^abNeither performed nor recognized insome tribal nations of the US. Recognized but not performed in several other tribal nations andAmerican Samoa.
^Registered foreign marriages confer all marriage rights in Israel. Domestic common-law marriages confer most rights of marriage. Domestic civil marriage recognized by some cities.
^A "declaration of family relationship" is available in several of Cambodia's communes which may be useful in matters such as housing, but is not legally binding.
^Guardianship agreements confer some limited legal benefits in China, including decisions about medical and personal care.
^Hong Kong provides inheritance, guardianship rights, and residency rights for foreign spouses of legal residents.
Cyprus has recognised same-sexcivil unions since 9 December 2015. Legislation to establish a form of partnership known as civil cohabitation was introduced by the rulingDemocratic Rally party in July 2015, and approved by theHouse of Representatives in a 39–12 vote on 26 November 2015. It was signed by PresidentNicos Anastasiades, and took effect on 9 December upon publication in the government gazette.
In 2010, Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides stated that the government was considering whether to legalisesame-sex marriage in Cyprus.[2] In 2013, Interior MinisterEleni Mavrou announced that herministry was drafting a parliamentary bill to establishcivil partnerships,[3] which subsequently received official government approval.[4] In March of that year, PresidentNicos Anastasiades, who had been elected in the2013 presidential election, reaffirmed his support for the bill.[5] In November 2013, Interior MinisterSocratis Hasikos confirmed that the bill remained on the government agenda. A draft was prepared and sent to other ministries for review, with the intention of holding a parliamentary vote in April 2014.[6] However, in June 2014, Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Constantinos Nicolaides confirmed that a vote on the bill had been delayed.[7] Hasikos explained that the proposal would require "consensus from allpolitical parties before moving forward". He distributed copies of the bill to party leaders and requested they review it before a second meeting in September, stressing that no vote would be held until he was certain of unanimous party support.[8]
In March 2014, ArchbishopChrysostomos II, the head of theChurch of Cyprus, signalled his opposition to plans to introduce either civil partnership or marriage rights, urging churches to take a stand againsthomosexuality and accusing secular governments of "weakening moral integrity" through acknowledging equal rights to gay people: "When, for example, governments legalise not only plain civil partnership but 'homosexual marriage', the Church must be unequivocal in condemning homosexuality."[9]
On 6 May 2015, theCouncil of Ministers approved a bill establishing gender-neutral "cohabitation agreements", offering many of the rights, benefits and responsibilities ofmarriage.[10] On 6 June 2015, the rulingDemocratic Rally (DISY) party announced its support for the partnership bill.[11][12] It had itsfirst reading on 18 June.[13] On 1 July, theHouse of Representatives decided to rename the proposed partnership recognition scheme to "civil cohabitation".[14][15] The second reading was initially scheduled for 9 July, but was postponed until autumn.[16] The bill passed its final reading on 26 November 2015 in a 39–12 vote with 3 abstentions,[17][18] with those voting in favour being members of the ruling DISY party, theDemocratic Party, theProgressive Party of Working People, theMovement for Social Democracy, theEcological and Environmental Movement, and theEuropean Party. The law was signed by President Anastasiades, published in the government gazette on 9 December 2015 and took effect that same day.[19][20][21] The first civil partnership was registered on 29 January 2016 between two women.[22] The first public ceremony was held inNicosia on 4 March 2016 between Marios Frixou and Fanos Eleftheriades.[23]
The legislation established a partnership scheme known as civil cohabitation (Greek:πολιτική συμβίωση,politikí symvíosi,pronounced[politiˈcisimˈvi.osi];Turkish:sivil birliktelik,pronounced[siˈvilbiɾlicteˈlic]) providing several of the legal rights and benefits of marriage, including hospital visitation rights,tax benefits andproperty rights, but excludingadoption rights.[24] The partnerships are available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.
By 18 April 2016, eight same-sex partnerships had been registered in Cyprus.[25][26] By October of the same year, this number had risen to about 70.[27] Civil partnerships are also popular among different-sex couples: as of August 2017, they accounted for roughly 70% of all registrations, with same-sex couples making up the remaining 30%.[28] By December 2020, around 1,700 partnerships had been recorded, 90% of them between different-sex couples.[29] This figure increased to 5,037 by the end of 2024, of which 415 involved same-sex partners.[30]
Same-sex marriage is not legal in Cyprus. TheConstitution of Cyprus does not explicitly ban same-sex marriages. Article 22 states that "[a]ny person reaching nubile age is free to marry and to found a family according to the law relating to marriage, applicable to such person under the provisions of this Constitution."[31] In September 2022, activists campaigned for legalization at Cyprus Pride.[32] A number of candidates running in the2023 presidential election stated their support for same-sex marriage, including the winner,Nikos Christodoulides, and runner-upAndreas Mavroyiannis.[1][33] Following the legalization ofsame-sex marriage in Greece in February 2024, a government spokesman said that "politicians and society are not ready for gay marriage and adoption" but that "at some point this dialogue will be opened in Cyprus".[34][35] In May 2024, the President of the House of Representatives,Annita Demetriou, said that "Cyprus is not yet ready" for the legalization of same-sex marriage.[36] However, in March 2024,Kathimerini predicted the issue to "soon come to the political forefront".[37] TheProgressive Party of Working People, theMovement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation andVolt Cyprus have expressed support for same-sex marriage.[37]
The 2006Eurobarometer found that only 14% of Cypriots were in favour of same-sex marriage.[38] This was the third lowest in theEuropean Union at the time, above onlyLatvia andRomania. The 2015 Eurobarometer found that support had increased to 37%, while 56% were opposed.[39]
A 2014 survey found that 53% of Cypriots supported civil unions or partnerships for same-sex couples.[40]
The 2019 Eurobarometer found that 36% of Cypriots thought same-sex marriage should be allowed throughout Europe, while 60% were opposed.[41] The 2023 Eurobarometer showed that support had increased to 50%, while 44% were opposed. The survey also found that 46% of Cypriots thought that "there is nothing wrong in a sexual relationship between two persons of the same sex", while 50% disagreed. This was the first time anopinion poll had found majority support for same-sex marriage in Cyprus, showing a steady increase in support forLGBT rights.[42]
^The House of Representatives has 55 voting members. The President of the House of Representatives,Yiannakis Omirou, votes only in case of a tied vote. The 24 seats allocated toTurkish Cypriots have been vacant since 1964.
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