Without a shadow of a doubt, traveling to new and unexplored places has got to be one of the most exciting things you can do in life. After all, you get the opportunity to discover some of the coolest spots on earth, enrich yourself with other cultures or languages, meet people from all over the world and try out all kinds of food. All of the different countries out there are different for a reason, but it turns out that some of their laws are pretty unique too.
We’ve compiled a list of 50 of the strangest laws in the world, that might be useful to know as a tourist.
If you’re walking on the streets in Singapore, it’s best to leave your packages of chewing gum at home. Publically chewing on gum is actually illegal in Singapore, in order to maintain clean streets. You can even get publicly caned for it.
Quickly stopping in the middle of the road and letting someone hop into the car? It’s convenient, but also illegal in Denmark. Before you take off, you have to check underneath the vehicle for children first.
Admittedly, this is one of those laws that is so old that it’s not really enforced anymore, or doesn’t really make sense. According to old Russian law books, you can’t brush your teeth more than twice a day.
Did you know that it’s illegal to dispose of your ice cream cones in mailboxes? Seems like a completely random thing to make illegal, but it turns out it was needed. The problem in Japan was so severe that making a law that specifically prohibits it was the only choice they had.
Giving certain names to your baby is illegal in a lot of countries, but you can’t honor people like ‘Rambo’ or Rolling Stones by naming your child after them. There’s a whole blacklist of forbidden names, which partly consists of celebrity names.
Removing your bandage after an injury has finally healed is quite a satisfying thing to do, but in Canada, you’re not allowed to do it in public. This is a private matter, and letting other people see it is against the law.
Getting treatment at a hospital isn’t as easy as you might think in the land of the rising sun. You will need a ticket that has been issued by a state hospital, and that can actually take around two weeks.
If you’re a huge dog lover with a whole bunch of four-footers at home, be warned! In Spain, you’re not allowed to have more than eight dogs at the same time.
Even though the country definitely has its fair share of them, it’s actually illegal to perform badly as a street musician or play off-key. In other words, you might want to practice street performances somewhere else first.
In a country with so many beautiful ski slopes, it’s not hard to see why the government is so strict about some things. This particular law gets a little weird, however: it’s illegal to recite any kind of poetry while you’re skiing.
Unfortuantely, not every country in the world has access to free and open internet. The Turkish government has blocked access to hundreds of thousands of different websites and pages.
France has two specific sales periods that are actually defined and regulated by law: it can only occur in January or July. Big sales aren’t permitted outside of these months, although regular promotions can still occur, of course.
Be careful where you wear a bikini when you’re in Malaysia. You’ll be okay if you wear one at the beach, but anywhere else is considered public indecency and can even let you end up in jail.
Same-sex relationships are still not entirely legal in the country of Egypt. The relationships themselves are, but some things are still very much frowned upon or just illegal. Public affection, including holding hands together, can even lead to an arrest.
Some things in The Netherlands are also reserved for its citizens. Getting married, for example? Unless you become a citizen of the beautiful country, it’s impossible.
In Ireland, the protection of religion is taken quite seriously. The topic is pretty controversial, but you’re not allowed to insult any form of religion in the country. This law isn’t even that old and only took effect in 2009.
Tunesia is a country that has recently dealt with a huge amount of stolen artifacts, and this law should help resolve that. You’re not allowed to purchase anything of antiques without the required paperwork. If you can’t show these at customs, they’ll take your stuff away and you’ll have to pay a hefty fine on top of it.
In Bulgaria, there are a number of items that you always have to have laying around in the car. You’ll need a spare tire and a fire extinguisher in the trunk of the car at all times.
Unless you’ve had the itch to fire a cannon, you can definitely skip this one. It’s illegal to set off a cannon within a vicinity of 200 meters of one’s home. We can’t imagine it would be an issue now, but this old law must’ve been made for a reason.
Macao is China’s own Las Vegas, as it’s a beautiful city with grotesque buildings and casinos everywhere. However, gambling will have to be without drinks, because alcohol is illegal in the area.
The country ‘down under’ is known for its plenty of rather strange laws, just like this one, for example. Wearing pink hot pants on a Sunday in the afternoon? You might want to reconsider because it’s against the law.
Watch out where you dance in Sweden because it might just end up getting someone in trouble. If the bar doesn’t have a permit and people are dancing around, the owner will have to pay a large fine.
Across all the islands of the Philippines, there’s actually something that’s called an “unjust vexation law.” Basically, it makes it illegal to harass or annoy anybody.
Freedom of speech doesn’t apply everywhere. Saying anything insulting about the king of Thailand is absolutely not done, and anyone who dares to do it will end up seeing the inside of a cell.
Equality for women has been progressing very slightly in the country, but there are still lots of things that are illegal as a female. Competing in sports or swimming in pools, for example, is just plain impossible for a woman.
If there’s one European country that has to deal with a lot of tourists, it has got to be Italy. Even though it happens every day, it’s forbidden to eat on the famous Spanish Steps in Rome, and you might get fined for it.
Shooting animals in Brazil? You’ll only be able to use a camera or a smartphone, and not a rifle. Hunting has been prohibited in this country since 1967 and the law is enforced strictly.
Something most people already know about a German speedway – or the ‘autobahn’ as they call it – is that there’s no speed limit. However, you can not stop on the highway as that is illegal, even if your car breaks down.
South Africa had some sort of social distancing in place before the novel coronavirus even existed. Kids on beaches have to sit at least twelve inches apart, it’s the law.
Granted, it’s probably quite difficult to check, but it’s a law nonetheless. Peeing in the ocean is an absolute no-go when you’re swimming in Portugal!
The Taiwanese people definitely appreciate loyalty, and cheating on your partner will result in jail time. That’s right, adultery is punishable by law.
It’s obvious that what happened in the Second World War is still a very delicate subject for some countries. If you accuse the country of Poland of being complicit in the holocaust or suggest that they had anything to do with it, you could risk up to three years in jail.
Buying some larger things requires a bit of paperwork – a house, a car, a motorcycle – but in the UK, even a television. Purchasing a television in the UK requires you to have a corresponding license for it.
Some places are truly considered to be sacred in Greece, and it’s important that you dress appropriately. Wearing heels at any archeological sites in the country is a very bad idea.
Add this one to the list of ancient laws that are actually still valid. Being challenged to a fistfight to the death is something you can’t get out of in Norway – unless you’re able to give the challenger four deer.
Sleeping in public? Not a fantastic idea in Croatia, so definitely don’t head over to dreamland on a public bench. What makes this law even a bit more comical, is that the fine will actually double if you’re snoring too.
The age of consent is enforced very strictly in the Dominican Republic, unlike in most countries. An 18-year-old having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old means jailtime.
Animal rights are taken quite seriously over here. For example, dogs have the right to have absolutely unrestricted mobility. In other words, tying them up to go shopping, for example, is not allowed.
Lionel Messi is probably the most famous celebrity in Argentina, and someone a lot of people look up to. However, you can’t honor the soccer player by naming your kid after him – courts deemed it to be illegal.
You won’t find any tattoo shops in South-Korea as the Western world knows them, simply because they are illegal in the country. Only doctors are allowed to put tattoos on someone.
Riding a bike isn’t illegal, of course, but riding a bike with two people on the same bike, is. It’s not exactly safe anyway, so Vietnam decided to be rather safe than sorry.
Of course, it’s not unheard of to have a rather strange law in the United States, mostly because laws can also vary depending on which state you’re in. For example, riding a horse in Indiana at a speed higher than ten miles per hour is a criminal offense.
If your car is always messy and dirty, it’d be best not to stay in the United Arab Emirates for too long. Having a car that’s too dirty can even end up in the authorities towing it away, aside from the hefty fines.
When it comes to drugs, Morocco doesn’t play around. Even being around the vicinity of someone who is carrying drugs, can end up in jail time. It doesn’t matter if you knew or not.
Smoking in public may be frowned upon in a lot of places, but in this country, it’s even illegal. Smoking is purely done in private, because you’ll get fined otherwise.
Technically, a kite is actually a type of aircraft in India. Just like any other aircraft, you’ll need to have a license to go kite fyling, no matter how harmless it may seem.
Alcohol in Iran is a very bad idea. Consuming or even possessing alcohol is strictly illegal. And even if you do find a place that serves alcohol, it’s often poisonous because these bootleg methods aren’t safe.
At popular tourist attractions, it’s hard to snap a picture without anyone in it. In Hungary, however, you’ll have to find a way to. Before taking a photograph, you’ll need explicit permission from anyone who’s in it.
Be mindful to always flush the toilet after using a public bathroom in the country, but not being clean in this case is also a fineable offense. In fact, the police even perform random checks for this specific issue.
During the winter, it’s important to leave the headlights of your car on at all times. You even have to leave them on on a sunny day.
If you like this article, please SHARE it with your friends and family.
Source: The Stacker, e-UNWTO
