37 countries have legalized same-sex marriage as of April 2024!
LATEST UPDATE JUNE 2024: Thailand is set to be the next country to legalize gay marriage once the Thailand Marriage Equality Bill comes into effect towards the end of 2024.
Liechtenstein will also join the gay marriage club on 1 January 2025.
We love getting inspiration for our next trip from books and movies, but when a country makes the gay press (in a positive way!) it creates a new feeling of wanderlust towards it. Malta is a classic example. It was a place that never featured heavily on our radar growing up (other than the Eurovision Song Contest scoreboards).
But since it began to pave the way for LGBTQ rights in 2014 it became top of our Bucket List and begged us to visit. As a result, our gay Malta guide was born (along with other beautiful Maltese memories).
This is our article dedicated to the progression of gay marriage laws in the world. While the number of countries that have legalized gay marriage is a minority, the list continues to grow. We live in hope that one day we will have full equality across all nations…One day!
We will keep this article updated when there is a new addition to our fabulous gay marriage club. We've also put together what we rate to be the most gay friendly countries in the world and you can read the story about how I proposed to Seby in Cartagena, Colombia.
Heads up: We just wanted to let you know that this post contains affiliate links. That means if you book something through one of those links, we'll get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep our blog going – so thank you in advance for your support! ♥
What is gay marriage?
First, we need to clarify what we mean by gay marriage being legalized.
We are including countries where, in practice, gay couples have the right to get married at their local council. Normally this is preceded by a formal change in the law by the government. However, in some cases, the Courts have acted to change the law when the politicians have failed to do so.
Nepal is a good example: the country's law officially states that marriage is between a man and a woman. This will not change until the politicians pass a law amending this. However, the Nepalese Courts have for years been pushing the politicians to pass a gay marriage law. In the absence of this, the Courts took matters into their own hands in 2024 by legalizing gay marriage by requiring all local bodies to register same-sex marriages in a temporary register.
Why is gay marriage so important?
The LGBTQ movement started with the basic right ‘to be left alone'! We wanted society/the police to get out of our bedrooms and let us do what we want in the privacy of our own homes. Getting rid of anti-gay laws was where our modern-day LGBTQ movement began – the Stonewall Rights in New York in the late 1960s, which quickly spread all around the world.
The next step was achieving progressive laws that protect us – such as anti-discrimination in the workplace, protection from hate speech, and perhaps even civil unions. Then the cherry on top of the fabulous cake of LGBTQ laws came in April 2001 when gay marriage was passed for the first time by the Netherlands, which gives us the same legal rights as straight couples. This was monumental, the pinnacle of LGBTQ rights being achieved whereby a government is going out of its way to not only protect our LGBTQ community but to give us full equality and legal rights to protect it.
Sadly, we have a mountain to climb before we can achieve full equality around the world. It will happen, one day: change is in the air, but it's slow!
Important gay marriage achievements
As this journey progresses, there have been some significant milestones along the way, which we highlight here:
- 2001: the Netherlands became the first country to legalize gay marriage (also the first in Europe).
- 2005: Canada became the first country in the Americas to legalize gay marriage.
- 2006: South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalize gay marriage.
- 2009: Norway became the first Scandinavian country to legalize gay marriage.
- 2010: Iceland became the first country to legalize gay marriage with a unanimous vote.
- 2010: Argentina became the first country to legalize gay marriage in South America.
- 2013: New Zealand became the first country in Oceania to legalize gay marriage.
- 2015: Ireland became the first country to legalize gay marriage through a popular vote.
- 2019: Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize gay marriage.
- 2022: Cuba became the first Caribbean and Communist country to legalize gay marriage.
- 2023: Estonia became the first ex-Soviet country to legalize gay marriage.
- 2024: Nepal became the first country in South Asia to legalize gay marriage.
- 2024: Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize gay marriage.
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Which are the countries that have formally recognized gay marriage?
Well, here they all are listed below!
We've placed them in chronological order of when gay marriage came into effect, the first one at the bottom, the most recent right here at the top. We will monitor and keep this updated as more countries join this exclusive gay marriage club…
37. Nepal: April 2024
First country in South Asia to legalize gay marriage!
Following years of legal battles, Nepal legalized gay marriage via the Courts on April 27, 2024.
On June 28, 2023, Supreme Court Justice Til Prasad Shrestha passed a major ruling directing the government to establish a separate register for “sexual minorities and non-traditional couples” and to “temporarily register their marriages”. Sadly, not all Courts followed suit, particularly the Kathmandu District Court, which denied a same-sex marriage application on July 13, 2023.
In response to this, the Ministry of Home Affairs in Nepal issued a circular to all local registration authorities on April 27, 2024, instructing them to enter all same-sex marriages into this temporary register, effectively legalizing gay marriage in Nepal!
Nepal's laws still define marriage between a man and a woman. This remains on the cards until the politicians pass a law to amend this. However, gay couples can get married in Nepal via the Supreme Court's monumental June 2023 decision and the Ministry of Home Affairs' formal circular in April 2024.
‘Absolute genius!' says we! Particularly as we fell in love with gay Nepal and have published content for gay Kathmandu, Seby's account of trekking the Annapurna Circuit, and our interview with Tilak from Kathmandu about what gay life in Nepal is really like.
36. Greece: February 2024
The first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalize same-sex marriage…Bravo Ellatha!
On February 15th, 2024, the Greek parliament voted 176-76 in favor of gay marriage, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
We couldn't be more proud, especially Stefan who spent most of his summers with his family in Thessaloniki. And it couldn't have happened at a more appropriate moment: the same year that Thessaloniki (Greece's second city) hosted EuroPride! We have a range of inspiring content for gay travel in Greece, including our gay travel guide to Athens, our gay Mykonos guide, and our Crete gay travel guide.
35. Estonia: June 2023
First ex-Soviet country to legalize marriage!
On June 20th, 2023, the Estonian parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage, coinciding with Pride Month! It occurred just two months after the country's new liberal coalition government took office.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirmed the new law will take effect on January 1st, 2024.
34. Andorra: February 2023
The General Council of Andorra passed the gay marriage law on July 21, 2022, which came into effect on February 17, 2023.
33. Mexico: October 2022
On October 27, 2022, the state of Tamaulipas voted to allow gay marriage in Mexico, becoming the last of the country's 32 states to do so, which meant gay marriage was now legal nationwide.
Mexico's path to nationwide gay marriage began on December 21, 2009, when Mexico City became the first Latin American jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage and the first of Mexico's 32 states to do so. Over the next decade across the country, each state began to pass its gay marriage laws, particularly after June 2015 when the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation ruled that state bans on gay marriage violate the federal constitution.
Read more about gay life in Mexico in our interview with Andrew from Mexico City. We also have gay guides for Riviera Maya, Playa Del Carmen, and of course, the gay mecca that is Puerto Vallarta.
32. Cuba: September 2022
First Caribbean and Communist country to legalize gay marriage!
Gay marriage in Cuba was legalized on September 27, 2022. This followed a referendum where 66.9% of Cubans voted in favor. Initially, the government announced it would legalize gay marriage in May 2019.
The draft law was approved by the National Assembly of People's Power on December 21, 2021, and then by the Assembly on July 22, 2022. The referendum took place on September 25, 2022, President Miguel Díaz-Canel signed it into law on September 26 and it took effect on September 27.
Our guide to the most gay friendly Caribbean islands is a must to get a better understanding of LGBTQ rights in the region.
31. Slovenia: July 2022
First country former Yugoslavic country to legalize gay marriage!
Gay marriage in Slovenia was legalized on July 8, 2022. It followed a ruling of the Constitutional Court of Slovenia, which gave the Slovenian Parliament 6 months to amend the law. The National Assembly passed the act implementing the decision on October 4, 2022, in a 48–29 vote.
30. Switzerland: July 2022
Switzerland's gay marriage laws came into effect on July 1, 2022. The gay marriage law was initially passed by the Swiss Parliament in December 2020 and then opened up to the public in a referendum on September 26, 2021, where it won with a 64% majority.
Naturally, we have inspiring content for Switzerland, specifically our Zurich gay guide.
29. Chile: March 2022
Gay marriage in Chile came into effect on March 10, 2022. In June 2021, President Sebastián Piñera announced the gay marriage bill, which was eventually passed by the National Congress in December 2021. The law took effect 90 days later and the first gay marriage took place on March 10, 2022.
You'll no doubt want to dabble into our gay guide to Santiago as well as find out more about gay life in Chile in our interview with Ivan from Santiago.
28. Costa Rica: May 2020
First country in Central America to legalize gay marriage!
Costa Rica legalized gay marriage on May 26, 2020. On August 8, 2018, the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica declared the sections of the Family Code prohibiting gay marriage to be unconstitutional and gave the Legislative Assembly 18 months to reform the law accordingly.
27. Ecuador: July 2019
Ecuador equalized gay marriage on July 8, 2019. This came after a Constitutional Court ruling on June 12, 2019, that stated the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional under Ecuador's Constitution.
We've proudly visited Ecuador several times and have published content for gay Quito and the Galapagos Islands.
26. Taiwan: May 2019
First place in Asia to legalize gay marriage!
On May 24, 2019, Taiwan made history by becoming the first place in Asia to legalize gay marriage. It came after the ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Judicial Yuan on May 24, 2017, which gave the Legislative Yuan 2 years to equalize gay marriages.
Despite strong opposition, including a referendum to prevent the recognition of gay marriages in November 2018, the government held strong and introduced the gay marriage law. We loved Taiwan especially the vibrant gay scene of Taipei. Find out more about gay life in Taiwan in our interview with Po-Hung from Kaohsiung.
25. Austria: January 2019
Austria's gay marriage laws took effect on January 1, 2019. It started with the Constitutional Court's decision on December 4, 2017, which allowed the plaintiffs (a lesbian couple) to marry in Vienna on October 12, 2018 – famously becoming the first gay marriage in Austria. The law formally took effect nationwide on 1st January 2019 and gay marriages in Austria began from this date onwards.
24. Australia: December 2017
Australia legalized gay marriage on December 9, 2017, following a voluntary postal survey in which 61.6% of Australians came out in support of gay marriage. Subsequently, the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 passed the Australian Parliament on December 7, 2017, received royal assent from the Governor-General on December 8, and came into effect the following day. The first gay wedding under Australian law was held on December 15, 2017.
When it comes to gay Australia content we've got your back with our gay Sydney guide for first-timers and our gay travel guide to Melbourne.
23. Germany: October 2017
First country in Central Europe to legalize gay marriage!
Germany's gay marriage law came into effect on October 1, 2017. The law passed the Bundestag on June 30, 2017, in a 393-226 vote, the Bundesrat on July 7, and signed into law on July 20 by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Berlin is also the queerest city we've ever been to, so we published a Berlin gay guide in its honor! For a slice of what gay life in Germany is like read our interview with former Mr Gay Germany hunk Marcel in Berlin.
22. Malta: September 2017
Malta's gay marriage law came into effect on September 1, 2017, following the passage of legislation in Parliament on July 12, 2017. The vote was almost unanimous despite criticism from the Catholic Church. The bill was signed into law by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on August 1, 2017.
Read what gay life in Malta is like in our interview with Clayton in Valletta.
21. Finland: March 2017
Finland legalized gay marriage on March 1, 2017, becoming the last Nordic sovereign state to do so. The gay marriage bill was approved by the Finnish Parliament in a 101-90 vote on December 12, 2014, and then signed into law by President Sauli Niinistö on February 20, 2015.
20. Colombia: April 2016
Colombia's gay marriage law came into effect on April 28, 2016, following a 6-3 ruling by the Constitutional Court. The decision took effect immediately and the first gay marriage was performed in Cali on May 24, 2016.
Our gay Colombia travel guide is crucial reading as is our interview with Jesus from Barranquilla about gay life in Colombia.
19. Ireland: November 2015
First country to legalize gay marriage through a popular vote.
Ireland's gay marriage law came into effect on November 16, 2015. It followed a referendum on May 22, 2015, where 62% voted in favor. Subsequently, the Marriage Act 2015 passed the Oireachtas on October 22, 2015, and was then signed into law on October 29, 2015.
18. United States: June 2015
The USA shook us all when it legalized gay marriage nationwide in June 2015. It followed the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges. This was so monumental that the hashtag #LoveWins almost immediately became the No. 1 trending hashtag in the world on Twitter!
We have a lot of USA gay travel content but one of our favorites is our guide to the gayest cities in the US.
17. Luxembourg: January 2015
Luxembourg's gay marriage law came into effect on January 1, 2015.
The bill was enacted by the Chamber of Deputies on June 18, 2014, then signed into law by Grand Duke Henri on July 4.
16. United Kingdom: March 2014
Luxembourg's gay marriage law came into effect on January 1, 2015. The bill was enacted by the Chamber of Deputies on June 18, 2014, then signed into law by Grand Duke Henri on July 4.
Gay marriage is legal in 8 of the 14 British Overseas Territories: South Georgia (2014), South Sandwich Islands (2014), Akrotiri & Dhekelia in Cyprus (2014), British Indian Ocean Territory (2014), the Pitcairn Islands (2015), the British Antarctic Territory (2016), Gibraltar (2016), the Falkland Islands (2017), and Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (2017). It is not legal in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Gay marriage is legal in the Crown dependencies: the Isle of Man (2016), Jersey (2018), Guernsey (2017), Alderney (2018), and Sark (2020).
We've written a great deal about the UK such as our gay guides to London, Manchester, and Scotland.
15. New Zealand: August 2013
First country in Oceania to legalize gay marriage!
Gay marriage in New Zealand came into effect on August 19, 2013. The New Zealand Parliament passed the Marriage (Definition of Marriage), Amendment Bill, by a margin of 77-44 on April 17, 2013, then received royal assent on April 19.
It entered into force on August 19 to give the Department of Internal Affairs enough time to make the necessary changes for marriage licensing and related documentation.
In terms of the Realm of New Zealand, gay marriage is only legal in the Ross Dependency in Antarctica. Gay marriage has not been legalized in the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau.
We loved exploring Middle Earth and published a gay travel guide to New Zealand.
14. Uruguay: August 2013
Uruguay's gay marriage law was legalized on August 5, 2013. It was passed by the Chamber of Representatives on December 12, 2012, in an 81-6 vote, the Senate on April 2, 2013, in a 23–8 vote, and back to the Chamber of Representatives on April 10 in a 71–21 vote, and subsequently signed into law by President José Mujica on May 3, 2013.
We hope you find our gay Uruguay article inspiring as well as our Montevideo gay guide. Also, be sure to read what gay life is like in Uruguay in our interview with tango hottie, Rodrigo from Montevideo.
13. France: May 2013
France legalized gay marriage on May 18, 2013. It applies to both metropolitan France as well as to all French overseas departments and territories. The law was introduced to the National Assembly by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on November 7, 2012.
The National Assembly and Senate subsequently approved the bill allowing President Hollande to formally publish it in May 2013. The first official gay marriage in France took place on May 29, 2013, in Montpellier.
Seby is from France so you can bet we've got France covered – particularly our Nice gay guide and our gay Lyon guide.
12. Brazil: May 2013
Brazil legalized gay marriage on May 16, 2013. It followed a 14-1 decision from the National Justice Council ordering notaries of every state to perform gay marriages and convert any existing stable union into a marriage if requested to do so.
11. Denmark: June 2012
Denmark's gay marriage law came into effect on June 15, 2012. The gay marriage bill was introduced by the Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet and approved by the Folketing (Danish Parliament) on June 7, 2012. It received royal assent from Queen Margrethe II on June 12 then took effect 3 days later.
Across the Danish Realm, Greenland legalized gay marriage on January 19, 2016, and the Faroe Islands on July 1, 2017.
10. Argentina: July 2010
First country in Latin America to legalize gay marriage!
Argentina legalized gay marriage on July 22, 2010. The law was passed by the Chamber of Deputies on May 5, 2010, by the Senate on July 15, and then President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner gave her assent on July 21.
We've visited Argentina several times and loved it. Be sure to hit up our Argentina gay travel guide along with our gay guide of Buenos Aires. Read what gay life is like in Argentina in our interview with Juanjo from Buenos Aires.
9. Iceland: June 2010
First country to legalize gay marriage with a unanimous vote!
Iceland's gay marriage law came into effect on June 27, 2010. The gay marriage bill was passed by the Althing (the Icelandic Parliament) on June 11, 2010, and nobody voted against it.
We loved our road trip around the famous Ring Road, which you can read about in our Iceland gay guide. Our Reykjavik gay guide is also super interesting if I don't mind saying so myself!
8. Portugal: June 2010
Portugal's gay marriage law came into effect on June 5, 2010. The government introduced the law in December 2009, which was debated and then passed by the Assembly of the Republic in February 2010. It was then declared legally valid by the Portuguese Constitutional Court in April 2010, allowing President Aníbal Cavaco Silva to ratify it on May 17, 2010.
Be sure to hit up our Lisbon gay guide for an essential insight into the Portuguese capital.
7. Sweden: May 2009
Sweden's gay marriage law came into effect on May 1, 2009. The Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament) initially passed the law on April 1, 2009. Subsequently, on October 22, 2009, the Church of Sweden voted 176–62 in favor of allowing its priests to wed gay couples. Gay weddings have been performed by the Church of Sweden ever since.
6. Norway: January 2009
First country in Scandinavia to legalize gay marriage!
Norway's gay marriage law came into effect on January 1, 2009, after being passed by the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) in June 2008. One year after legalizing gay marriage, the country’s Lutheran Church voted to allow its pastors to marry gay couples in 2009.
5. South Africa: November 2006
First country in Africa to legalize gay marriage!
The Civil Union Act 2006 came into force on November 30, 2006. It all began after the decision of the Constitutional Court in the case of Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie on December 1, 2005, which extended the common-law definition of marriage to include gay spouses.
The Court gave Parliament 1 year to pass a law to equalize gay marriage. Subsequently, the National Assembly passed the law on 14 November 2006, which was subsequently approved by the National Council of Provinces on 28 November in a 36-11 vote. The law came into effect two days later.
We loved South Africa and published a Cape Town gay guide as well as one for gay Johannesburg. Be sure to read our insightful interview with Sebo from Johannesburg about what gay life in South Africa is really like.
4. Canada: July 2005
First country in the Americas to legalize gay marriage!
The Canadian Parliament passed the Civil Marriage Act on July 20, 2005, following the Court of Appeal for Ontario's decision on June 10, 2003. This made Canada the 4th country in the world (and first outside Europe), to legally recognize gay marriage throughout its borders.
A later attempt was made to undermine this in 2006 by the former Conservative Party, but thankfully lawmakers defeated them leaving the law unchanged.
We've published content for Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. We also recommend our interview with Josh from Red Deer about gay life in Canada.
3. Spain: July 2005
On July 3, 2005, Spain became the 3rd country to legalize gay marriage. The campaign for it began in 2004 led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Socialist Workers' Party. The law was passed by the Cortes Generales (the Spanish Parliament) on June 30, 2005, by a 187–147 vote. The law was published on July 2 and took effect the next day, beating Canada by 17 days.
We always look for an excuse to go to Spain every year, especially to gay Gran Canaria for Maspalomas Pride! We also love the gay scene of Barcelona and Sitges. Also, read our guide to the best gay Pride events in Spain: Madrid is the biggest but they have so many other excellent ones to check out.
2. Belgium: June 2003
On June 1, 2003, Belgium became the 2nd country in the world to legalize gay marriages. A bill for the legalization of gay marriage was passed by the Senate on November 28, 2002, by the Chamber of Representatives on January 30, 2003, then formally became law on June, 1 after King Albert II gave his royal assent.
This was broadened in 2004 to allow any gay couple to marry as long as one member of the couple had lived in Belgium for at least 3 months.
1. Netherlands: April 2001
The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize gay marriage on April 1, 2001.
The Netherlands made herstory by becoming the first-ever country to legalize gay marriage. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives (109-33 votes) on September 12, 2000, and by the Senate (49-26 votes) on December 19, 2000.
The law received royal assent from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on December 21, 2000, and took effect on April 1, 2001.
In relation to other places in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, gay marriage was legalized in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba on 10 October 2012. However gay marriage has not yet been legalized in Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. Also, be sure to hit up our Amsterdam gay guide.
Read more travel stories like this in our book!
Like what you read?
We've got more stories and practical tips like this in our gay travel book, Out in the World, available to order now.
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For more inspiration:
- Read what we rate to be the most gay friendly cities in the world
- These are the best gay Pride events in the world to check out
- We love Seby's story about how we first met back in 2009
- In Australia, we swam with manta rays in the Great Barrier Reef and it was awesome!
- We wore kilts for our Scotland trip but guess what we wore under our kilts?!
- Read these beautiful and inspiring coming-out stories