Recognition of same-sex unions in Cyprus

Legislation to establish a form of partnership known as civil cohabitation was introduced by the ruling Democratic Rally party in July 2015, and approved by the Cypriot Parliament in a 39–12 vote on 26 November 2015.

Same-sex marriage is not recognized in Cyprus, though President Nikos Christodoulides has expressed support for its legalisation.

[1] In 2010, the Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary, Lazaros Savvides, indicated that the Cypriot Government was considering whether to legalise same-sex marriage in Cyprus.

[2] This was followed in 2013 with an announcement by Interior Minister Eleni Mavrou that her ministry was working on a parliamentary bill to establish civil partnerships.

[8] In March 2014, the head of the Orthodox Church in Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, signalled his opposition to plans to introduce either civil partnership or marriage rights, urging churches to take a stand against homosexuality and accusing secular governments of "weakening moral integrity" through acknowledging equal rights to gay people: "When, for example, governments legalise not only plain civil partnership but 'homosexual marriage', the Church must be unequivocal in condemning homosexuality.

"[9] On 6 May 2015, the Council of Ministers approved a bill establishing gender-neutral "cohabitation agreements", offering many of the rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage.

[13] On 1 July, the House of Representatives decided to rename the proposed partnership recognition scheme to "civil cohabitation".

[31] A number of candidates running in the 2023 presidential election stated their support for same-sex marriage, including the winner, Nikos Christodoulides, and runner-up Andreas Mavroyiannis.

[33][34] In May 2024, Annita Demetriou, the President of the House of Representatives, said that "Cyprus is not yet ready" for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

[36] The Progressive Party of Working People, the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation and Volt Cyprus have expressed support for same-sex marriage.