Recognition of same-sex unions in Serbia

[1] Serbia does not recognise civil partnerships (Serbian: грађанско партнерство,[2] građansko partnerstvo, pronounced [ɡrâdʑanskoː pârtnerstvo])[a] which would offer same-sex couples a subset of the rights, benefits and obligations of marriage.

However, Serbia is obliged under the European Court of Human Rights' ruling in Fedotova and Others v. Russia to provide legal recognition to same-sex unions.

[3] The court later issued similar rulings with respect to Poland in Przybyszewska and Others, Romania in Buhuceanu and Others, Bulgaria in Koilova and Babulkova, and Ukraine in Maymulakhin and Markiv.

The law would have allowed hospital visitation and inheritance rights for same-sex partners, although it was unknown whether this would be in the form of unregistered cohabitation or registered partnerships.

[9][10] In November 2020, the Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Gordana Čomić, announced that a law on same-sex partnerships would be brought before Parliament in the first half of 2021.

"[13] Čomić responded that the bill did not modify the institution of marriage, but instead dealt with issues such as hospital visitation and inheritance rights.

"[20][21] A new draft partnership bill was introduced to the National Assembly on 3 September 2024 by members of the Green–Left Front, including Rastislav Dinić, Biljana Đorđević, Jelena Jerinić, Robert Kozma, Radomir Lazović, Marina Mijatović, Đorđe Pavićević, Bogdan Radovanović, Natalija Stojmenović and Dobrica Veselinović.

In 2021, Patriarch Porfirije stated that he "understands that people with that type of sexual orientation have countless administrative problems, challenges, pressures, and sometimes even the need to regulate their own status".