Africa Cameroon In July 2015, Cameroon's
Far North Region banned Islamic face veils, including the burqa, after two female
suicide bombers in burqa detonated themselves in
Fotokol, killing 13. The ban is now active in five of the country's ten
regions.
Republic of the Congo In May 2015, the
Republic of the Congo banned the face veil citing security reasons. The decision was announced by El Hadji Djibril Bopaka, the president of the country's Islamic High Council who stated that "some non-Muslims have been using the full veil to hide and to carry out uncivic acts".
Gabon In 2015,
Gabon banned the face veil in public and places of work. The authorities said the move was intended to "prevent the risk of suicide attack".
Morocco The
government distributed letters to businesses on 9 January 2017 declaring a ban on the sale, production and importation of burqas. The letters indicated that businesses were expected to clear their stock within 48 hours.
Asia Afghanistan The full Afghan chadaree covers the wearer's entire face except for a small region about the eyes, which is covered by a concealing net or grille. They are usually light blue in the
Kabul area, white in the north in
Mazar-i-Sharif and brown and green in
Kandahar in the south. Before the
Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the chadaree was rarely worn in cities, especially Kabul. While they were in power, the Taliban required the wearing of a chadaree in public. Chadaree use in the remainder of Afghanistan is variable and was observed to be gradually declining in Kabul, until the city fell to the Taliban on 15 August 2021. Due to political instability in these areas, women who might not otherwise be inclined to wear the chadaree must do so as a matter of personal safety, according to Khalid Hanafi. The
Taliban, immediately after re-taking
Afghanistan, declared that while women may return to work, they must always wear the
hijab while outside the house, while the chadaree was not mandatory. In May 2022 the Taliban issued a decree that all women in public must wear a chadaree.
India Among the Muslim
population in India (about 14.2% as of the
2011 census), the burqa (, ) was formerly common in many areas, such as
Old Delhi, for example. In
Nizamuddin Basti, the obligation of a woman to wear a burqa is dependent on her age, according to a local informant: young, unmarried women or young, married women in their first years of marriage are required to wear the burqa.
Israel in
Meah Shearim, Israel A group of
Haredi (ultra-
Orthodox) Jewish women in
Israel began to don the burqa as a symbol of piety. Following its adoption by Bruria Keren, an Israeli religious leader who taught a strict interpretation of
Jewish scripture to female adherents, an estimated 600 Jewish women started to wear the veil. Keren claimed to have adopted wearing the burqa to "save men from themselves. A man who sees a woman's body parts is sexually aroused, and this might cause him to commit sin. Even if he doesn't actually sin physically, his impure thoughts are sin in themselves". However, a rabbinical authority said "There is a real danger that by exaggerating, you are doing the opposite of what is intended [resulting in] severe transgressions in sexual matters", and issued an edict declaring burqa-wearing a sexual fetish, and as promiscuous as wearing too little. According to
The Jerusalem Post, in 2010,
Marina Solodkin, a member of the
Knesset, intended to put forward a bill to "prohibit the wearing of a full-body and face covering for women. [The] bill would not differentiate between Muslims and Jews".
Sri Lanka In April 2019, face-covering clothing was banned in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings by jihadists.
Syria Syria was a
Ba'athist state and discouraged the wearing of
hijab. Ghiyath Barakat, Syria's minister of higher education, announced that the government would ban students, teachers or staff from covering faces at universities, stating that the veils ran counter to "secular and academic principles of the country".
Tajikistan In 2017 the government of
Tajikistan passed a law requiring people to "stick to traditional national clothes and culture", which has been widely seen as an attempt to prevent women from wearing Islamic clothing, in particular the style of headscarf wrapped under the chin, in contrast to the traditional Tajik headscarf tied behind the head.
Europe Austria In 2017, a legal ban on face-covering clothing in public spaces was adopted by the Austrian parliament including Islamic face-covering garments. The government stated that accepting and respecting Austrian values is essential to the peaceful co-existence between the Austrian majority population and immigrants. The ban came into force on 1 October 2017 and carried a fine of 150 euros. It is reported that there are 150 Austrian women who wear the burqa.
Belgium On 29 April 2010, the lower house of parliament in Belgium passed a
bill banning any clothing that would obscure the identity of the wearer in places like parks and in the street. The proposal was passed without dissent, and was then also passed by the Senate.
BBC News estimated that only "around 30 women wear this kind of veil in Belgium, out of a Muslim population of around half a million". The ban came into effect in Belgium in July 2011. On 11 July 2017, the ban was upheld by the
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after having been challenged by two Muslim women who claimed their rights had been infringed.
Bulgaria The
Parliament of Bulgaria outlawed the wearing of any clothing "that partially or completely covers the face" in public places such as government offices, educational and cultural institutions, and places of public recreation, except for health or professional reasons from 30 September 2016. Anyone who violates the law is liable to a fine of up to 1,500
levs (US$860). The Muslim community makes up 15% of the Bulgarian population of 7.1 million.
Denmark In autumn 2017, the Danish government agreed to adopt a law prohibiting people to wear "attire and clothing masking the face in such a way that it impairs recognizability". A full ban on both niqabs and burqas was announced on 31 May 2018. The ban came into force on 1 August 2018 and carries a fine of 1000
DKK, then about 134 euro; repeat offenses are punishable with fines up to 10,000 DKK. The law targets all garments that cover the face, such as fake beards or balaclavas. Supporters of the ban claim that the ban facilitates integration of Muslims into Danish society, while
Amnesty International claimed the ban violated women's rights.
France Wearing the burqa has not been allowed in French public schools since 2004, when it was judged to be a religious symbol, similar to the Christian cross, and was outlawed for wear within schools as an application of an established 1905 law that prohibits students and staff from wearing any clearly visible religious symbols. The law relates to the time where the
secular French state took over control of most schools from the
Catholic Church; it does not apply to private or religious schools. This was followed on 22 June 2009, when the then-President of France,
Nicolas Sarkozy, said that burqas were "not welcome" in France, commenting that "In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity". The
French National Assembly appointed 32 lawmakers from right- and left-wing parties to a six-month fact-finding mission to look at ways of restricting its use. On 26 January 2010, the commission reported that access to public services and public transport should be barred to those wearing the burqa. On 13 July 2010, the Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill banning burqas and niqabs. On 14 September 2010, the
French Senate overwhelmingly
approved a ban on burqas in public, with the law becoming effective beginning on 11 April 2011. When the measure was sent in May to the parliament, it was stated that "Given the damage it produces on those rules which allow the life in community, ensure the dignity of the person and equality between sexes, this practice, even if it is voluntary, cannot be tolerated in any public place". The ban is officially called "The bill to forbid concealing one's face in public". "It refers neither to Islam nor to veils. Officials insist the law against face-covering is not discriminatory because it would apply to everyone, not just Muslims. They cite a host of exceptions, including motorcycle helmets, or masks for health reasons, fencing, skiing or carnivals". In 2014, the
European Court of Human Rights upheld the French ban on burqas, accepting the argument of the French government that the law was based on "a certain idea of living together". In 2022, France's top administrative court ruled against allowing body-covering "burkini" swimwear in public pools for religious reasons, arguing that it violates the principle of government neutrality toward religion.
Germany In a 2016 speech, accepting her nomination for reelection, the German chancellor
Angela Merkel called for banning the burqa in Germany "wherever legally possible", which was interpreted as support for the earlier proposal by Interior Minister
Thomas de Maizière to outlaw full-face veils in public buildings. The announcement was seen as an attempt to counter public anger at Merkel's handling of the
migrant crisis and electoral gains by the anti-immigration
AfD party. In 2017, a legal ban on face-covering clothing for soldiers and state workers during work was approved by the
German parliament. Also in 2017, a legal ban on face-covering clothing for car and truck drivers was approved by the German Ministry of Traffic. In July 2017 the state of
Bavaria approved a ban on face-covering clothing for teachers, state workers and students at university and schools. In August 2017, the state of
Lower Saxony banned the burqa along with the niqab in public schools. This change in the law was prompted by a Muslim pupil in
Osnabrück who wore the garment to school for years and refused to take it off. The law was instituted to prevent similar cases in the future following the completion of her schooling. In July 2020, the state of
Baden-Württemberg banned face-covering veils for pupils, an extension of the ban already in force for school staff.
Italy In Italy, by an anti-terrorism law passed in 1975, it is forbidden to wear any dress that hides the face of a person. At that time, Italy was facing domestic (not Islam-related) terrorism. In May 2010, it was reported that a Tunisian woman was fined €500 for this offence. In October 2025, Italian government proposed a bill to forbid islamic face covering.
Latvia In 2016, it was wrongly claimed in foreign media that a legal ban of face-covering Islamic clothing was adopted by the
Latvian parliament. After long public discussions draft legislation was approved by Latvian government on 22 August 2017; however, it was never adopted by the parliament as a law.
Malta Malta has no restrictions on Islamic garments such as the veil (hijab) or the full-face veil (burqa and/or niqab), but face covering in general is illegal. An official ban on face covering for religious reasons is ambiguous. Imam El Sadi stated his belief that banning of the niqab and the burka "offends Muslim women". Elsadi said that the Malteses' attitude towards Muslim women is positive and, despite cultural clashes, they tolerate the dress. Some Muslim women share the belief that it is sinful to be seen in public without veiling themselves; however, they are legally required to remove it when needed.
Netherlands On 27 January 2012, a bill was agreed upon by the Dutch cabinet, banning any clothing that would hide the wearer's identity, with potential fines for wearing a burqa in public going up to 380 euros. However, it did not pass in Parliament. In October 2012, this law was mitigated by the succeeding cabinet to pertain only to public transport, health care, education and government buildings, rather than all public spaces. On 22 May 2015, a bill was agreed upon by the Dutch cabinet, banning wearing a burqa in public places. Public places would have included public transportation, educational institutes, public health institutes, and government buildings. In the courtroom, a burqa or a niqab could not be worn, with both allowed in public spaces. Police officers could have requested one to remove face-covering clothing for identification purposes. There were exceptions, such as during carnival or other festivities, and when face-covering clothing was necessary as a sports or job requirement. Opposition party
D66 commented on the burqa abolishment as tokenism, while
PVV labelled the ban unsatisfactory. Minister of Internal Affairs, Plasterk, has stated that setting a norm is important. The May 2015 bill did not pass either, but a new bill was proposed in November 2015, which was eventually made into law. On 26 June 2018, a partial ban on face covering (including burqas) on public transport and in buildings and associated yards of educational institutions, governmental institutions and healthcare institutions was enacted, with a number of exceptions. From 1 August 2019 a national burka ban was introduced in the Netherlands. , 200-400 Dutch women were believed to wear a burqa or niqab.
Norway In June 2018, the parliament of Norway passed a bill banning clothing covering the face at educational institutions as well as daycare centres, which included face-covering Islamic veils. The prohibition applies to pupils and staff alike.
Portugal In October 2025, parliament in Portugal passed a bill banning clothing covering the face.
Sweden In December 2019, the municipality of
Skurup banned Islamic veils in educational institutions. Earlier, the municipality of
Staffanstorp approved a similar ban. The ban was overturned by the
Supreme Administrative Court in December 2022 since it was deemed to be a violation religious freedoms as defined in the
Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. In 2012, a poll by
Uppsala University found that Swedes responded that face-covering Islamic veils are either completely unacceptable or fairly unacceptable, 85% for the burqa and 81% for the niqab. The researchers noted these figures represented a compact resistance to the face-covering veil by the population of Sweden.
Switzerland The burqa was outlawed in the canton of
Ticino after a citizen initiative to hold a referendum. With 65% in favour of a ban, it was ruled that the ban was constitutional, and took effect in July 2016. Those who violate the law face a fine of up to CHF 10,000. In September 2018, a ban on face-covering veils was approved with a 67% vote in favour in the canton of
St. Gallen. The largest Islamic community organisation in Switzerland, the Islamic Central Council, recommended that Muslim women continue to cover their faces. During the federal votation of the 7 March 2021 regarding the prohibition of face-covering, the Swiss people voted for the prohibition. The question submitted for the referendum was initiated from a right-wing political group affiliated with the
Swiss People's Party. Although very few women in Switzerland actually wear a burqa or niqab, the proposition has been made with the intention to forbid these outfits in public spaces. 51.4% of the population participated in the vote, 51.2% of them agreed with the initiative.
United Kingdom Face veils have caused debate in the United Kingdom. In 2006,
Jack Straw, who was the
Labour MP for
Blackburn at the time,
attracted controversy after asking Muslim women from his constituency to remove any veils covering their faces during face-to-face
constituency surgeries. Straw explained to the media that a female staffer would remain in the room during any potential meeting, however the public reaction to the decision was varied. Some Muslim groups said that they understood his concerns, whilst others rejected his request as prejudicial to Muslim women. A poll in 2011 indicated that 66 per cent of British people supported banning the burqa in all public places. However, a ban on burqas was ruled out by the Conservative government, and in 2018
Theresa May stated "we do not support a ban on the wearing of the veil in public". In 2018,
Boris Johnson described women who wear the burqa as looking "like letterboxes". His comments were condemned by politicians from across the political spectrum. This included members of his own party, such as then-prime minister, Theresa May, Dominic Grieve, and Baroness Warsi, as well as Labour MPs including Jess Phillips, David Lammy, and Stella Creasy In 2025
Reform UK MP
Sarah Pochin called for Prime Minister
Keir Starmer to ban the burka during
PMQs.
Oceania Australia In 2010, Australian Liberal Senator
Cory Bernardi called for the burqa to be banned in Australia, branding it "un-Australian". The ban did not go ahead, but the debate about the burqa continues. In 2011, Carnita Matthews of Sydney was sentenced to six months jail for making a statement accusing a police officer of attempting to forcibly lift her niqab, which news sources initially referred to incorrectly as a burqa. The officer had pulled her over for a random breath test and then ticketed her for a licence infringement. Matthews allegedly then submitted a signed complaint to a police station while wearing a niqab. Judge Clive Jeffreys overturned the conviction in June 2011, citing what he thought were differences between the signature on her license and that on the complaint. She then proceeded to seek legal costs. On 4 July 2011,
New South Wales became the first Australian state to pass laws allowing police to demand that burqas (and other headgear such as motorcycle helmets) be removed when asking for identification. In October 2014, the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra decreed that female visitors wearing a face covering would have to sit in the separated glassed-in areas of the public gallery normally reserved for schoolchildren. This was in response to a planned disruptive action by a political activist group. Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated that he opposed this restriction. The decision was subsequently reversed. In August 2017, Senator
Pauline Hanson arrived at the Senate wearing a burqa in protest, calling for the garment to be banned. Following the incident,
ReachTEL polled 2,832 Australians and found that 56.3% supported banning the wearing of the burqa in public places. Ms Hanson wore a burqa into parliament as protest on a subsequent occasion in 2025 ==See also==