Unregistered cohabitation

Legal status in some jurisdictions

Part of the LGBT rights series

Legal status of
same-sex unions

Marriage

Recognized

Israel⁵

Civil unions and
registered partnerships

Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands:
• Aruba
San Marino
United Kingdom:
• Bermuda
• Cayman Islands

Minimal recognition

Bulgaria⁶
Cambodia:⁷
• 68 communes
China:⁸
• Hong Kong⁹
India¹⁰
Japan¹¹
• 462 jurisdictions

Lithuania⁶
Namibia¹²
Netherlands:¹
• Curaçao
• St Maarten
Poland⁶
Romania¹³
Slovakia⁶

See also

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. Some member states, including Romania, do not 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

Unregistered cohabitation is a legal status (sometimes de facto) given to same-sex or opposite-sex couples in certain jurisdictions.^[1] They may be similar to common-law marriages.

More specifically, unregistered cohabitation may refer to:

Unregistered cohabitation in Australia and De facto relationships in Australia^[a]
- Domestic relationships and domestic partnerships in the Australian Capital Territory^[a]
- Domestic relationships in New South Wales^[a]
- De facto unions in the Northern Territory
- De facto unions in Norfolk Island^[a]
- De facto relationships in Queensland^[a]
- Close personal relationships in South Australia^[a]
- Personal relationships in Tasmania^[a]
- Domestic relationships in Victoria^[a]
- De facto unions in Western Australia
Various de facto relationships in Canada^[a]
- Adult interdependent relationship in Alberta^[a]
- Common-law relationships in Manitoba^[a]
- Domestic partnership in Nova Scotia^[a]
- Civil unions and de facto relationships in Quebec
De facto unions in Colombia^[a]
Unregistered cohabitation in Croatia
Unregistered cohabitation in Israel^[a]
Samenlevingscontract in the Netherlands^[a]
De facto relationships in New Zealand^[a]
Unregistered cohabitation in Poland
Unregistered cohabitation in San Marino^[a]
Unregistered cohabitation in Spain^[a]

Some other countries and sub-national regions recognize unregistered cohabitation, as listed in the Civil union article.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r Also recognizes another form of same-sex unions (marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships).

References

^ Mahoney, Margaret (2005). "Forces Shaping the Law of Cohabitation of Opposite Sex Couples". University of Pittsburgh School of Law. p. 163. Retrieved 3 December 2023.