politics
March 21, 2026
Poland must recognize same-sex marriages from other EU countries, top court rules
Poland’s top court has mandated recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other EU member states, despite such unions not being legal domestically
TL;DR
- Poland's Supreme Administrative Court has ordered local authorities to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other EU countries.
- This ruling follows a decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) last year.
- Same-sex marriages cannot be legally concluded in Poland due to its constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
- The court's decision allows for the registration of foreign same-sex marriage certificates for administrative and residency purposes.
- Pro-LGBTQ groups consider this a 'first step' towards legislative changes.
- A draft bill to recognize civil partnerships, including for same-sex couples, faced pushback from conservative government partners and opposition parties.
- President Karol Nawrocki opposes bills that would undermine the constitutional definition of marriage.
- The ECJ ruling stated that Poland violated EU law by refusing to recognize a same-sex marriage registered in Germany.
- The ECJ ruling applies to all 27 EU member states, including those that do not recognize same-sex marriages.
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