Poland's Court Rules to Recognize Same-Sex Marriages from EU Countries

By WSN Editorial TeamTech ReporterMarch 20, 20263 min readUpdated less than an hour ago

A landmark ruling in Poland mandates recognition of EU same-sex marriages, advancing LGBTQ+ rights amid the country's conservative laws.

Poland's Supreme Administrative Court ruled on March 20, 2026, that same-sex marriages conducted in other European Union countries must be recognized in Poland. This decision stems from a case involving a Polish couple who married in Germany in 2018 and were initially denied registration in Warsaw due to Poland's domestic laws defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

The ruling aligns with a November 2025 decision by the European Court of Justice, which stated that EU member states cannot refuse to recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed elsewhere in the bloc. The court emphasized that registering such marriages in Poland does not threaten the country's fundamental legal principles or national identity.

Court's Rationale and Implications

In its explanation, the court noted that while Polish law maintains marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, recognizing foreign same-sex marriages under EU freedom-of-movement rules does not interfere with Poland's authority over its family laws. This marks a significant step for LGBTQ+ rights in Poland, one of the EU's most socially conservative nations.

Rights groups estimate that between 30,000 and 40,000 Polish citizens have entered same-sex marriages abroad. The ruling could enable many of these unions to be formally recognized in Poland, though uncertainty remains about whether marriages by couples not living long-term in another EU country will qualify.

Poland is among only four EU countries—Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia—that do not recognize same-sex unions domestically. Despite this, a 2025 Ipsos poll indicated that 62% of Poles support some form of legal recognition for same-sex unions, reflecting shifting public attitudes.

Previously, some Polish municipalities had declared themselves 'LGBT-free zones,' but these measures were fully repealed by 2025. The court's decision was met with applause in the courtroom, where activists and same-sex couples gathered, according to reports from the scene.