renewed regularly.
- In addition to the registration certificate, it is also possible to have an alias certificate issued. This certificate does not list the correct first and last name, but an alias (pseudonym).
Of course, it is a bit annoying to have to go to the offices and I can understand that it is unpleasant to out yourself as an escort at the office. But it goes easier then you might expect and you can work legal afterwards.
They are not allowed to pass on any data to third parties for data protection reasons. So neither the health insurance, nor the employer get the data. After giving up the job, the data will be deleted after three months.
What happens if I work without a certificate?
Violation of these obligations can have significant consequences. Fines of up to one thousand euros can be imposed. In the worst case, further exercise of the activity can be prohibited.
Also new is the legal obligation to use condoms. The sex workers can therefore report the customers if they simply remove the condom or force the sex workers to have intercourse without a condom.
In the future, it will also no longer be possible to hide from the tax office. The authority issuing the registration certificate will immediately inform the competent tax office about a registration. However, this is not a reason not to register, because if you perform sex work without registration, you are committing both tax evasion and an administrative offense. Controls regarding the registration certificate can also affect so-called “sugardaddy” portals. Because on what happens on this kind of platforms if often sex exchanged for money. It is therefore sex work and since many do not pay tax on the money, it is doubly interesting for the state to carry out controls there.
If you want to work as a sex worker in Germany, I strongly advise you to apply for the registration certificate. If you have further questions, you can find answers here.
Taxes .
As a Seworker you are a freelancer. It doesn’t matter if you work in a brothel, with an agency or all by yourself. That means you have to keep your receipts for costs and income and make a tax return at the end. As long as you still have very little income, you can still find the necessary knowledge relatively easily on the Internet. However, I generally recommend tax consultants, as they simply know their stuff better.
What working conditions do you want?
Think about how exactly you want to enter the sex industry. In which area of sex work do you want to work?
There are different ways to work, such as an escort at an agency, an independent escort, in the fetish area, in a brothel or sauna club, etc. Write down what your desired working conditions should be and what kind of service you want to offer.
Always be aware that no brothel operator or agency management has authority over you. You work with them and pay commission or room rent for the service they offer you in return. Of course, an establishment is allowed to set internal policies and if you don’t like them, find another establishment!
Your limits and needs come first!
Your personal limits and needs are very important. Be aware of what your limits are, i.e. what you do not want to do, and think about or inform yourself about how you can protect and enforce them. How can you ensure your safety? How do you sort out clients? What agency or business can provide you with the support you need to enforce your needs and boundaries with clients?
You should never allow your boundaries to be exceeded for an extra amount of money. By doing so, you automatically give the other person the power to decide about your boundaries and you put a price on disregarding your boundaries. This can eventually lead to the feeling that you are for sale.
Set your boundaries for yourself and stick to them, because this protects your self-esteem and promotes the respect of your customers towards you! Only when you have clearly formulated your limits and needs for yourself, it is easier for you to say no and also to enforce this no. The right working conditions provide a safe framework that also enables you to assert your “no”. You should never have the feeling of losing power, but you should always feel safe and be in control of the situation.
The aspect of safety
How can you ensure your safety? Before you look for a work place or a suitable working environment, think about what situations and customers can be dangerous and how you can protect yourself from them. This depends on your specific work environment.
Do you work with colleagues who are there to support and protect you? Does the agency or brothel owner stand behind you and how does they protect you from dangerous or dubious customers (you should ask about this before you start working). If customers refuse your conditions, you can also refuse the date with them. Make sure that someone you trust knows where you are and who you are with. If you don’t call after your work assignment, the person should be able to call the police if necessary. Sending your live location to the person who covers you (has your back) is another helpful tip.
Be open about sex work or keep it a secret?
As mentioned earlier, sex work has a very negative stigma, which is why many sex workers keep their activity secret. Think about if and with whom you can and want to talk about your activity. It can be very stressful to live a double life. It is important that you have someone with whom you can share your experiences. If you keep the activity completely secret from your social environment, it is even more important that you network and exchange with other sex workers. This is also important if you are open about your activity. Because if you network and get advice from experienced sex workers, you can work better and more successfully in sex work.
Invest and secure your finances!
Most of the time you will be paid in cash, which can be spent quickly. Many sex workers tend to spend their earned money on luxury items and designer clothes. It is perfectly ok to treat yourself to some luxuries every now and then. However, you should not spend all your money frivolously, but you should also save and invest . In this way, you create a cushion for emergencies or reserves for times without much work. In addition, you can create passive income for the future through sensible investments.