Number of Visits Allowed per Month:
| Country | Visits Allowed per Month |
| Austria | Usually 30 minutes once or twice a week |
| Belgium | Sentenced people: min 3 days per week of at least 1h for convicted prisoners (12 visits per month) People on remand: can be visited every day. |
| Bulgaria | Min 2 40-minute-visits per month (extended visits of 4h are given as awards). |
| Croatia | 2 visits per month (however, it depends on prison, prisoner’s age, whether one person is in remand detention or has been sentenced). |
| Cyprus | 10 visits per month, up to an hour each. |
| Czech Republic | Sentenced people: up to 3h per month. Poeple on remand: one 90-minute visit every two weeks (can be more frequent or for longer in some exceptional cases) |
| Denmark | 1 hour per week |
| Estonia | min one short-term visit per month (up to 3 hours), one long-term visit every six months (only for convicted prisoners, typically 24 hours, in exceptional cases up to 3 days). |
| Finland | Supervised visits: usually during weekends (sometimes during public holidays); usually max 45 minutes Child-friendly supervised visits: with children under 15 y.o. (in general, possibility of physical contact); usually 45 minutes Unsupervised/family visits: approximately every 4–6 weeks (length varies from a few hours to a few days) |
| France | Typically three visits a week for prisoners on remand and at least one visit per week for prisoners fully sentenced, normally lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. |
| Germany | Usually 1 hour per month (longer visits can be arranged for compassionate circumstances) |
| Greece | Sentenced people: once a week. Visits last 30 min. People on remand: twice a week. Visits last 30 min. Debtors and people waiting for deportation: unlimited visits. Visits last 30 min. |
| Ireland | One physical family visit (up to 30 minutes), or one virtual visit (up to 20 minutes) per week |
| Italy | Usually 6 visits per month lasting 1 hour, (may only be 4 visits per month if you are convicted of a serious offense). You may be granted additional visits if you are seriously ill or request a visit from a child relative under 10 years of age. Visits may be extended to 2 to 3 hours under specific circumstances |
| Latvia | Two types of visit: short visit, from 1 to 2h (to maintain social contacts); long visit, between 6 to 48h (to maintain family ties). No visits permitted on remand. |
| Lithuania | Short visit of up to 2 hours once per month, long visit of up to 2 days once every three months |
| Luxembourg | Every prisoner is entitled to 7 hours a month; if you are a minor, then you are entitled to unlimited visits |
| Malta | Once a week for 60 minutes (90 minutes for minors in prison) |
| Netherlands | At least 1 hour per week (more depending on the establishment), can earn an extra hour for good behavior |
| Norway | Each imprisoned person will undergo an individual evaluation, determining the number/frequency of visits. Typically at least once a week, min 1 hour. |
| Poland | No restrictions on visits in open prisons; 3 visits per month in semi-open prisons; 2 visits per month in closed prisons, minors under 15 are entitled to an extra visit. |
| Portugal | 2 to 3 1-hour visits per week |
| Romania | 1 visit per week (under semi-open imprisonment) |
| Slovenia | Usually twice per week for an hour each (can vary from prison to prison), pre-trial detainees must recieve permission from the judge in order to have visitors |
| Spain | Glass visits: 4-8 visits per month of respectively 40 or 20 min Open visits: once a month for 1 hour. |
| Sweden | Based on an individual evaluation. |
| Switzerland | 4 vione 1-hour visit or two 30-minute visits per week |
| England/Wales | Sentenced prisoners: 2 visits of 1h each per month. Remand prisoners: 3 visits of 1h each per week. |
| Northern Ireland | 4 visits per month, 45min-1h each. |
| Scotland | Sentenced prisoners: 2 hours of visiting time over the course of 28 days. Remand prisoners: 30 minutes on any week day |
Austria: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Arrested or in prison in Austria” by GOV.UK (November 2025).
Belgium: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from Service Public Fédéral JusticE (2022), (link: https://justice.belgium.be/fr/themes_et_dossiers/prisons/rendre_visite_a_un_detenu/demander_une_visite).
Bulgaria: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from Human Rights Guide (2026) (link: https://www.humanrightsguide.bg/en/themes/prisons/correspondence-visits/visits/family-visits) and from “Bulgaria: legal and prison systems” by GOV.UK (June 2025).
Croatia: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Information pack for British prisoners in Croatia” by GOV.UK (January 2022).
Cyprus: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Cyprus: arrested abroad” by GOV.UK (July 2024).
Czech Republic: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from Prison Service of the Czech Republic (Vězeňská služba České republiky) under FAQ (link: https://www.vscr.cz/en/faq/family-members-relatives).
Denmark: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from Kriminal Forsorgen (https://www.kriminalforsorgen.dk/straf/faengsel/afsoning-af-faengselsdom/besoeg-og-udgang/).
Estonia: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from the Estonian Ministry of Justice (https://www.vangla.ee/en/communication-prisoners/long-term-visit) and from “Estonia legal and prison systems” by GOV.UK (March 2024).
Finland: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from The Finnish Foundation for Supporting Ex-offenders (https://rets.fi/laheisille/rangaistuksen-aikana/tapaamiset-ja-yhteydenpito-vankilaan/).
France: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “France: legal and prison systems” by GOV.UK (June 2023).
Germany: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Arrested or imprisoned in Germany” by GOV.UK (September 2025).
Greece: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Greece: in prison abroad” by GOV.UK (October 2021).
Ireland: Information about number of visits retrieved from the Irish Prison Service (March 2026). https://www.irishprisons.ie/requesting-a-physical-visit/prison-visits-information/.
Italy: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Italy: legal and prison systems” by GOV.UK (June 2024).
Latvia: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Latvia: legal and prison systems” by GOV.UK (April 2024).
Lithuania: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Information Pack for British Prisoners in Lithuania” by GOV.UK (March 2025).
Luxembourg: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Luxembourg: in prison abroad” by GOV.UK (September 2020).
Malta: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Malta: in prison abroad” by GOV.UK (April 2025).
Netherlands: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from Berghuis, M., Palmen, H., Cochran, J., & Nieuwbeerta, P. (2022). Visitation Enablers and Barriers: Evaluating the Influences of Practical, Relational, and Experiential Factors on Visitation in Dutch Prisons. Crime & Delinquency. https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287211061721.
Norway: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “ENGELSK serving a sentence. A brochure for foreigners in Norwegian prisons” by Jussbuss (reference date: 03.05.2019), and from “Information Pack for British Nationals detained or imprisoned in Norway” by GOV.UK (July 2020)
Poland: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Poland: Prisons in 2025” by Prison Insider (https://www.prison-insider.com/en/countryprofile/pologne-2025) and from “Poland: in prison abroad” by GOV.UK (June 2025).
Portugal: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Portugal: in prison abroad” by GOV.UK (October 2024).
Romania: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Romania: in prison abroad” by GOV.UK (September 2021)
Slovenia: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Slovenia: legal and prison systems” by GOV.UK (July 2023).
Spain: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Spain: arrested or in prison abroad” by GOV.UK (March 2025).
Sweden: The number and frequency of visits depend on prisoner’s circumstances and the current situation at the prison/remand prison.Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Sweden: legal and prison systems” by GOV.UK (September 2024).
Switzerland: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from the section “Amt für Justizvollzug” under “Informationen für Besuche” by the Kanton Bern (Regionalgefängnis sections: Bern, Biel, Burgdorf, Moutier, Thun) (e.g. link: https://www.ajv.sid.be.ch/de/start/themen/haft/regionalgefaengnis-bern/informationen–fuer-besuche.html).
England/Wales: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/staying-in-touch-with-someone-in-prison/visiting-someone-in-prison)
Northern Ireland: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from “Getting ready for your visit” by NIACRO (https://www.niacro.co.uk/sites/default/files/Socially%20distanced%20visits.pdf).
Scotland: Information about number of visits per month retrieved from Scottish Prison Service GOV.UK (https://www.sps.gov.uk/family-and-friends/visits).