Civil partnership in the United Kingdom information
Form of civil union granted under the Civil Partnership Act 2004
This article is about the UK relationship status. For Irish status of the same name, see Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010.
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Civil partnership in the United Kingdom" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(August 2022)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
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
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Luxembourg
Malta
Mexico
Netherlands1
New Zealand2
Norway
Portugal
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
United Kingdom3
United States4
Uruguay
Recognized
Israel5
Civil unions and registered partnerships
Bolivia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Hungary
Italy
Israel5
Latvia*
Liechtenstein
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands:
• Aruba
San Marino
United Kingdom:
• Bermuda
• Cayman Islands
Minimal recognition
Bulgaria6
Cambodia:7
• 68 communes
China:8
• Hong Kong9
India10
Japan11
• 460 jurisdictions
Lithuania6
Namibia12
Netherlands:1
• Curaçao
• St Maarten
Poland6
Romania13
Slovakia6
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
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
LGBT portal
v
t
e
Part of a series on
LGBT rights in the United Kingdom
By location
United Kingdom
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Crown dependencies
Guernsey
Jersey
Isle of Man
Overseas Territories
Anguilla
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Montserrat
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Turks and Caicos Islands
Same-sex marriage by territory
United Kingdom
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Guernsey
Jersey
Isle of Man
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Policy aspects
Sexual orientation
Adoption
Age of consent
Blood donation
Christian nation
Civil partnership
History of violence
HIV/AIDS
Military policy
Same-sex marriage
Gender identity, sex and intersex
Transgender rights
Intersex rights
NHS Gender Identity Development Service
Gender Recognition Panel
Legislation
Criminality
Buggery Act 1533
Offences Against the Person Act 1828
Offences Against the Person Act 1861
Labouchere Amendment
Wolfenden report
Sexual Offences Act 1967
Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980
Homosexual Offences Order 1982
Section 28
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
Sexual Offences Act 2003
Policing and Crime Act 2017
Alan Turing law
Merchant Shipping (Homosexual Conduct) Act 2017
Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Act 2018
Protection and recognition
Public Order Act 1986
Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999
National AIDS Trust v NHS Service Commissioning Board (2016)
Culture
By city
Brighton
Cardiff
London
Liverpool
Leeds
Manchester
Gay villages
Birmingham Gay Village
The Calls
Canal Street (Manchester)
Old Compton Street
Pride Quarter, Liverpool
Vauxhall
Gay male
Polari
Saunas
Cruising
Organisations
LGBT advocacy & support
Stonewall
Hall–Carpenter Archives
Black Gay Men's Advisory Group
Akt
Naz and Matt Foundation
FFLAG
LGBT Foundation
LGBT Network
Outright Scotland
Switchboard (UK)
NUS LGBT
LGBT+ Liberal Democrats
LGBT+ Conservatives
LGBT+ Labour
Labour Campaign for Trans Rights
Mermaids
Press for Change
The Gender Trust
Pride events
BiCon (UK)
Big Gay Out
Birmingham Pride
Bourne Free
Brighton Pride
Bristol Pride
Doncaster Pride
GFest – gayWise LGBT Arts Festival
Glasgay! Festival
Homotopia (Liverpool)
Leeds Pride
Leicester Pride
LGBT History Month
BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival
Manchester Pride
Mr Gay UK
Mr Gay Wales
Northern Pride
Nottinghamshire Pride
Pride Cymru
Pride Glasgow
Pride in Hull
Pride in Liverpool
Pride in London
Pride Scotia
Reading Pride
Swansea Pride
Worthing Pride
Former groups
OutRage!
Campaign for Homosexual Equality
Homosexual Law Reform Society
Gay Liberation Front
Gay Rights Working Party
Order of Chaeronea
History
Topics
Timeline
List of politicians
First LGBT officeholders
Violence against LGBT people
HIV/AIDS crisis
Death penalty
Timeline
342
MSM activity made illegal
1533
Death penalty introduced for MSM activity
1543
Buggery Act extended to Wales
1828
Offences Against the Person Act 1828
1835
James Pratt and John Smith executed
1861
Death penalty for buggery abolished
1885
Labouchere Amendment introduced
1889
Cleveland Street scandal
1895
Oscar Wilde found guilty of gross indecency
1912
The Cave of the Golden Calf opens
1921
Plans to make lesbian activity illegal defeated
1936
Mark Weston transitions
1952
John Nott-Bower begins crackdown
1954
Pitt-Rivers, Montagu, Wildeblood imprisoned
1954
Alan Turing commits suicide
1957
Wolfenden report released
1967
MSM activity made legal (England & Wales)
1972
First British Gay Pride Rally
1976
Jeremy Thorpe resigns as Liberal leader
1981
MSM activity made legal (Scotland)
1981
First case of AIDS reported in the UK
1982
MSM activity made legal (NI)
1983
Gay men barred from donating blood
1984
Chris Smith elected as first openly gay MP
1987
Operation Spanner begins
1988
Section 28 comes into force
1989
Stonewall UK forms
1994
Age of consent for MSM becomes 18
1997
Angela Eagle becomes first openly lesbian MP
1998
Bolton 7 found guilty
1998
Lord Alli becomes first openly gay Lord
1999
Admiral Duncan bombing
2000
Gay men allowed in HM Armed Forces
2001
Age of consent equalised to 16
2001
MSM activity involving multiple men legal
2002
Same sex couples granted equal rights to adopt
2003
Section 28 repealed
2004
Civil partnerships introduced
2004
Gender Recognition Act 2004
2006
Discrimination made illegal
2008
Equalised access to IVF for lesbian couples
2008
Incitement to homophobic hatred made a crime
2009
Public apology to Alan Turing
2010
Equality Act 2010
2011
Gay men allowed to donate blood (1 yr deferral)
2013
Nikki Sinclaire becomes first openly trans MEP
2013
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
2014
First same-sex marriages take place
2016
MSM activity not grounds for military discharge
2017
Turing law implemented
2017
Blood donation deferral 3 months (excl. NI)
2019
MPs legislate for gay marriage in NI
2020
Gay marriage legal across UK, incl. NI
2020
Blood donation deferral 3 months (incl. NI)
2021
Blood donation deferral equalised
LGBT portal
v
t
e
Civil partnership in the United Kingdom is a form of civil union between couples open to both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples. It was introduced via the Civil Partnership Act 2004 by the Labour government. The Act initially permitted only same-sex couples to form civil partnerships, but the law was expanded to include opposite-sex couples in 2019.
and 26 Related for: Civil partnership in the United Kingdom information
CivilpartnershipintheUnitedKingdom is a form of civil union between couples open to both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples. It was introduced...
TheCivilPartnership Act 2004 (c. 33) is an Act of the Parliament of theUnitedKingdom, introduced by the Labour government, which grants civil partnerships...
of forming a marriage or civilpartnershipin England and Wales. For the purposes of capital gains tax, a married couple/civil partners can claim private...
A civil union (also known as a civilpartnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition...
Hawaii, a civil union in Colorado, a civil union in Illinois or a civilpartnershipintheUnitedKingdom would qualify as a domestic partnershipin California...
TheUnitedKingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as theUnitedKingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off...
if not married or in a civilpartnership. This has the effect that for means-tested benefits their resources are treated as held in common. There are...
enters civilpartnership or marriage, to assume the title The Honourable. This bill stalled, and was not passed by the end of the Parliament. In 2013,...
from that date. Prior to this, Civilpartnerships had been made available to same-sex couples intheUnitedKingdomin 2005, granting rights and responsibilities...
not be performed intheUnitedKingdom, and if a polygamous marriage is performed, the already-married person may be guilty of the crime of bigamy under...
A limited liability partnership (LLP) is a partnershipin which some or all partners (depending on the jurisdiction) have limited liabilities. It therefore...
from the year 2005 intheUnitedKingdom. Monarch – Elizabeth II Prime Minister – Tony Blair (Labour) 1 January New Year's celebrations all over the UK...
Events of the year 2023 intheUnitedKingdom. This is the year of the coronation of King Charles III. Monarch Charles III Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Conservative)...
The British Armed Forces are the military forces responsible for the defence of theUnitedKingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies...
optional), Baden (1860), and Hesse (1860) as well as theKingdom of Württemberg (1863) followed suit. Civil marriages enabled interfaith marriages as well as...
The accession of theUnitedKingdom to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has been on the current agenda...
intheUnitedKingdom form a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various ranks, and within the framework of the Constitution...
Washington use the term "domestic partnership" to mean what other jurisdictions call civil union, civilpartnership, or registered partnership. Other jurisdictions...
The economy of theUnitedKingdom is a highly developed social market economy. It is the sixth-largest national economy inthe world measured by nominal...
Sites intheUnitedKingdom and the British Overseas Territories. The UNESCO list contains one designated site in both England and Scotland (the Frontiers...
Global Information
LGBT portal
LGBT portal
