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Planning a trip? Some destinations ban sex toys and may confiscate them—or worse. Here are 8 countries where packing a vibrator or other devices could cause legal trouble.
Whether you’re taking a vacation with a loved one or seeking some relaxation time as a solo traveler, there might come a point where you return to your room, lower the lights, and pull out your sex toys. We’re all for folks using pleasurable devices to enjoy themselves while traveling; however, some countries don’t feel the same way.
If you’re lucky, countries like Bali or St. Kitts & Nevis might just confiscate your dildo at the airport. At worst, you could be charged a fine or even go to prison for packing your rose in your suitcase. We’re of the mind that no one should be jailed for sex toys, so we’ve gathered a list of countries where they may arrest you for being in possession of what they see as an “indecent item.” Keep reading to discover which destinations urge travelers to leave their pleasure devices at home.
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United Arab Emirates
Tourism is booming in the United Arab Emirates, thanks to Dubai’s luxury hotels, shopping, beaches, and cultural offerings. While the UAE is more accommodating to foreign travelers than ever, they’re still sticklers when it comes to their public decency laws, of which sex toys fall under. Travelers could face jail for up to a month and/or a fine of up to 100,000 AED ($27,229 USD) for possessing “indecent materials.” While sex toys are not explicitly stated in Article 416, it’s pretty well known that bringing a vibrator or other sexual pleasure devices to Dubai could get you in trouble, whether you’re visiting or just stopping for a few hours on a layover.
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Thailand
Despite Bangkok having a booming red-light district, sex toys are prohibited under Section 287 in Thailand. Travelers could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined 60,000 baht (about $1,855 USD), or both for bringing a clitoral stimulator or other pleasure device into the country. There haven’t been any reports of tourists being arrested at the airport, but your sex toy could be confiscated, and you don’t want to risk being the one tourist who gets made an example of.
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Maldives
The Maldives is a popular honeymoon escape, and yet, pornographic material, which includes sex toys, is banned from entering the country. Will you be arrested for bringing a sex toy into the Maldives? Probably not. It’s more likely that it’ll be confiscated, which means you can’t use it when you return home. That said, the Daily Star reported that a Maldivian man was imprisoned for six months for possessing sex toys, so it’s up to you if you want to chance it.
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Turks and Caicos
Beautiful beaches and a turquoise sea are the perfect setting for a frisky good time – but if you’re in Turks and Caicos, it’ll have to be enjoyed sans sex toys. According to the Turks and Caicos Border Force website, sex toys are “obscene publications” and thus, prohibited goods. They add: “These goods will be either confiscated, a severe fine imposed, and/or you could be prosecuted.” Again, we haven’t heard of any arrests for sex toys, but the law is the law, and you never know if you’ll be singled out to face it. Just as the five tourists detained in Turks and Caicos for having loose bullets in their suitcase in 2024.
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Botswana
In 2018, Botswana was abuzz over the importation of sex dolls and whether they were considered “sex toys.” Ultimately, they were embargoed under Section 178, which prevents any person from possessing obscene objects or objects that “corrupt morals.” Sex dolls, dildos, vibrators, and all the like are illegal in Botswana, so you’ll need to leave them at home when you go on safari. If not, you could face up to two years in jail or a fine of up to P200 (almost $14).
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St. Lucia
Like many other countries on this list, St. Lucia doesn’t explicitly state that sex toys are prohibited goods on their customs page or in their laws. That said, it’s strongly inferred that sex toys are considered “indecent, obscene, or pornographic matter,” which is illegal to bring into the island nation. Thankfully, tourists haven’t been arrested for packing a masturbation sleeve or vibrator, but St. Lucia does note that you could suffer “severe penalties,” like up to 5 years in prison. Perhaps such a penalty isn’t a surprise when you learn that cussing or any harsh or insulting language that causes alarm or distress to another could land you three years in jail.
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Zimbabwe
Women’s rights groups are fighting against a law in Zimbabwe that prohibits sex toys from entering the country, especially since several women have suffered jail time and fines. It doesn’t appear that these groups have been successful in repealing the law, despite a booming black market for sex toys in the nation. Zimbabwe’s customs site is adamant that tourists can’t bring in pornographic materials, “any goods which are indecent, obscene or objectionable,” or “any goods which might tend to deprave the morals of the inhabitants, or any class of the inhabitants, of Zimbabwe.”
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Saudi Arabia
Sex toys are a big no-no in Saudi Arabia, whether you’re traveling to or through the country. One government website notes that Saudi Arabia will fine those who bring in “sexual organs, tools and devices,” while another site by the Saudi postal service explicitly states that “pictures, porn movies, sex toys, and any item under the same [name],” is prohibited from entering the kingdom. We couldn’t find anything that said that Saudi Arabia would imprison someone for having a sex toy, so why include Saudi Arabia on the list? Because the country takes its public decency laws very seriously (they fine people for skipping waiting lines) and has no qualms about jailing tourists for posting certain things on social media. We want travelers to have a good time no matter where they go in the world, and when it comes to traveling (and sex), we always promote safety first.