Hungarian court rules to acknowledge same-sex marriages abroad as equivalent to civil partnership

An important battle has been won in the recognition of rights of same-sex couples living in Hungary. On Wednesday the Budapest District Court ruled that the Hungarian state administration must acknowledge the marriage of same-sex couples abroad as equivalent to registered partnerships in Hungary. The court left the first-instance verdict and its reasoning from April 2017 in place whereby an American-Hungarian lesbian couple sued the Budapest Civil Registrar for refusing to acknowledge their marriage in Belgium, so the American citizen could not get a residence permit as a family member in Hungary.

Sophie in ‘t Veld, ALDE’s First Vice President expressed her satisfaction with the court’s ruling: “I’m delighted to see that yet another EU Member State takes steps in the right direction to remove unnecessary hurdles that impede the everyday life of same sex couples. Members of the LGBTI community should enjoy the same rights all across the EU, transcending borders, putting them in different boxes would be a sheer sign of discrimination.”

According to the ruling of the Court of First Instance, the refusal of the Civil Registrar violated the fundamental rights of the person concerned by denying the legal recognition of long-term cohabitation, which is recognized by the Hungarian legal system since 2009. Yesterday’s decision of the District Court has also overruled the resolution of the Ministry of Justice in the matter and confirms the recognition of rights of sex same couples.