Do not
Where public nudism is
illegal or non-existent
In these 138 countries, public nudity is illegal, culturally off-limits, or has no framework that supports naturism. Do not travel here expecting nude beaches or legal public naturism.
- Countries listed
- 138
- OIC member states
- ~57
- With legal naturism
- 60
Why nudism is banned
Islamic law
All 57+ OIC member states effectively prohibit nudism under Sharia or Islamic-influenced penal codes.
Colonial legacy
Most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and South Asia retain British/French/Portuguese indecent exposure laws.
Christian values
Pacific islands, much of Africa, and the Caribbean prohibit nudity through deeply held Christian cultural norms.
Authoritarian control
China, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Myanmar restrict personal freedom including dress through state control.
Buddhist modesty
Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Bhutan associate public nudity with spiritual impurity and cultural shame.
No legal framework
Many countries simply have no concept of naturism as a legitimate activity — there are no beaches, clubs, or laws to accommodate it.
Middle East & Gulf States
19 countriesSaudi Arabia
Islamic law (Sharia); strict public decency
Fines (SAR 3,000-6,000), potential arrest, 40 lashes for severe violations
United Arab Emirates
Islamic law; Federal Penal Code
Fines and potential imprisonment under Federal Law No. 3 of 1987
Iran
Islamic Revolutionary doctrine; mandatory modesty
Execution, long jail terms, fines up to 100 million rials (2024 laws)
Qatar
Islamic law; penal code prohibits indecent clothing
Reprimands and potential arrest by Al-Adheed enforcement body
Kuwait
Islamic law; strict public morality
Fines and imprisonment for public indecency
Bahrain
Islamic law; Penal Code Article 235
Imprisonment for indecent exposure
Oman
Islamic law; cultural prohibition
Public indecency prohibited under penal code
Yemen
Islamic law (Sharia); strict cultural prohibition
Severe penalties under Islamic law
Jordan
Islamic law; penal code prohibition
Public indecency prohibited
Lebanon
Islamic and Christian law traditions
Fines and imprisonment for indecent exposure
Syria
Islamic law; 2024 beach bikini ban
Public indecency illegal; strict enforcement
Iraq
Islamic law (mixed Shia/Sunni)
Imprisonment under penal code
Palestinian Territories
Islamic law (Gaza); PA laws
Public indecency prohibited
Sudan
Islamic law (Sharia); strict dress codes
40 lashes, fines, or both for indecent dress
Libya
Islamic law; public decency laws
Indecent exposure illegal under penal code
Algeria
Islamic law; strict public decency
Indecent exposure illegal under penal code
Egypt
Islamic law; public decency laws
Indecent exposure illegal under penal code
Morocco
Islamic law; public decency requirements
Indecent exposure illegal; culturally enforced
Turkey
Islamic law; Penal Code Article 226 (indecent exposure)
Imprisonment under penal code; no public naturist venues
South & Central Asia
9 countriesPakistan
Islamic law; colonial-era indecent exposure laws
Section 294 PPC: fines up to PKR 100,000 and imprisonment
Afghanistan
Islamic law (Taliban governance)
Severe punishment under Taliban dress codes
Bangladesh
Islamic law; indecent exposure laws
Fines and imprisonment under penal code
Sri Lanka
Buddhist cultural values; colonial laws
Fines and imprisonment for public indecency
Nepal
Hindu/Buddhist values; penal code
Indecent exposure prohibited
Uzbekistan
Islamic tradition; post-Soviet codes
Public indecency prohibited under criminal code
Turkmenistan
Islamic tradition; authoritarian control
Public indecency prohibited
Tajikistan
Islamic tradition; criminal code
Public indecency prohibited under criminal code
Kyrgyzstan
Islamic tradition; criminal law
Public indecency prohibited
Sub-Saharan Africa
40 countriesColonial-era indecent exposure laws, Christian/Islamic values, and deep cultural taboos make naturism effectively illegal across most of the continent.
Nigeria
Islamic law (north); Christian values; colonial laws
Broad public morals offenses; culturally discouraged
Ghana
Christian values; colonial indecent exposure laws
Culturally discouraged; indecent exposure illegal
Senegal
Islamic law; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Mali
Islamic law; cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure illegal
Burkina Faso
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure prohibited
Côte d'Ivoire
Colonial laws; cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure illegal
Benin
Colonial-era laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure prohibited
Togo
Colonial laws; cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure illegal
Liberia
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Sierra Leone
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure illegal
Guinea
Islamic law; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Guinea-Bissau
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Cape Verde
Colonial laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure prohibited
Democratic Republic of Congo
Colonial laws; Christian values
Indecent exposure illegal
Republic of Congo
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Central African Republic
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure illegal
Chad
Islamic law; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Cameroon
Colonial laws; cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure illegal
Equatorial Guinea
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Gabon
Colonial laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure illegal
São Tomé and Príncipe
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Kenya
Colonial laws; cultural/religious values
Indecent exposure illegal
Tanzania
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure prohibited
Uganda
Colonial laws; Christian values
Indecent exposure illegal
Ethiopia
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Somalia
Islamic law; strict enforcement
Severe penalties under Islamic law
Djibouti
Islamic law; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Eritrea
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure illegal
Comoros
Islamic law; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Botswana
Colonial-era laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure prohibited
Zimbabwe
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure illegal
Zambia
Colonial-era laws; Christian values
Indecent exposure prohibited
Malawi
Colonial laws; cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure illegal
Angola
Colonial-era laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure prohibited
Madagascar
Colonial laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure illegal
Mozambique
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Rwanda
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure illegal
Burundi
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Lesotho
Colonial laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure illegal
Eswatini (Swaziland)
Colonial-era laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure prohibited
Southeast Asia
7 countriesSingapore
Strict public indecency laws; Section 27A of Miscellaneous Offences Act
Fines and imprisonment for public nudity; no naturist venues
Thailand
Buddhist modesty; public indecency laws
Fines and potential imprisonment under Penal Code
Malaysia
Islamic law (Sharia); Federal Penal Code
Fines, imprisonment, and corporal punishment under Sharia for Muslims
Indonesia
Islamic law; regional regulations; conservative society
Fines and imprisonment under Penal Code and regional regulations
Brunei
Islamic law (Sharia)
Severe penalties including caning under Sharia law
Vietnam
Public order and decency laws; conservative culture
Fines and imprisonment under Penal Code
Philippines
Revised Penal Code (grave scandal); Catholic conservatism
Fines and imprisonment under Revised Penal Code
East Asia & Pacific
6 countriesChina
Government censorship; cultural shame
No explicit law but socially/governmentally prohibited; no legal nude venues
North Korea
Authoritarian government; strict dress codes
Severe penalties under criminal code
Myanmar (Burma)
Buddhist cultural values; military government
Public indecency illegal
Laos
Buddhist cultural values; government control
Public indecency prohibited
Cambodia
Buddhist cultural values; colonial-era laws
Public indecency illegal
Taiwan
Conservative Confucian/Buddhist values; no naturist legal framework
Public indecency prohibited under criminal code
Caribbean & Pacific Islands
22 countriesTrinidad and Tobago
Colonial-era laws; cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure illegal
Barbados
Colonial indecent exposure laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Saint Lucia
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Grenada
Colonial-era laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure prohibited
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Colonial laws; cultural taboos
Indecent exposure illegal
Antigua and Barbuda
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Colonial laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure illegal
Dominica
Colonial-era laws; cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure prohibited
Haiti
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Fiji
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure illegal under criminal code
Samoa
Christian values; strong cultural taboos
Indecent exposure prohibited
Tonga
Christian cultural prohibition
Indecent exposure illegal
Kiribati
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Nauru
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Tuvalu
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Marshall Islands
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Micronesia
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Palau
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Vanuatu
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Solomon Islands
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Papua New Guinea
Christian values; colonial laws; tribal customs
Indecent exposure prohibited
Bahamas
Christian values; colonial-era laws; conservative tourism policy
Indecent exposure illegal; no nude beaches permitted
Central America
4 countriesGuatemala
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Honduras
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
El Salvador
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Nicaragua
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
South America (with limited exceptions)
7 countriesVenezuela
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Ecuador
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Peru
Christian values; colonial laws; indigenous customs
Indecent exposure prohibited
Bolivia
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Paraguay
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Guyana
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Suriname
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Eastern Europe, Caucasus & Microstates
12 countriesUkraine
Post-Soviet conservative values; Orthodox Christian influence; no naturist legal framework
Administrative fines for public indecency under Code of Administrative Offences
Belarus
Authoritarian government; conservative social norms; no naturist culture
Administrative fines for public indecency
Moldova
Conservative Orthodox Christian values; post-Soviet legal framework; no naturist venues
Public indecency prohibited under administrative code
Kosovo
Conservative Balkan society; Islamic and Christian values; no legal framework
Public indecency prohibited
Azerbaijan
Islamic tradition; authoritarian government; conservative society
Public indecency prohibited under criminal code
Armenia
Conservative Oriental Orthodox Christian values; no naturist infrastructure
Public indecency prohibited
Georgia
Orthodox Christian conservative values; no naturist infrastructure or legal framework
Public indecency prohibited
Andorra
Conservative Catholic mountain society; landlocked; no beaches; highly regulated
Public indecency prohibited
Monaco
Conservative Catholic principality; no naturist venues; luxury tourism focus
Public indecency prohibited
San Marino
Conservative Catholic microstate; landlocked; no naturist culture
Public indecency prohibited
Vatican City
Catholic Church governance; no secular public recreational spaces
Not applicable — no beaches or public recreation venues
Liechtenstein
Conservative alpine microstate; no beaches; highly regulated society
Public indecency prohibited
Other
12 countriesMongolia
Cultural taboos; no legal framework
Indecent exposure prohibited
Bhutan
Buddhist cultural values; government control
Indecent exposure illegal
Maldives
Islamic law; strict public decency
Fines and deportation; no nudity on resort islands
Mauritania
Islamic law (Sharia)
Severe penalties under Islamic law
Mauritius
Christian/Hindu values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Seychelles
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
Gabon
Colonial laws; cultural values
Indecent exposure prohibited
Equatorial Guinea
Colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure illegal
East Timor (Timor-Leste)
Christian values; colonial laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Brunei
Islamic law (Sharia)
Severe penalties including caning
Gambia
Islamic law; colonial laws
Indecent exposure illegal
South Sudan
Christian values; colonial-era laws
Indecent exposure prohibited
Looking for places where nudism is legal?
Detailed guides for 60 countries with beaches, resorts, and workable public naturism.
Browse legal destinationsCompiled from public statutes and cultural research. Status changes; enforcement varies. Not legal advice.