Sex Work in Canton Graubünden: Permits, Registration Requirements, and Responsibilities
Anyone wanting to work as a sex worker in Graubünden will quickly notice something unusual: there is no Graubünden law that you can consult and work through section by section. Unlike Zurich, Basel-Stadt, Lucerne, or Bern, Graubünden has not enacted its own cantonal prostitution law. This does not mean there are no rules here. It means that these rules are assembled from different levels: from federal law, from migration law, and—often decisively—from what individual municipalities establish locally.
Precisely this makes Graubünden confusing for many. This article clarifies the situation: Which registration requirements are mandatory, where do you need a permit, who is responsible—and where does cantonal guidance end and the municipality begin? All binding information should ultimately be clarified with the responsible authority; this text does not replace legal advice, but rather aims to direct the right questions to the right doors.
A Canton Without Its Own Law—What This Concretely Means
Switzerland has no national prostitution law. Regulation is a matter for the cantons, and they have used this responsibility very differently. All French-speaking cantons and Ticino have their own prostitution regulations. In German-speaking Switzerland, it is mainly the larger cantons—Zurich, Basel-Stadt, Lucerne, Bern. Graubünden is not among them.
This leads to an important consequence: Graubünden has no cantonal operating permit for salons or escort services, as Bern knows, and no cantonal registration requirement specifically for sex workers. What applies is derived from general law:
- Federal law regulates the fundamentals. Since 1992, sex work has been protected by freedom of commerce (Art. 27 of the Swiss Federal Constitution)—a general ban would be impermissible. Contract law, criminal law, tax and social insurance law, and foreigners law come from the federal government.
- Municipal law fills the gaps. Because the canton has no law of its own, it is the municipalities—above all the city of Chur—that determine zones, times, and public space.
Anyone switching from a heavily regulated canton to Graubünden can easily underestimate this difference. How much the location determines obligations, costs, and everyday life becomes clear when looking at what really changes when crossing the cantonal border. The missing Graubünden law does not mean less effort—it means you have to ask multiple places instead of reading a single statute.
The Federal Framework: Legal, But Not Unregulated
The basic pillars apply in Graubünden just as they do in the rest of Switzerland. They affect everyone, regardless of whether they work in a studio in Landquart, a salon in Chur, or as an escort throughout the canton.
Self-Employment: AHV, Taxes, and VAT
Most sex workers are self-employed. This involves three things:
- AHV registration. Anyone who is self-employed registers with the compensation fund and pays contributions (AHV/IV/EO). The compensation fund examines whether self-employment is recognized—anyone who is factually bound by instructions to a business may be considered an employee, which shifts social insurance obligations to the business.
- Income tax. Income from sex work is taxable earned income and must be declared in the regular tax return. Sound bookkeeping—income, expenses, room rent—provides a basis and also protects you in discussions with authorities.
- VAT. It becomes mandatory only from an annual turnover of CHF 100,000. Below that, there is no VAT obligation.
These points are not a Graubünden exception—they follow from federal law and apply equally everywhere. The advantage in a canton without its own law: no additional cantonal fees or registration requirements are added on top. The disadvantage: there is also no cantonal office to explain the process to you in a bundled way.
Foreign Sex Workers: the Registration Procedure with AFM
This is the point where misinformation most frequently circulates—so here with deliberate precision. For citizens of EU/EFTA countries, the registration procedure applies for employment of no more than 90 days per calendar year. For these short-term assignments, no residence permit is required, but timely registration is.
Responsible in Canton Graubünden is the Office for Migration and Civil Rights (AFM) in Chur. Important are the deadlines and correct classification:
- Employment must generally be registered at the latest one day before work begins.
- A distinction is made between self-employed and dependent activity; for businesses that employ someone, separate registration requirements apply. This statutory obligation cannot be waived by private contract.
- Anyone who wants to work longer than 90 days or from a third country enters a different, stricter regime—here individual clarification with the AFM is mandatory before you arrive.
For foreign persons without permanent residency, there is regularly source tax, which is levied directly from income. This too is federal or cantonal tax law, not a matter of prostitution law.
The rule of thumb: You clarify your residence and employment status with the AFM, and contributions and payments with the compensation fund and tax administration. Anyone who cleanly separates these two strands avoids most problems.
Where the Concrete Rules Come From: The Municipalities
Because the canton has no prostitution law, the most tangible regulation shifts to the municipal level. This is where decisions are made about where and when work may take place in public space—and where salons and studios may be located.
Chur: Time Windows Instead of Prohibition
The most instructive example is street prostitution in Chur, concentrated in the Rossboden/Pulvermühlestrasse area. As complaints from the neighborhood increased, a bourgeois alliance called for a ban on street prostitution. The municipal council rejected a general ban—a complete prohibition would not be compatible with freedom of commerce. Instead, the city chose a time restriction: street prostitution in the affected area is now permitted only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The idea of so-called sex boxes—as Zurich operates—was rejected in Chur; the majority felt public investment in this area was not appropriate. A city situation analysis (initiated by a parliamentary mandate) documented the situation in the Rossboden area with regard to the safety and health of sex workers.
The lesson is transferable: In Graubünden, not a cantonal law, but the respective municipality decides about public space—and it does so with instruments like time windows and local restrictions, not with prohibitions. What applies in Chur need not apply in another Graubünden municipality. If you change work location, you clarify the local rules anew each time.
Salons, Studios, and Escort—Building Law Instead of Operating Permit
For established businesses—salon, studio, erotic massage—Graubünden has no cantonal operating permit for „prostitution.“ What matters here are the general instruments: building and zoning law, usage regulations, and municipal business or police ordinances. Whether sex work may be conducted in a property depends on the zoning regulations and the approved use of the rooms—not on a sex work-specific statute.
In practice, this means: Before renting, it’s worth asking the municipality where the location is situated whether the intended use is permitted in the relevant zone, and whether there are local regulations (such as those concerning emissions, opening hours, or advertising). That Graubünden has a vibrant studio and salon landscape is undisputed; an impression of the scene and offerings in the canton is provided by the corresponding overview. However, a business is only on sound legal footing once the question of use has been clarified with the municipality.
Responsibilities at a Glance
Because the rules are spread across multiple levels, a clear assignment of which question belongs where is helpful:
- Office for Migration and Civil Law (AFM), Chur – Residence and employment of foreign nationals, registration procedures for EU/EFTA (90-day rule), permits for longer stays or third-country nationals.
- Compensation Fund Graubünden – Recognition of self-employment, AHV/IV/EO contributions.
- Cantonal Tax Administration / Municipal Tax Office – Income tax, withholding tax; the Federal Tax Administration for value-added tax from CHF 100,000 in turnover.
- Municipality of Location (e.g., City of Chur) – Public space, street prostitution, zoning and use questions for businesses, local regulations and opening hours.
- Cantonal Police / Municipal Police – Security, inspections, contact point for assaults and suspected exploitation.
If you’re unsure, it’s best to start at two places: the AFM for your status and the municipality of location for the venue. The remaining points can be worked through from there.
Counselling and Health in the Canton
Graubünden has no specialist office exclusively responsible for sex work. However, there are established contact points in Chur that explicitly provide support to sex workers – confidentially and independently of the authorities:
- adebar – Specialist Centre for Sexual Health and Family Planning Graubünden (Reichsgasse 25, Chur): Counselling on sexual health, contraception, pregnancy, and related topics.
- Aids-Hilfe Graubünden (Lürlibadstrasse 15, Chur): Prevention, counselling, and testing; the specialist centre offers testing at fixed times.
These services are low-threshold and are aimed at everyone – precisely the fact that they are not „only for sex workers“ lowers the barrier for many. For health questions, testing, and counselling, they are the first port of call in the canton.
Politics in Motion: The Debate on a Contact Point
The situation is not set in stone. In the Grand Council, there were multiple discussions in 2025 about the situation of prostitution in the canton. An inquiry (Rutishauser and co-signatories, June 2025) asked whether the canton wanted to create its own contact point for sex workers – and if not, what alternatives existed. In the October session of 2025, the questioner expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s response.
The political direction is thus clearly recognizable: There is pressure to consolidate the currently scattered responsibilities and to support sex workers more strategically. Whether this results in a cantonal service or even a separate regulation remains open. For practice, this means: Anyone working in Graubünden should be prepared for responsibilities and services to potentially change in the coming years – and in case of doubt, should ask the responsible authority directly about the current status.
What This Means in Practice – Summarized Briefly
For entering or relocating to Graubünden, the legal situation can be reduced to a few steps:
- Clarify your status. Swiss citizen or person with permanent residence: go directly to tax and AHV registration. EU/EFTA for short-term work: complete the registration procedure with the AFM in good time (at the latest one day before starting work). Third country or longer than 90 days: clarify individually with the AFM in advance.
- Register as self-employed. Contact the Compensation Fund, have self-employment recognized, keep accounts from the start.
- Plan for taxes. Declare income; VAT only applies from CHF 100,000 in turnover; if you have foreign status, consider withholding tax.
- Clarify the location. Check with the municipality: Is the intended use permitted in this zone? Are there local or time restrictions (in Chur, for example, the time window 10 p.m.–6 a.m. for street work)?
- Use support services. adebar and Aids-Hilfe Graubünden for health and counselling; police for security issues and suspected exploitation.
The absence of a Graubünden prostitution law is neither a free pass nor an obstacle – it is an invitation to look carefully. The rules exist; they just lie on different desks: at the federal level, at the AFM, at the municipality. Whoever works through them in this order and confirms binding matters directly with the responsible authority works on solid ground in Graubünden.