Amsterdam · De Wallen · Facts & rules
Are there male sex workers in Amsterdam’s Red Light District?
The honest answer, with the City of Amsterdam’s rules and what the legal alternative is for women and couples.
Short answer: Hardly, and not for women. The windows in Amsterdam’s Red Light District (De Wallen) are worked almost entirely by women, with two streets, Bloedstraat and Barndesteeg, where trans sex workers work. According to the Amsterdam Center for Sex Workers, the city has just one licensed workplace for male sex workers, and it is for men who have sex with men. There are no windows with men for women. A woman or couple who wants a man books an independent male escort, who visits a hotel room you booked, or your home. That is how the City of Amsterdam’s rules work.
A question visitors really do ask
Walk through De Wallen at night and it’s a fair question: if this is the most famous red light district in the world, where are the men? It deserves a straight answer, with the official sources, without anything explicit.
I’m Milan, an independent male escort for women and couples aged 21 and over in the Netherlands. I don’t work in a window and never have. This page explains why you won’t find men like me there, what the rules are, and what the legal alternative is.
Who works in the windows?
- Women, almost entirely. The window brothels in De Wallen, and in the two smaller window areas, Singel and Ruysdaelkade, are run as workplaces for female sex workers.
- Trans sex workers work in the windows of two streets in the Red Light District: Bloedstraat and Barndesteeg, according to the Amsterdam Center for Sex Workers (ACS).
- Male sex workers have one licensed workplace in Amsterdam, says the ACS, and it is for men who have sex with men. There are no windows with men waiting for female clients.
- No new window permits. The city is not issuing new licences for window brothels, so a “men’s window street” is not something that will appear.
The ACS writes that male, trans and LGBTQA+ sex workers have fewer opportunities to work in a licensed workplace. That is the honest picture. Men who sell sex to women do exist in Amsterdam, but they work as escorts, not behind glass.
How male escorts work legally in Amsterdam
The City of Amsterdam explains the rules for clients on its website. For an independent escort they come down to this:
- A fully independent escort, who works for himself without a business owner, does not need a licence.
- The client books the hotel room, or receives the escort at home. No third party, such as an operator or an agency, is involved in the booking.
- Sex work from the escort’s own home or own hotel room is not allowed.
- A client is punishable under Dutch law if he or she knows, or has serious reason to suspect, that the sex worker is coerced, exploited or a victim of trafficking. Sex with anyone under 18 is always punishable.
That model is exactly how I work: you contact me directly, you choose and book the room, I come to you. More on hotel visits in the city: male escort at your Amsterdam hotel. The full legal frame, with sources: is hiring a gigolo legal in the Netherlands.
If you visit the Red Light District
De Wallen is a neighbourhood where people live and work. The City of Amsterdam’s “How to Amsterdam” campaign lists the rules visitors are expected to follow:
- Guided tours in the Red Light District are not permitted.
- Bars in the area close at 2 AM; sex workers’ workplaces at 3 AM.
- Drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis in public in the city centre is forbidden.
- Fines for nuisance range from €100 to €650.
- Don’t photograph or film sex workers. The city asks visitors not to, and it is simply a matter of respect.
The alternative for women and couples
If you came to Amsterdam hoping to meet a man for an evening, the window district isn’t where that happens. An independent male escort is. You message him directly, agree on time, place and boundaries before he travels, and meet in a room you’ve chosen. Nothing is expected because the clock is running.
That’s what I do, for women and couples aged 21 and over, from €120. See male escort in Amsterdam, couples visiting Amsterdam or the tourist guide to hiring a male escort in the Netherlands.
Sources and further reading
These are the sources I used, or that I think are worth your time.
- Amsterdam Center for Sex Workers – Diversity in sex work
- City of Amsterdam – rules for clients of sex workers (Dutch)
- City of Amsterdam – workplaces and independent sex work (Dutch)
- City of Amsterdam – prostitution policy
- City of Amsterdam – How to Amsterdam
- Rijksoverheid – client liability with a coerced sex worker (Dutch)
Frequently asked questions
Are there male prostitutes in Amsterdam’s Red Light District?
Not for women. The windows in De Wallen are worked almost entirely by women, with two streets for trans sex workers. The Amsterdam Center for Sex Workers lists one licensed workplace for male sex workers in the city, for men who have sex with men.
Are there windows with men for women in Amsterdam?
No. There are no window brothels where men wait for female clients, and the city is not issuing new window permits.
Where are the trans windows in the Red Light District?
According to the Amsterdam Center for Sex Workers, trans sex workers work in the windows of Bloedstraat and Barndesteeg.
How can a woman hire a man for sex in Amsterdam legally?
Through an independent male escort. Under the City of Amsterdam’s rules, the client books the hotel room or receives the escort at home, and no third party is involved. The escort may not work from his own home or hotel room.
Is it legal to pay for sex in Amsterdam?
Yes, between consenting adults. A client is punishable if he or she knows or has serious reason to suspect coercion, exploitation or trafficking, and sex with anyone under 18 is always punishable.
Can I take a guided tour of the Red Light District?
No. Guided tours in the Red Light District are not permitted, according to the City of Amsterdam.
What time do the windows close?
Sex workers’ workplaces close at 3 AM and bars in the area at 2 AM, according to the City of Amsterdam.
Can I take photos of the windows?
Please don’t photograph or film sex workers. The city asks visitors not to, and it is a matter of respect.
Milan · 21+
A question about Amsterdam?
If you’re a woman or couple visiting Amsterdam and want to ask something first, you can message me. A question is not a booking.
21+. Independent. A message is not a booking.