Same-sex marriage in Finland | StudentB Wikipedia Search

Notes

^ ^a ^b Performed in the Netherlands proper (including the Caribbean Netherlands), as well as in Aruba and Curaçao. May be registered in Sint Maarten in such cases, but the rights of marriage are not guaranteed.
^ Neither performed nor recognized in Niue, Tokelau, or the Cook Islands.
^ Neither performed nor recognized in six British Overseas Territories.
^ ^a ^b Neither performed nor recognized in some tribal nations. Recognized but not performed in several other tribal nations and American Samoa.
^ Registered foreign marriages confer all marriage rights. Domestic common-law marriages confer most rights of marriage. Domestic civil marriage recognized by some cities.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e The Coman v. Romania ruling of the European Court of Justice obliges the state to provide residency rights for the foreign spouses of EU citizens. Some member states, including Romania, do not follow the ruling.
^ 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, conferring some limited legal benefits, including decisions about medical and personal care.
^ Inheritance, guardianship rights, and residency rights for foreign spouses of legal residents.
^ Courts have recognised guru–shishya, nata pratha or maitri karar–type contractual relationships, but they are not legally binding.
^ Some cities and prefectures issue partnership certificates, but they are not legally binding.
^ Marriages conducted abroad between a Namibian national and a foreign spouse recognized for residency rights.
^ Hospital visitation rights through a "legal representative" status.

^ ^a ^b Not yet in effect.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Finland since 1 March 2017. A bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriages was approved by the Finnish Parliament in a vote of 101–90 on 12 December 2014, and signed into law by President Sauli Niinistö on 20 February 2015. Further legislation to harmonise other laws with the legalisation of same-sex marriage was passed in 2016. The law took effect on 1 March 2017. Polling suggests that a majority of Finns support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Finland was the last Nordic sovereign state, the twelfth country in Europe and the twentieth in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide.

From 2002 until 2017, Finland recognized registered partnerships for same-sex couples, which provided the same rights and responsibilities as marriage with the exception of joint adoption rights and the right to a joint last name.