Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands

Part of the LGBT rights series
Legal status of same-sex unions
Marriage Andorra Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Denmark Ecuador Estonia Finland France Germany Greece1 Iceland Ireland Luxembourg Malta Mexico Netherlands2 New Zealand3 Norway Portugal Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan United Kingdom4 United States5 Uruguay Recognized Israel6
Civil unions and registered partnerships Bolivia Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Hungary Italy Israel6 Latvia* Liechtenstein Monaco Montenegro Netherlands:   • Aruba San Marino United Kingdom:   • Bermuda   • Cayman Islands
Minimal recognition Bulgaria7 Cambodia:8   • 68 communes China:9   • Hong Kong10 India11 Japan12   • 457 jurisdictions Lithuania7 Namibia13 Netherlands:1   • Curaçao   • St Maarten Poland7 Romania14 Slovakia7
Unclear legal status Nepal*
See also Same-sex union legislation Same-sex union court cases Timeline of same-sex marriage Recognition of same-sex unions in Africa Recognition of same-sex unions in Asia Recognition of same-sex unions in Europe Recognition of same-sex unions in the Americas Recognition of same-sex unions in Oceania Marriage privatization Divorce of same-sex couples Domestic partnership Military policy Adoption Listings by country LGBT rights by country or territory
Notes GR: Neither performed nor recognized in the Monastic community of Mount Athos. KoN: Performed in the Netherlands proper, including the Caribbean Netherlands. Registered in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten in such cases, but the rights of marriage are not guaranteed. NZ: Neither performed nor recognized in Niue, Tokelau, or the Cook Islands. UK: Neither performed nor recognized in six British Overseas Territories. US: Neither performed nor recognized in some tribal nations. Recognized but not performed in several other tribal nations and American Samoa. Israel: Registered foreign marriages confer all marriage rights. Domestic common-law marriages confer most rights of marriage. Domestic civil marriage recognized by some cities. EU: 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. All EU member states except Romania follow the ruling. Cambodia: Recognition of a "declaration of family relationship", which may be useful in matters such as housing, but they are not legally binding. China: Guardianship agreements, conferring some limited legal benefits, including decisions about medical and personal care. HK: Inheritance, guardianship rights, and residency rights for foreign spouses of legal residents. India: Courts have recognised guru–shishya, nata pratha or maitri karar–type contractual relationships, but they are not legally binding. Japan: Some cities and prefectures issue partnership certificates, but they are not legally binding. Namibia: Marriages conducted abroad between a Namibian national and a foreign spouse recognized for residency rights. Romania: Hospital visitation rights through a "legal representative" status. * Not yet in effect
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Same-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands since 1 April 2001.^[1][2] A bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriage was passed in the House of Representatives by 109 votes to 33 on 12 September 2000 and by the Senate by 49 votes to 26 on 19 December 2000. The law received royal assent by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on 21 December 2000 and took effect on 1 April 2001. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, special municipalities of the Netherlands, since 10 October 2012. The three other constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao,^[3] and Sint Maarten, do not perform same-sex marriages.