Same-Sex Marriage in Greece for Foreign Couples

Same-Sex Marriage in Greece for Foreign Couples Since 2024

Since 16 February 2024, same-sex couples can marry in Greece. Law 5089/2024, on equality in civil marriage, changed the first line of the Civil Code's rules on marriage so that, in translation, marriage is contracted between two persons "of different or the same sex".

For couples from abroad, the wedding itself works the same way as any other civil wedding in Greece. The questions that need care come before and after it: the document your own country has to issue, and how your marriage is treated when you get home. This guide covers both, from official sources, and says plainly where the answer depends on your country.

TL;DR:

• Same-sex couples can have a civil wedding in Greece, before the mayor or a deputy, since February 2024. Religious ceremonies follow each church's own rules, and the Greek Orthodox Church does not marry same-sex couples.
• The procedure is the same as for any couple: documents filed in person, a licence about a week later, two adult witnesses, and registration within 40 days.
• Each foreign partner needs proof from their own country that they are free to marry. Check before you book that your country issues it for a same-sex marriage.
• Recognition at home depends on your country. Countries with marriage equality generally recognise a marriage lawfully made abroad, and an EU court ruling of November 2025 requires EU countries to recognise same-sex marriages made in another EU country.

What the law changed

Law 5089/2024 was published in the Government Gazette on 16 February 2024. Its main change is to Article 1350 of the Civil Code, which now opens, in translation: "Marriage is contracted between two persons of different or the same sex."

Greece's register of public procedures (mitos.gov.gr) now lists civil marriage for same-sex couples as its own procedure. It describes the ceremony as the couple declaring, in person, that they agree to marry, in front of two witnesses and the mayor or the mayor's deputy. It adds that a same-sex marriage is registered in the civil registry like any other.

The law covers civil marriage. The Interior Ministry's guidance to municipalities, issued on 4 March 2024, notes that it does not interfere with the freedom of the Orthodox Church or other religions known in Greece to set the conditions for their own ceremonies.

How a foreign same-sex couple marries in Greece

The steps are the same as for any foreign couple:

1. Documents. Each partner gets a certificate from their own country that there is no impediment to the marriage, plus a birth certificate translated into Greek, and a passport.
2. The licence. You file in person at the town hall. The mayor waits one week for objections, then issues a licence valid for six months.
3. The ceremony. You apply jointly to the town hall where you will marry, with both licences. You need two adult witnesses, who can be anyone, relatives included. Mitos lists the ceremony fee as €0 to €150, though some towns charge more for weekend or outdoor ceremonies.
4. Registration. The marriage is declared at the local registry (lixiarcheio) within 40 days.

Where and when you can marry depends on the municipality. Our guide to marrying on a Sunday, in a town hall or on a beach shows how much this varies. Document details by nationality are in our guides for EU citizens and Irish, Canadian and Australian citizens.

The document that needs checking first

Every foreign partner has to show the town hall a statement from their own country's authority that they are free to marry. For a same-sex couple, the question is whether your country will issue that for a same-sex marriage.

If your country has marriage equality, its certificate of freedom to marry or no-impediment process should work as it does for any couple, but confirm it with the issuing office before you book anything. If your country does not recognise same-sex marriage, it may not issue the document, and we could not find official Greek guidance on what a town hall does then. In that case, ask the town hall where you want to marry, in writing, and take advice from a lawyer who knows both countries' rules.

Will the marriage be recognised at home?

That depends on your country's law, not Greece's. What official sources say:

• European Union. On 25 November 2025, in case C-713/23, the EU Court of Justice ruled that EU countries must recognise a same-sex marriage between EU citizens that was lawfully concluded in another EU country, where the couple used their right to move and live within the EU. It does not require countries to introduce same-sex marriage themselves. Ask your own civil registry how it applies to you.
• Ireland. The Irish government says a marriage abroad is recognised in Ireland if it is entered on the civil register where the ceremony took place and the legal formalities were followed.
• Canada. The Government of Canada says marriages legally performed abroad are usually valid in Canada and don't need to be registered there. Same-sex marriage is legal in Canada.
• Australia. Smartraveller says an overseas marriage is usually recognised if it was valid where it took place and would have been valid under Australian law. Overseas marriages can't be registered in Australia.
• United States. The US Embassy in Athens advises checking recognition with your state.
• United Kingdom. GOV.UK recognises a foreign marriage that was lawful where it took place and would be allowed under UK law. Our Greece marriage laws guide covers the UK route.

Keep the Greek marriage certificate, and ask your home registry whether it wants an apostille or an official translation.

If one of you is Greek

Law 5089/2024 also deals with marriages that Greek citizens made abroad before it took effect. A same-sex marriage a Greek citizen entered into abroad, lawfully under the law of the place where it happened, is now treated as valid in Greece from the date it was made, unless one spouse has since married someone else, a Greek court had already ruled that it did not exist, or it has ended.

The law also recognises parenthood established abroad, and the Interior Ministry's guidance explains that adoption rules now apply to same-sex spouses. If children are part of your plans, talk to a family lawyer in Greece, because those rules have their own procedures.

Planning the wedding

Beyond the paperwork, plan as any couple would: choose the town, ask about its days and places for civil ceremonies, and book vendors who are a good fit for you. Ask each vendor directly about their experience with same-sex weddings. It is a fair question, and the answer tells you a lot.

For your guests, a wedding website holds the schedule, travel and what to expect in the languages your guests read, and wedding RSVP keeps replies in one place. More for couples marrying abroad is on our destination wedding in Greece page.

Ask us about your plans

We're not wedding planners. Email us at [email protected] and we'll suggest Greek vendors that fit your date, place and budget, and explain the paperwork for your nationalities. Neutral advice, free, and we pass your details to a vendor only once you say so.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreign same-sex couples get married in Greece? Yes. Since February 2024, Greek civil marriage is open to same-sex couples, and the procedure for foreigners is the same as for any couple. Each partner needs proof from their own country that they are free to marry, so check that your country issues it for a same-sex marriage.

Can same-sex couples have a church wedding in Greece? The law covers civil marriage. Religious ceremonies follow each church's own rules, and the Greek Orthodox Church does not marry same-sex couples.

Is a same-sex marriage from Greece recognised in other EU countries? Following the EU Court of Justice ruling of 25 November 2025, EU countries must recognise a same-sex marriage between EU citizens lawfully concluded in another EU country, in the circumstances the court described. Check with your civil registry.

What documents do we need? The same as any foreign couple: a no-impediment certificate or equivalent from your own country, a birth certificate translated into Greek and your passports. The town hall may ask for more, so ask for its list.

How long do we need to be in Greece? About ten days for a civil wedding, because the town hall waits a week after you file before issuing the licence.

Recommended

• Civil, Orthodox or Symbolic Wedding in Greece
• Getting Married in Greece as an EU Citizen
• Sunday, Town Hall or Beach Wedding in Greece: Rules
• Eloping in Greece: Paperwork, Witnesses, Places