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Entering into a same-sex marriage or civil partnership

This map provides information on the youngest age at which children can either enter into a same-sex marriage or a civil partnership. Please note that children may need the consent of a public authority and/or their parents in order to enter into a marriage or civil partnership.


View full dataset in data explorer.

Key aspects

  • In eleven Member States, same-sex couples can only marry or enter a civil partnership from the age of 18 years (Cyprus, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden). In seven Member States (Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary and Italy), heterosexual couples are allowed to marry at a younger age than that required for same-sex couples to marry or to enter a civil partnership.
  • In five countries, same-sex couples have access to marriage or civil partnership at the age of 16, generally with the consent of their parents or a public authority (Austria, Malta, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom).
  • In six other Member States, the age at which they may engage in marriage depends on their actual maturity, being the lowest age not regulated (Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg and Slovenia).
  • In six Member States (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) there is no recognition of same-sex marriages nor of civil partnerships, regardless of the age of the persons concerned.

Legal background

See details on page 'Entering a same-sex civil partnership'.

Download
19 October 2018
Excel file: Minimum age requirements concerning children's rights in the EU - Country data on social rights, employment, education, alternative care, LGBTI and mobility (406.5 KB)