Albufeira, Portugal To Introduce ‘Decency Laws’ In Its Streets

It was recently reported that Malaga on the Costa del Sol in Spain has introduced fines under decency laws and now the trend has headed to Albufeira in Portugal. The town’s council has announced fines for those tourists who dress scantily in the streets of the Algarve town. The new laws are likely to affect travelers from the US, UK, Canada, Russia, France, Spain and more.

Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal introduces ‘decency’ laws

Following several towns and cities in Spain, the Albufeira Council is introducing fines under its new “decency” laws for 2025. As with Spain, tourists seem to assume they can do or wear whatever they want in the popular seaside town. However, Albufeira has had enough of scantily clad tourists roaming its streets.

According to Correio da Manhã, the town will task 12 local police officers to enforce the new laws, which could see travelers paying fines for their indecency. While at the beach, there is no problem with visitors wearing swimming costumes, but heading away from the sand without dressing properly could spoil tourists’ vacations.

The subject will be open for public consultation for 30 days from February 12. However, it is more than likely the decency laws will be approved. Moreover, the rule describes what is termed “partial nudity” as relating to the wearing of swimsuits, bikinis, trikinis, swimming trunks and underwear while on public roads in the town.

Moreover, underdressed visitors can also be fined for walking on public roads, visiting restaurant terraces and other establishments – away from beaches and hotels – which can be seen from the streets.

How much will travelers be fined for underdressing?

Albufeira plans to introduce big fines for those who ignore the decency laws. These relate to those tourists moving between the beach and hotel restaurants and bars facing heavy fines. Should they be found to not cover themselves correctly, they could face a fine between €300 ($315) and €1,500 ($158).

However, the council is about to levy other fines relating to tourists on the streets. Much like the “Stay Away” program instituted in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, other behaviors are also targeted with fines. These include the consumption of alcohol in the streets, nudity, urinating or defecating, spitting or even sleeping in the streets could hurt tourists’ vacation budgets with fines ranging from €500 ($525) to €1,800 ($1,890).

Decency laws against public sexual acts in Albufeira

However, that is not all, as big fines will also be levied for sexual acts – yet to be named – could attract fines ranging from €500 ($525) to €2,500 ($2,625). These fines could be levied against unreasonable noise in residential areas and fines for abandoning shopping trolleys in the streets.

Many tourists might consider the new decency laws extreme and dub Portugal a “nanny state” but it isn’t that hard to avoid fines for incorrect clothing and behavior in the Algarve town.