Legal Age of Consent, Gay Travel

This table lists the age of Consent for different countries around the world, and shows the ages at which people of different sexualities can legally have sex. Law within a country or state variy according to region or circumstances, some countries have regional laws that may overrule the federal law.

Also Called the Legal Age of Sexual Consent and/or
age of sexual maturity

This is not an official guide. The information has been mostly derived from the published laws of various states and governments. Please help me keep this as accurate as possible.

Where two ages are shown it is because sexual activity is legal at the lower age unless the younger person complains, or I am unable to confirm a codified age. In certain countries, persons below the minimum age shown may participate in sexual acts under certain conditions without either them or their partners necessarily committing a criminal offence. - If in doubt check state/country sex law.

Country		Male-Female	Male-Male	Female-Female
Afghanistan		18/Married	illegal	illegal
Albania		14	14	14
Albania		15	illegal	illegal
American Samoa		15?	15?	15?
Andorra		16	16	16
Angola		12/15	illegal	illegal
Antigua and Barbuda		16	16	16
Argentina		13/16	13/16	13/16
Armenia		16	16	16
Aruba		16	16	16
Australia
	Although the Austrian age of consent is basically 14, it is illegal to have sex with someone under 16 by "exploiting their lack of maturity".
	Capital Territory	16	16	16
	New South Wales Norfolf Island	16	18 *	no laws
	Northern Territory	16	18	no laws
	Queensland	16/18	18	16
	In Queensland, the legal age of consent for anal intercourse is 18 (regardless of gender), while for vaginal intercourse it is 16.
	South Australia	16/17	16/17	16/17
	Tasmania	17	17	no laws
	Victoria	17	17	17
	Western Australia	16	21	16
Austria		14/16	14/16	14/16
Azerbaijan		16	16	16
Bahamas		16	18	18
Bahrain		16/Married	legal	legal
Bangladesh		?	illegal	illegal
Barbados		18(16 if Married)	illegal	illegal
Belarus		16/18	16	16
Belgium		16	16	16
Bermuda		16	18	16
Benin		?	legal	legal
Bhutan		18	illegal	illegal
Bolivia		14f/16m (must be married)	16	16
Belize		16	legal?	legal?
Bosnia		16	16	16
Botswana		16f/14m	illegal	illegal
Brazil		14/18	14/18	14/18
	In Brazil, authorities may not choose to prosecute if the younger partner is aged 14 to 17 and does not lodge a complaint.
Brunei		16/18	illegal	illegal
Bulgaria		14	14	14
Burkina Faso		13	13	13
Burma/Myanmar		16/18	illegal	illegal
Burundi		18	illegal	illegal
Cambodia(Kampuchea)		16	?	?
Cambodia		16	16	16
Canada		14	14?/18	14
	In Canada, unmarried persons under 18 cannot legally consent to anal sex according to national law, although provincial laws may vary.
Cape Verde		?	legal	legal
Cayman Islands		?	?	?
Central African Republic		?	legal	legal
Chad		?	21	21
Chile		14	18	18
China		14	14	14
China - Hong Kong		16	16	16
China - Macao		16/17	?	?
Colombia		14	14	14
Cook Islands		16	illegal	16
Costa Rica		18	18	18
Cote D'Ivoire		15	15?	15?
Croatia		14	14	14
Cuba		16	16	16
Cyprus		13/17	17(illegal in North)	17
Czech Republic		15	15	15
Democratic Republic of the Congo		?	illegal	?
Denmark		15	15	15
	In Denmark, sexual intercourse is legal from the age of 15 in most cases. An exception is when the younger partner is an adopted child, step-child, foster child or the older person is entrusted with the education or upbringing of the younger person. In this situation, the younger partner must be over 18.
Dominica		16	?	?
Dominican Republic		18	18	18
Dutch Antilles		16	16	16
Ecuador		14	14	14
Egypt		18	illegal?	18?
El Salvador		18	?	?
Equatorial Guinea		?	?	?
Eritrea		18	illegal	illegal
Estonia		14	14	14
Ethiopia		15	illegal	illegal
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)		16	16	16
Faroe Islands		15	15	15
Fiji		16	16(Unofficial)	16
Finland		16	16	16
	In Finland, sex with someone under 16 is not deemed sexual abuse of a child if "there is no great difference in the ages or the mental and physical maturity of the persons involved." Similarly in Norway, a prison sentence may not be imposed "if those who have committed the act of indecency are about equal in age and development." In both countries, lesser punishments may nevertheless be imposed.
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia		16	16	16
France		15	15	15
French Guiana		15	15	15
French Polynesia (Tahiti)		16	16	16
Gabon		18	18	18
Gambia		16	illegal	?
Georgia (country)		16	16	16
Germany		14/16	14/16	14/16
	In Germany, sexual intercourse is legal from the age of 14 in most cases. An exception is when the older partner is aged over 18 and is "exploiting a coercive situation" or offering compensation, in which case the younger partner must be over 16. In addition, it is illegal for someone aged over 21 to have sex with someone under 16 if they "exploit the victim's lack of capacity for sexual self-determination".
Ghana		16	illegal	illegal
Gibraltar		16	18	16
Greece		15	15/17	15/17
Greenland		15	15	15
Grenada		17	illegal	17
Guam		16	16	16
Guadelope		15	15	15
Guatemala		18	18	18
Guernsey		16	16	16
Guinea		15	illegal	illegal
Guyana		16	illegal	16
Haiti		18	18	18
Honduras		14/17	14	14
Hungary		14	14	14
Iceland		14	14	14
India		14/16	18	18
	India's age of consent for heterosexual sex is 16 except in Manipur, where it is 14. If the partners are married then a lower age of consent applies (13 in Manipur and 15 elsewhere). A law banning "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" was overruled in a Delhi High Court ruling, meaning that consensual homosexual activities between adults are now legal.
Indonesia		16f/18m	18	18
Iran		Must be Married	illegal	illegal
Iraq		18	?	?
Ireland		17	17	17
Isle of Man		16	16	16
Israel		14-16	14-16	14-16
Italy		14	14	14
Jamaica		16	illegal	16
Japan		13-18	13-18	13-18
	Although the age of sexual consent in Japan is 13 years of age, prefecture law usually overrides federal law, raising the age up to 18.
Jersey		16	16	16
Jordan		16	16	16
Kazakhstan		18	?	?
Kenya		18	illegal	18
Kuwait		Must be married?	illegal	illegal
Kyrgyzstan		?	?	?
Korea		13	13	13
Laos		15	?	?
Latvia		14/16	14/16	14/16
Lebanon		15/18/Married	illegal	illegal
Lesotho		?	?	?
Liberia		16	illegal	illegal
Liechtenstein		14	14	14
Lithuania		14	14	14
Luxembourg		16	16	16
Madagascar		21?	21	21
Mali		16	?	?
Malta		18	18	18
Malaysia		16/married	illegal	16
Marshall Islands		16	16	16
Martinique		15	15	15
Mauritius		15	illegal	illegal
México		12-18	12-18	12-18
	In Mexico the federal law varies according to the age gap between partners and is often overruled by regional laws.
Moldova		14	14	14
Monaco		15	15	15
Mongolia		16	?	?
Montenegro		14	14	14
Morocco		15	illegal	illegal
Mozambique		?	illegal	?
Namibia		16	illegal	16
Nepal		16	?	?
Netherlands		16	16	16
Netherlands Antilles		16	16	16
New Caledonia		16	16	16
New Zealand		16	16	16
Nicaragua		?	?	?
Niger		?	21	21
Nigeria		13	illegal	illegal
North Korea		17	17(Unofficial)	17(Unofficial)
Norway		16	16	16
Oman		Must be Married	illegal	illegal
Pakistan		Must be Married	illegal	illegal
Panama		18	18	18
Papua New Guinea		16f/14m/illegal	illegal	16
	In Papua New Guinea, anal sex is illegal in all cases. The age of consent for vaginal sex is 16 for females and 14 for males.
Paraquay		14/16	16	16
	Paraguay sets the age of consent at 14 within marriage and 16 outside of marriage.
Peru		16	16	16
Philippines		12/18	18	18
	The age of sexual consent in the Philippines is 12 for all, but contacts with minors (under 18) are an offence if the minor consents to the act for money, gain or any other remuneration or as the result of an influence of any adult person.
Poland		15	15	15
Portugal		14/16	14/16	14/16
	In Portugal it is illegal to perform a sexual act with a minor between 14 and 16 years old "by taking advantage of their inexperience".
Puerto Rico		14	14	14
Qatar		Must be Married	illegal	illegal
Reunion		16	16	16
Romania		15	15	15
Russia		16 New Law??	16	16
Rwanda		18	18	18
San Marino		14/16	14/16	14/16
Saudi Arabia		Must be Married	illegal	illegal
Senegal		?	illegal	illegal
Serbia		14	14	14
Singapore		16	illegal	16
Slovakia		15	15	15
Slovenia		15	15	15
Somalia		?	illegal	illegal
South Africa		16	19	19
South Korea		13	13	13
Spain		13	13	13
Sri Lanka		16	illegal	16
St. Kitts and Nevis		14/16	?	?
St. Lucia		16	16	16
St. Martin		?	?	?
Sudan		Must be Married	illegal	illegal
Suriname		16	18	18
Sweden		15	15	15
Swaziland		18	illegal	illegal
Switzerland		16	16	16
Syria		13/15	illegal	illegal
Taiwan		16	16	16
Tajikistan		17	?	17
Tanzania		16	illegal	illegal
Thailand		18	18	18
	Although Thailand's age of consent is usually said to be 15, the laws can be interpreted to allow prosecution for sex with someone under 18. Due to this, we have stated 18 as the age of consent.
Togo		14	illegal	illegal
Tonga		16/illegal	illegal	16
	Anal sex is illegal in Tonga regardless of age and gender.
Trinidad & Tobago		16	illegal	illegal
Tunisia		20	illegal	illegal
Turkey		18	18	18
Turkmenistan		16	illegal	16
Tuvalu		?	illegal	?
Uganda		18	illegal	18
Ukraine		16	16	16
United Arab Emirates		18/Married	illegal	illegal
United Kingdom
	England, Scotland & Wales	16	16	16
	Northern Ireland	17	17	17
Uzbekistan		16	illegal	16
Uruguay		15	15	15
Vanuatu		16	16	16
Vatican State		12	?	?
Venezuela		16	16	16
Vietnam		18	?	?
Western Samoa		16	illegal	illegal
Yemen		Must be Married	illegal	illegal
Zambia		?	illegal	?
Zimbabwe		12/16	illegal	12/16
USA
	In some U.S. states a lower age applies when the age gap between partners is small, or when the older partner is below a certain age (usually 18 or 21). It is illegal for an American citizen or resident to have sex in another country with someone aged under 16, unless the age difference is less than 4 years, in which case the minimum age is 12. Under some circumstances it is possible for members of the U.S. military to also be charged under state laws.
	Alabama	16	illegal	illegal
	Alaska	16	16	16
	Arizona	18	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Arkansas	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
	California	18	18	18
	Colorado	15/17	17	17
	Connecticut	16	16	16
	D.C.	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Delaware	16/18	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Florida	16/18	illegal	illegal
	Georgia	16	16	16
	Hawaii	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Idaho	16/18	illegal	illegal
	Illinois	17	17	17
	Indiana	16	16	16
	Iowa	14/16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Kansas	16	illegal	illegal
	Kentucky	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
	Louisiana	17	illegal	illegal
	Maine	16	16	16
	Maryland	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
	Massachusetts	16/18	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
	Michigan	16	illegal	illegal
	Minnesota	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
	Mississippi	16 (laws passed 1998)	illegal	illegal
	Missouri	14/17	illegal	illegal
	Montana	16/18	18	18
	Nebraska	17	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Nevada	16	18	18
	New Hampshire	16	18	18
	New Jersey	16	16	16
	New Mexico	17	13	13
	New York	17	17	17
	North Carolina	16	illegal	illegal
	North Dakota	18	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Ohio	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Oklahoma	16	16 -illegal??	16 -illegal??
	Oregon	18	18	18
	Pennsylvania	16	16	16
	Rhode Island	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	South Carolina	14/16-bill pending	illegal	illegal
	South Dakota	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Tennessee	18	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
	Texas	17	illegal 03/2001	illegal 03/2001
	Utah	16	illegal	illegal
	Vermont	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Virginia	18	illegal	illegal
	Washington	16/18	16/18	16/18
	West Virginia	16	18?	18?
	Wisconsin	18	18	18
	Wyoming	16/18?	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
	Military	16	illegal	illegal

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