Be careful what you say when traveling through these countries.
Some travelers coming to the United States are concerned about being detained or deported if immigration agents discover they are critical of the current administration. In response, many have started locking down their phones and deleting social media apps and messages before they cross the border.
While these fears are well-founded, it is not (yet) illegal to criticize the president or any other member of the government in the United States. However, negative statements about the head of state or monarchy in other countries around the world can land you in prison.
And it’s not just countries under authoritarian regimes like North Korea and China you need to worry about. Many countries that are otherwise democratic and value free speech are fiercely protective of their leaders. As a result, some outlaw statements that “insult” or criticize their leaders. Several countries have lèse-majesté laws that only criminalize statements critical of the royal family. Others go further and prohibit negative statements about the president, any governmental official, and even foreign heads of state.
Why Is It a Crime to Criticize the Government in Some Countries?
The reasons for these laws vary. Protection of national unity and order is a primary reason, says Michael Soud, an international attorney and co-founder of Travel Insighter.
“The idea is that scurrilous attacks on leaders or institutions could sow division,” he explains. Preserving the dignity of the highest offices in the land is another justification for these laws. “Especially in countries with monarchies or young republics, there’s an ethos that the head of state embodies the nation’s identity and the notion that insulting the head of state is an attack on the state itself.”
Other countries want to prevent “abuse” of free speech and want to make sure that criticisms do not cross that line, Soud says. In other countries, the belief that “malicious lies or obscene insults can harm not only reputations but also mislead the public” drives these laws, he explains.
What Happens if You Violate These Laws?
If you insult a monarch or governmental representative in a country where doing so is illegal, you risk being prosecuted for your crime. This is the case even if you made the derogatory or critical statements online. “In countries with these laws, foreigners have been arrested or prosecuted for offensive speech. This is not common, but it happens,” says Soud. Tourists have also been detained and questioned for making derogatory comments about the government, Soud says.
Where Is It Illegal to Criticize the Government?
Travelers need to know in advance where talking about the head of state in a negative light could get them in trouble. The below list is not exhaustive, so it’s important to research the laws in the countries you are visiting before you board the plane. If you are visiting a country where being critical of the government is against the law, Soud recommends scrubbing your social media of any statements before you arrive. While in the country, he suggests refraining from posting anything that could portray the government in a negative light while in the country and avoiding talking about local politics until you leave.
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Germany
Germany has strong laws protecting free speech, but those rights are limited. In 2017, Germany repealed a law that banned criticizing foreign heads of state after a German comedian insulted the Turkish president. However, German law still prohibits insulting Germany’s head of state. Under the German Criminal Code, it is a crime to disparage the federal president and other members of the government. Penalties range from three months to up to five years in prison. “There are cases of politicians and former politicians bringing suits against citizens, including a former vice-chancellor who pursued a criminal complaint against a citizen for calling him an ‘idiot,’” Soud says.
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Turkey
Although Turkey (Türkiye) has a democratically elected government, the country strictly prohibits criticizing the government. Under the Turkish Penal Code, it is illegal to insult the president of Turkey. Violating the law can land you in prison for one to four years. Under another provision of the code, insulting “Turkishness” or criticizing state institutions, such as the parliament or military, is a crime punishable with up to two years in prison.
“Turkey is a notable example of an elected government actively using laws to punish government criticism,” Soud says. In 2023 alone, nearly 7,000 people appeared in Turkish court for allegedly insulting the Turkish president. “We often tell travelers to Turkey to be cautious about any comments, spoken, written, or online, that could be perceived as insulting Turkey’s leadership. This includes seemingly offhand remarks on social media,” Soud says. “We know that Turkey monitors social media extensively,” he adds.
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Poland
After years of being under Communist rule, Poland has been a full-fledged democracy for decades. However, the country’s criminal code strictly prohibits publicly insulting the president. Anyone who “insults the president of the Republic of Poland” in public can be sentenced to jail for up to three years. Under the law, everyone from a writer who called the Polish President a “moron” on social media to drunken teens who used vulgarities to refer to the President at a party faced prison time.
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Iceland
Iceland is widely regarded as one of the most open, liberal countries in Europe. Yet, even in Iceland, those who criticize the president may face criminal charges. Those who defame or insult the president face up to two years in prison. Iceland also outlaws insulting other heads of state. Criticizing a foreign leader can land you in prison for up to six years. Iceland has not enforced these laws for years, but they remain on the books, and travelers who violate them do so at their own risk.
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Spain
In Spain, slander or defamation “against the king, the queen, any of their ascendants or descendants, the consorts, the regent or a member of the regency, or the prince or princess of Asturias” is a criminal offense punishable by up to two years in jail. Even using a royal’s image in a way that “may damage the prestige of the Crown” is a criminal offense. In 2018, a Spanish rapper was sentenced to three years in prison for insulting the King and other offenses. In 2021, violent protests broke out in Spain when another rapper was convicted of insulting the monarchy. Yet, the law remains on the books.
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Greece
Insulting or defaming the president of Greece is punishable by up to three months in jail. Moreover, any publications that “contain insults toward the President of Greece” can be seized, either before or after publication. Greek law also prohibits criticizing foreign heads of state. Greece does not appear to enforce these laws stringently, but they remain in effect and could be enforced at any time. Keep that in mind if politics comes up in conversation during your next trip to the country.
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Portugal
Portugal is known for its laid-back lifestyle. Yet, the country takes its president’s good name seriously. In Portugal, insulting or defaming the president of Portugal carries a possible sentence of up to three months in jail or a fine. If you insult or defame Portugal’s president publicly or in the media, the consequences are even more serious. You could face up to three years in jail. Portugal has not enforced this law recently, but we recommend keeping any negative opinions about the president to yourself when you visit.
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Italy
Even in the land of La Dolce Vita, it’s illegal to criticize the president. “Offending the honor or prestige of the president of Italy” is a criminal offense that could get you thrown behind bars for up to five years. Offending the “honor or prestige” of other members of the Italian government may be problematic as well. In 2017, an American was charged under this law for statements she made about an Italian magistrate.
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Sweden
In Sweden, if you don’t have anything nice to say about the king, don’t say anything at all. “Offence toward the monarch and the royal family” is punishable by up to six years in jail. You can also face stiff penalties for insulting a foreign head of state. Swedes regularly flaunt this law without penalty, but they do so at their own risk. Insulting or defaming other public officials or the head of state for a “friendly government” is also a crime. Offenses carry stiffer penalties than similar offenses against ordinary citizens.
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The Netherlands
Once you enter the land of windmills and tulips, you might want to watch what you say about the government. In 2020, the Netherlands repealed a harsh law related to criticizing the monarchy. However, criticizing the royal family is still a crime in the country. Those who violate the law can be punished with time in jail or community service, as a man who was sentenced to 40 hours of community service found out the hard way after he insulted the queen.
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Belgium
Belgium’s criminal code includes provisions that punish insulting or expressing outrage towards many governmental officials by up to six months in jail or a €300 fine. Notably, these laws only outlaw insults made in the physical presence of the person and do not include published statements. Until 2023, criticizing the royal family, even in writing, carried a jail sentence. Today, such criticisms are still illegal but may result in a fine, probation, or community service instead of prison. However, Belgium highly values the right to free speech and rarely enforces these laws.
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Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for its gorgeous beaches, scrumptious food, and affordability. However, watch what you say (and where you step) once you arrive. Thailand has some of the strictest rules in the world against criticizing the powers that be. Anyone who insults, defames, or threatens the royal family could face up to 15 years in prison. Because images of the Thai royal family appear on Thai currency, mishandling money is a criminal offense. Even stepping on a Bhat to stop it from blowing away could land you in jail. This law “is rooted in a deep-seated cultural reverence for the monarchy, which predates modern democracy. Insulting the Thai king isn’t just a legal wrong but a cultural taboo. The law codifies that sentiment to enforce it,” Soud explains. In 2025, an American in Thailand was arrested and charged with insulting the monarchy.