Taiwan recognizes gay marriages between Taiwanese and Chinese

September 19 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Taipei, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, announced Friday that gay couples made up of Taiwanese and Chinese spouses will be able to register their marriage on Taiwanese territory.

Taiwan’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that in order to “protect marriage equality,” these couples will be able to benefit from the current legislation affecting spouses of the opposite sex on both sides of the Strait.

Chinese-Taiwanese couples must first marry abroad and have to undergo an interview with authorities to verify the relevant documents, either at embassies or at border control.

The legalisation of gay marriage, recognised in 2019, came after Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples had the right to marry in a context where neither China nor Hong Kong recognise them.