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Recognition of same-sex unions in Europe

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Debate has occurred throughout Europe over proposals to legalise same-sex marriage as well as same-sex civil unions. Currently 33 of the 50 countries and the 8 dependent territories in Europe recognise some type of same-sex union, among them most members of the European Union (24/27). Nearly 43% of the European population lives in jurisdictions where same-sex marriage is legal.

Thumb
Laws regarding same-sex partnerships in Europe¹
  Marriage
  Civil union
  Limited domestic recognition (cohabitation)
  Limited foreign recognition (residency rights)
  Unrecognized
  Constitution limits marriage to opposite-sex couples
¹ May include recent laws or court decisions that have not yet entered into effect.
Thumb
Countries performing civil unions in Europe
  Gender-neutral civil unions
  Civil unions for same-sex couples only
  Former civil unions for same-sex couples, replaced by marriage
  Civil unions never performed

As of January 2025, 22 European countries legally recognise and perform same-sex marriages: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. An additional ten European countries legally recognise some form of civil union, namely Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, Montenegro, and San Marino.

Although they do not recognise same-sex unions themselves, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia are bound by a ruling by the European Court of Justice to recognise same-sex marriages performed within the EU and including an EU citizen for the purposes of granting legal residence,[1] though this ruling is not always respected in practice, as in the case of Romania which has not implemented the ruling.[2] In December 2023, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that by failing to legalise same-sex unions, Poland had violated the right to respect for private and family life.[3]

Of the countries that perform same-sex marriages, some still allow civil unions, e.g. the Benelux nations, France and the United Kingdom,[nb 1] whereas Andorra, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland have ended their pre-marriage civil union legislation so that existing unions remain but new ones are not possible.

Several European countries do not recognise any same-sex unions. Marriage is defined as a union solely between a man and a woman in the constitutions of Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine. Of these, however, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia and Montenegro allow civil unions for same-sex couples, while Lithuania's high court ruled that same-sex unions should be permitted.

Current situation

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International level

European Court of Human Rights

Over the years, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has handled cases that challenged the lack of legal recognition of same-sex couples in certain member states. The Court has held that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) requires member states to provide legal recognition, but does not require marriage to be opened to same-sex couples.

In Schalk and Kopf v Austria (24 June 2010), the European Court of Human Rights decided that the European Convention on Human Rights does not oblige member states to legislate for or legally recognise same-sex marriages.[4] However, the Court, for the first time, accepted same-sex relationships as a form of "family life".

In Vallianatos and Others v Greece (7 November 2013),[5] the Court held that exclusion of same-sex couples from registering a civil union, a legal form of partnership available to opposite-sex couples, violates the convention. Greece had enacted a law in 2008 that established civil unions for opposite-sex couples only. A 2015 law extended partnership rights to same-sex couples.

Oliari and Others v Italy (21 July 2015)[6] went further and established a positive obligation upon member states to provide legal recognition for same-sex couples. Italy thus breached the convention; it eventually implemented civil unions in 2016. The decision set a precedent for potential future cases regarding the 23 member states, certain British and Dutch territories, and the states with limited recognition (excluding Kosovo), that currently do not recognise same-sex couples' right to family life.[7]

Chapin and Charpentier v France (9 June 2016)[8] largely confirmed Schalk and Kopf v. Austria, holding that denying a same-sex couple access to marriage does not violate the convention.[9][10] At the time of the judgment, France did allow same-sex marriage, however, the case originated from 2004 (regarding the validity of a same-sex marriage officiated by Noël Mamère), when only pacte civil de solidarité (PACS) was available to same-sex couples in France.

Fedotova and Others v. Russia (17 January 2023) ruled that states are obliged to recognize same-sex unions or civil unions. Other similar cases from other countries, including Poland, are awaiting the Tribunal.[11][12] The ECHR informed the Polish government that it had accepted complaints about the lack of access for same-sex couples to marriage or civil partnerships in Poland (2020).[13]

In a judgment issued on 12 December 2023 in the case of Przybyszewska and Others v. Poland (applications nos. 11454/17 and 9 others), the European Court of Human Rights ruled that by failing to legalise same-sex unions, Poland had violated the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights). The Court found that the Polish State had failed to ensure a legal framework providing for the recognition and protection of their same-sex unions, preventing the applicants from formalising fundamental aspects of their lives, which amounted to a breach of their right to respect for their private and family life.[3]

European Union

See also: Coman v. Romania

Some debate occurred within the European Union about how to require member states to recognise same-sex marriages conducted in other member states, as well as any European citizens' civil unions or registered partnerships, so as to ensure the right of freedom of movement for citizens' family members.[14]

In 2010, Romanian LGBT activist Adrian Coman and his American partner, Robert Claibourn Hamilton, married in Belgium, and subsequently attempted to relocate to Romania. Romanian authorities refused to recognise their marriage and the case progressed to the European Court of Justice.[15] On 11 January 2018, the ECJ's advocate general, Melchior Wathelet, issued an official legal opinion stating that an EU member country cannot refuse residency rights to the same-sex spouse of an EU citizen on the grounds that it does not recognise same-sex marriage.[16]

On 5 June 2018, the ECJ ruled in Coman's favour, stating the term "spouse" was gender-neutral, and member states are therefore obliged to recognise EU residency rights for partners of EU citizens. However, the court confirmed that it will still be up to member states whether to authorise same-sex marriage.[17][1]

According to research from the European Parliament, some EU states still do not in practice grant residency to same-sex spouses, as required by Coman v. Romania. As of September 2021, Hamilton himself has not been granted residency by the Romanian government, despite the ruling. In September 2021, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning some states failure to implement the ruling, and calling on the European Commission to ensure rights of same-sex spouses are upheld.[2]

National level

More information Status, Country ...
Status Country Since Country population
(Last Census count)
Marriage
(22 countries)
* In ten countries that have passed marriage,
other types of partnerships are available too.		 Andorra Andorra* 2023[nb 2][18][19] 83,089
Austria Austria* 2019[nb 3][20] 9,256,675
Belgium Belgium* 2003[nb 4][21] 11,849,129
Denmark Denmark 2012[nb 5][22] 6,035,034
Estonia Estonia* 2024[nb 6][23][24] 1,400,295
Finland Finland 2017[nb 7][25][26] 5,662,272
France France* 2013[nb 8][27] 66,746,591
Germany Germany 2017[nb 9][28] 85,433,044
Greece Greece*[nb 10] 2024[nb 11][29] 9,928,292
Iceland Iceland* 2010[nb 12][30] 401,620
Republic of Ireland Ireland 2015[nb 13][31] 5,365,262
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein 2025[nb 14][32] 40,137
Luxembourg Luxembourg* 2015[nb 15][33] 688,078
Malta Malta* 2017[nb 16][34] 542,126
Netherlands Netherlands* 2001[nb 17][35][36] 18,455,381
Norway Norway 2009[nb 18][37] 5,637,670
Portugal Portugal 2010[nb 19][38] 10,456,751
Slovenia Slovenia 2022[nb 20][39][40] 2,124,428
Spain Spain* 2005[nb 21][41] 48,070,052
Sweden Sweden 2009[nb 22][42] 10,674,474
Switzerland Switzerland 2022[nb 23][43] 9,021,411
United Kingdom United Kingdom* 2020[nb 24][44][45][46] 69,650,164
Subtotal — — 369,149,934
(42.6% of the European population)
Civil unions
(10 countries)
* In three of the countries that have passed civil unions,
another type of partnership is available too.		 Croatia Croatia 2014[nb 25][47] 3,875,201
Cyprus Cyprus[nb 26] 2015[48] 951,730[nb 27]
Czech Republic Czech Republic* 2006[nb 28][49] 11,073,900
Hungary Hungary* 2009[nb 29][50] 9,179,727
Italy Italy* 2016[nb 30][51] 59,272,756
Latvia Latvia 2024[nb 31][52][53] 1,884,931
Lithuania Lithuania 2025[nb 32][54] 2,926,098
Monaco Monaco 2020[55] 39,004
Montenegro Montenegro 2021[56] 671,086
San Marino San Marino 2019[nb 33][57] 33,065
Subtotal — — 85,954,565
(10.0% of the European population)
Unregistered cohabitation
(2 countries)		 Poland Poland 2012[58] 39,489,580
Slovakia Slovakia 2018[59][60][nb 34] 5,604,301
Subtotal — — 47,632,011
(5.5% of the European population)
Total - Countries with some form of recognition of same-sex unions — — 502,747,040
(58.1% of the European population)
No recognition
(8 countries)
† As part of the European Union, is legally bound
to provide residency rights to foreign same-sex
spouses of EU citizens in compliance with
case C-673/16 of the European Court of Justice.		 Albania Albania — 2,781,592
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan — 10,361,863
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina — 3,147,922
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan — 20,903,605
North Macedonia North Macedonia — 1,815,889
Romania Romania † — 19,027,057
Turkey Turkey — 87,674,778
Vatican City Vatican City — 825
Subtotal — — 144,420,748
(16.7% of the European population)
Constitutional ban on marriage
(14 countries)
† As part of the European Union, is legally bound
to provide residency rights to foreign same-sex
spouses of EU citizens in compliance with
case C-673/16 of the European Court of Justice.
* Other types of partnerships are available.		 Armenia Armenia 2015[nb 35][61][62][63] 3,065,941
Belarus Belarus 1994[64] 9,007,315
Bulgaria Bulgaria † 1991[65] 6,739,051
Croatia Croatia †* 2013[66][67] 3,875,201
Georgia (country) Georgia 2018[68] 3,831,755
Hungary Hungary †* 2012[69][70] 9,179,727
Latvia Latvia †* 2006[71][72][73] 1,884,931
Lithuania Lithuania †* 1992[74] 2,926,098
Moldova Moldova 1994[75] 3,119,198
Montenegro Montenegro * 2007[76] 671,086
Russia Russia 2020 145,176,010
Serbia Serbia 2006[77] 6,739,110
Slovakia Slovakia †* 2014[78][79] 5,604,301
Ukraine Ukraine 1996[80] 32,152,607
Subtotal — — 242,620,086
(28.0% of the European population)
Total - Countries with no recognition of same-sex unions — — 359,727,469
(41.5% of the European population)
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Partially-recognised and unrecognised states

More information Status, Country ...
Status Country Since State population
(Last estimate count)
No recognition
(5 states)		 Abkhazia Abkhazia — 243,564
Kosovo Kosovo — 1,907,592
Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus — 313,626
South Ossetia South Ossetia — 51,547
Transnistria Transnistria — 475,665
Total 2,991,994

(0.3% of the European population)

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Sub-national level

More information Status, Country ...
Status Country Jurisdiction Legal since Jurisdiction population
(Last Census count)
Marriage
(8 jurisdictions)
* Other types of partnerships are available too.
 Denmark Denmark Faroe Islands Faroe Islands 2017[81][82] 49,198
Greenland Greenland 2016[83] 56,081
United Kingdom United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia 2014[84] 15,700
Alderney Alderney 2018[85] 2,020
Gibraltar Gibraltar* 2016[86][87] 32,194
Guernsey Guernsey 2017[88][89] 62,948
Isle of Man Isle of Man* 2016[90] 84,497
Jersey Jersey* 2018[91] 100,080
Sark Sark 2020[92] 600
Total 403,318
(0.0% of the European population)
Total for all European jurisdictions 865,880,853
(100% of the European population)
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Future legislation

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Non-marital partnership

Government proposals or proposals with a parliamentary majority

 Kosovo: On 25 April 2024, Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced his government's intention to legalize same-sex unions.[93]

 Poland: On 27 December 2023, Poland's new Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, announced that a bill to legalise same-sex unions would be introduced and debated in the Sejm in 2024.[94] On 9 July 2024, a bill allowing both opposite-sex and same-sex couples to form legally registered partnerships (thereby introducing same-sex civil partnerships) was added to the Polish government's agenda.[95]

 Ukraine: On 12 July 2022, a petition on same-sex marriage reached 28,000 signatures (above the 25,000 signatures needed to trigger a debate in parliament).[96] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on 2 August 2022 that while a change of the constitution, which defines marriage as union of a man and a woman, is not allowed as long as martial law is in place, he endorses the introduction of civil unions and asked his government to evaluate legal options.[97] As of 26 May 2023, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Judicial Committee is considering Bill № 9103, which would introduce civil partnerships in Ukraine.[98] In August 2024, the Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance recommended the bill for adoption in its first reading.[99]

 Lithuania: In April 2025, Lithuania's Constitutional Court ruled that Article 3.229 of the Civil Code, which permits partnerships exclusively between a man and a woman, was unconstitutional, and mandated the Lithuanian Parliament to legislate to recognize civil partnerships for same-sex couples. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court also opened a legal pathway for same-sex couples to register civil partnerships through the courts, even in the absence of specific legislation.[100]

 Romania: In May 2023, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the government to legalize same-sex civil partnerships, in order to protect the rights of same-sex couples to a family life, as protected under the Charter.[101] However, as of April 2025, the government has refused to comply with the ruling.

Public opinion

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Perspective

According to a Eurobarometer poll in 2023, public support for same-sex marriage in EU member states was highest in Sweden (94%), the Netherlands (94%), Denmark (93%), Spain (88%), Ireland (86%), Luxembourg (84%), Germany (84%), Portugal (81%), Belgium (79%), and France (79%).

According to a Eurobarometer poll in 2015, public support for same-sex marriage in EU member states was highest in the Netherlands (91%), Sweden (90%), Denmark (87%), Spain (84%), Ireland (80%), Belgium (77%), Luxembourg (75%), the United Kingdom (71%) and France (71%).[102] Between 2006 and 2015, support rose most significantly in Malta, from 18% to 65%, and in Ireland, from 41% to 80%.[103]

After the approval of same-sex marriage in Portugal in January 2010, 52% of the Portuguese population stated that they were in favor of the legislation.[104] In 2008, 58% of the Norwegian voters supported same-sex marriage, which was introduced in the same year, and 31 percent were against it.[105] In January 2013, 54.1% of Italians respondents supported same-sex marriage.[106] In a late January 2013 survey, 77.2% of Italians respondents supported the recognition of same-sex unions.[107] According to an Ipsos poll published in 2021, 83% of Italians were in favour of legal recognition for same-sex couples, 10% stated they were against and 7% did not have a specific position on the issue.[108] 59% of surveyed Italians stated they were in favour of same-sex couples jointly adopting children, while 36% were opposed.[108]

In Greece, support more than tripled between 2006 and 2017. In 2006, 15% of Greeks said that they agreed with same-sex marriage being allowed throughout Europe,[103] rising to 50.04% by 2017. A survey in 2020 indicated that 56% of the Greek population accept same-sex marriage.[109][110]

In Ireland, a 2008 survey revealed 84% of people supported civil unions for same-sex couples (and 58% for same-sex marriage),[111] while a 2010 survey showed 67% supported same-sex marriage[112] by 2012 this figure had risen to 73% in support.[113] On 22 May 2015, 62.1% of the electorate voted to enshrine same-sex marriage in the Irish constitution as equal to heterosexual marriage.

In Croatia, a poll conducted in November 2013 revealed that 59% of Croats think that marriage should be constitutionally defined as a union between a man and a woman, while 31% do not agree with the idea.[114] In Poland, support for same sex marriages has increased from 17% in 2006[115] to 45% in 2019,[116] according to Eurobarometer; other polls show a majority supporting registered partnerships.[117][118]

In the European Union, support tends to be the lowest in Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Lithuania. The average percentage of support for same-sex marriage in the European Union as of 2006 when it had 25 members was 44%, which had descended from a previous percentage of 53%. The change was caused by more socially conservative nations joining the EU.[103] In 2015, with 28 members, average support was at 61%.[102]

Opinion polls

  Indicates the country/territory has legalised same-sex marriage nationwide
  Indicates that same-sex marriage is legal in certain parts of the country
  Indicates that the country has civil unions or registered partnerships
  Indicates that the country has pending civil union or registered partnership legislation
  Indicates that the country has pending same-sex marriage legislation
More information Country, Pollster ...
Country Pollster Year For[a] Against[a] Neither[b] Margin
of error		 Source
Albania Albania IPSOS 2023 26%
 73%
(74%)		 1% [119]
Andorra Andorra Institut d'Estudis Andorrans 2013 70%
(79%)		 19%
(21%)		 11% [120]
Armenia Armenia Pew Research Center 2015 3%
(3%)		 96%
(97%)		 1% ±3% [121][122]
Austria Austria Eurobarometer 2023 65% 30% 5% [123]
Belarus Belarus Pew Research Center 2015 16%
(16%)		 81%
(84%)		 3% ±4% [121][122]
Belgium Belgium Ipsos 2024 69% 19% [9% support some rights]
 12% not sure ±5% [124]
Eurobarometer 2023 79% 19% 2% not sure [123]
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina IPSOS 2023 26%
(27%)		 71%
(73%)		 3% [119]
Bulgaria Bulgaria Eurobarometer 2023 17% 75% 8% [123]
Croatia Croatia Eurobarometer 2023 42% 51% 7% [123]
Cyprus Cyprus Eurobarometer 2023 50% 44% 6% [123]
Czech Republic Czech Republic Eurobarometer 2023 60% 34% 6% [123]
Denmark Denmark Eurobarometer 2023 93% 5% 2% [123]
Estonia Estonia Eurobarometer 2023 41% 51% 8% [123]
Finland Finland Eurobarometer 2023 76% 18% 6% [123]
France France Ipsos 2024 62% 26% [16% support some rights] 12% not sure ±3.5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 82%
 14% 4% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 79% 14 7% [123]
Georgia (country) Georgia Women's Initiatives Supporting Group 2021 10%
(12%)		 75%
(88%)		 15% [126]
Germany Germany Ipsos 2024 73% 18% [10% support some rights] 12% not sure ±3.5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 80%
 19% 1% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 84% 13% 3% [123]
Greece Greece Pew Research Center 2023 48%
(49%)		 49%
(51%)		 3% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 57%
(59%)		 40%
(41%)		 3% [123]
Hungary Hungary Ipsos 2024 44% 35% [18% support some rights] 21% not sure ±5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 31%
(33%)		 64%
(67%)		 5% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 42% 52% 6% [123]
Iceland Iceland Gallup 2006 89% 11% – [127]
Republic of Ireland Ireland Ipsos 2024 68% 21% [8% support some rights] 10% ±5%[c] [124]
Eurobarometer 2023 86% 9% 5% [123]
Italy Italy Ipsos 2024 58% 29% [19% support some rights] 12% not sure ±3.5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 73%
(75%)		 25% 2% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 69% 27% 4% [123]
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Pew Research Center 2016 7%
(7%)		 89%
(93%)		 4% [121][122]
Kosovo Kosovo IPSOS 2023 20%
(21%)		 77%
(79%)		 3% [119]
Latvia Latvia Eurobarometer 2023 36% 59% 5% [123]
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Institut 2021 72% 28% 0% [128]
Lithuania Lithuania Eurobarometer 2023 39% 55% 6% [123]
Luxembourg Luxembourg Eurobarometer 2023 84% 13% 3% [123]
Malta Malta Eurobarometer 2023 74% 24% 2% [123]
Moldova Moldova Europa Liberă Moldova 2022 14% 86% [129]
Montenegro Montenegro IPSOS 2023 36%
(37%)		 61%
(63%)		 3% [119]
Netherlands Netherlands Ipsos 2024 77% 15% [8% support some rights] 8% not sure ±5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 89%
(90%)		 10% 1% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 94% 5% 2% [123]
North Macedonia North Macedonia IPSOS 2023 20%
(21%)		 78%
(80%)		 2% [119]
Norway Norway Pew Research Center 2017 72%
(79%)		 19%
(21%)		 9% [121][122]
Poland Poland Ipsos 2024 39%
 48% [28% support some rights] 13% ±5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 41%
(43%)		 54%
(57%)		 5% ±3.6% [125]
United Surveys by IBRiS 2024 50%
(55%)		 41%
(45%)		 9% [130]
Eurobarometer 2023 50% 45% 5% [123]
Portugal Portugal Ipsos 2023 80%
(84%)		 15% [11% support some rights]
(16%)		 5% [131]
Eurobarometer 2023 81% 14% 5% [123]
Romania Romania Ipsos 2023 25%
(30%)		 59% [26% support some rights]
(70%)		 17% ±3.5% [131]
Eurobarometer 2023 25% 69% 6% [123]
Russia Russia Ipsos 2021 17%
(21%)		 64% [12% support some rights]
(79%)		 20% not sure ±4.8% [c] [132]
FOM 2019 7%
(8%)		 85%
(92%)		 8% ±3.6% [133]
Serbia Serbia IPSOS 2023 24%
(25%)		 73%
(75%)		 3% [119]
Slovakia Slovakia Focus 2024 36%
(38%)		 60%
(62%)		 4% [134]
Eurobarometer 2023 37% 56% 7% [123]
Slovenia Slovenia Eurobarometer 2023 62%
(64%)		 37%
(36%)		 2% [123]
Spain Spain Ipsos 2024 73% 19% [13% support some rights] 9% not sure ±3.5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 87%
(90%)		 10% 3% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 88% 9% 3% [123]
Sweden Sweden Ipsos 2024 78% 15% [8% support some rights] 7% not sure ±5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 92%
(94%)		 6% 2% ±3.6% [125]
Eurobarometer 2023 94% 5% 1% [123]
Switzerland Switzerland Ipsos 2023 54%
(61%)		 34% [16% support some rights]
(39%)		 13% not sure ±3.5% [131]
Turkey Turkey Ipsos 2024 18% 52% [19% support some rights] 30% not sure ±5% [c] [124]
Ukraine Ukraine Rating 2023 37%
(47%)		 42%
(53%)		 22% ±1.5% [135]
United Kingdom United Kingdom YouGov 2023 77%
(84%)		 15%
(16%)		 8% [136]
Ipsos 2024 66% 24% [11% support some rights] 10% not sure ±3.5% [124]
Pew Research Center 2023 74%
(77%)		 22%
(23%)		 4% ±3.6% [125]
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More information Country, Pollster ...
Opinion polls for same-sex marriage by dependent territory
Country Pollster Year For Against Neutral[b] Source
Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Spyr.fo 2019 71.1% 12.6% 16.7% [137]
Gibraltar Gibraltar Inter-Ministerial Committee Consultation 2015 63% 37% 0% [138]
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland YouGov 2019 55% - - [139][140]
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Notes

  1. Because some polls do not report 'neither', those that do are listed with simple yes/no percentages in parentheses, so their figures can be compared.
  2. Comprises: Neutral; Don't know; No answer; Other; Refused.
  3. [+ more urban/educated than representative]

See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Excluding Guernsey and Overseas Territories (except Gibraltar).
  2. [N 2]
    Stable union of a couple (Catalan: unió estable de parella) since 2005; civil union (Catalan: unió civil) from 2014 until 2023.
  3. [N 3]
    Registered partnership (German: eingetragene Partnerschaft) since 2010.
  4. [N 4]
    Statutory cohabitation (Dutch: wettelijke samenwoning; French: cohabitation légale; German: gesetzliches Zusammenwohnen) since 2000; also de-facto cohabitation (Dutch: feitelijke samenwoning; French: cohabitation de fait; German: faktisches Zusammenwohnen) gives some rights to non-married couples.
  5. [N 5]
    Registered partnership (Danish: registreret partnerskab) from 1989 until 2012.
  6. [N 6]
    Registered partnership (Estonian: kooseluleping) since 2016.
  7. [N 7]
    Registered partnership (Finnish: rekisteröity parisuhde; Swedish: registrerat partnerskap) from 2001 until 2017.
  8. [N 8]
    Civil solidarity pact (French: pacte civil de solidarité) since 1999.
  9. [N 9]
    Registered life partnership (German: eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft) from 2001 until 2017.
  10. [N 10]
    Not legal in the Monastic community of Mount Athos[citation needed], which maintains its own sovereignty within Greece and the European Union.
  11. [N 11]
    Cohabitation agreement (Greek: σύμφωνο συμβίωσης) since 2015.
  12. [N 12]
    Registered partnership (Icelandic: staðfest samvist) from 1996 until 2010; consensual cohabitation (Icelandic: óvígð sambúð) since 2006.
  13. [N 13]
    Civil partnership (Irish: páirtnéireacht shibhialta) from 2010 until 2015.
  14. [N 14]
    Registered partnership (German: eingetragene Partnerschaft) from 2011 until 2024.
  15. [N 15]
    Partnership (Luxembourgish and German: Partnerschaft; French: partenariat) since 2004.
  16. [N 16]
    Civil union (Maltese: unjoni ċivili) since 2014 and cohabitation (Maltese: koabitazzjoni) since 2017.
  17. [N 17]
    Registered partnership (Dutch: geregistreerd partnerschap) since 1998; also cohabitation (Dutch: samenwonen) gives some rights to non-married couples.
  18. [N 18]
    Registered partnership (Norwegian: registrert partnerskap; Northern Sami: registrerejuvvon párragaskavuohta) from 1993 until 2008.
  19. [N 19]
    De-facto union (Portuguese: união de facto) since 2001.
  20. [N 20]
    Partnership (Slovene: partnerska skupnost) between 2006 and 2017; Expanded partnership (Slovene: partnerska zveza) from 2017 until 2023.
  21. [N 21]
    De-facto couple (Spanish: pareja de hecho; Basque: izatezko bikote; Galician: parella de feito), stable couple (Spanish: pareja estable; Catalan: parella estable; Basque: bikote egonkorra) or de-facto union (Spanish: unión de hecho; Catalan: unió de fet) available in each autonomous community, legalized between 1998 and 2018. Since 1994, limited rights for cohabiting couples.
  22. [N 22]
    Registered partnership (Swedish: registrerat partnerskap) from 1994 until 2009.
  23. [N 23]
    Registered partnership (German: eingetragene Partnerschaft; French: partenariat enregistré; Italian: unione domestica registrata; Romansh: partenadi registrà) from 2004 until 2022.
  24. [N 24]
    Civil partnership (Welsh: partneriaeth sifil) since 2004; same-sex marriage in England, Scotland, and Wales since 2014 and in Northern Ireland since 2020.
  25. [N 25]
    Unregistered cohabitation between 2003 and 2014; Life partnership (Croatian: životno partnerstvo) since 2014.
  26. [N 26]
    Excluding the disputed region of Northern Cyprus.
  27. [N 27]
    Excluding the disputed region of Northern Cyprus.
  28. [N 28]
    Unregistered cohabitation since 2001 and registered partnership (Czech: registrované partnerství) since 2006. Limited rights for a "close person" (osoba blízká) since 1964.
  29. [N 29]
    Unregistered cohabitation (Hungarian: élettársi kapcsolat) and registered partnership (Hungarian: bejegyzett élettársi kapcsolat) since 2009.
  30. [N 30]
    Civil union (Italian: unione civile) and cohabitation contract (Italian: contratto di convivenza) since 2016.
  31. [N 31]
    Legalised by judicial decision in 2022. Partnership (Latvian: partnerība) since 2024.
  32. [N 32]
    Legalised by judicial decision in 2025.
  33. [N 33]
    Limited residency rights for foreign spouses since 2012.
  34. [N 34]
    Limited rights for a "close person" (blízke osoby) since 1964.
  35. [N 35]
    While Armenia's Constitutional Court has never confirmed that the Constitution of Armenia actually bans same-sex marriage, following the 2015 constitutional referendum article 35 now states that "A woman and a man having attained the marriageable age shall have the right to marry and form a family with free expression of their will." (in Armenian: Ամուսնական տարիքի հասած կինը և տղամարդը միմյանց հետ իրենց կամքի ազատ արտահայտությամբ ամուսնանալու և ընտանիք կազմելու իրավունք ունեն). The article 143 of the Family Code recognizes foreign marriages as long as they conform with the legality of the territory where they were celebrated. Article 152, however, limits the application of foreign family law norms that contradict the internal public order, thus making the registration of same-sex marriages performed overseas possibly incompatible with Armenian law.

References

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