Lithuania has allowed same-sex couples to register civil partnerships through the courts since 17 April 2025, when the Constitutional Court of Lithuania ordered the Seimas to legislate to allow civil unions granting same-sex couples some legal rights and benefits. The court also opened the possibility for same-sex couples to register civil partnerships through the courts, even in the absence of specific legislation.

Lithuania does not recognise same-sex marriages, which are explicitly prohibited by the Lithuanian Constitution.

Civil partnerships Background In 2011, the Constitutional Court of Lithuania ruled that the family does not derive exclusively from marriage, opening the possibility for partnerships or other forms of legal recognition to be introduced to same-sex couples. On 25 March 2015, nine MPs from the Social Democratic Party and the Liberals' Movement introduced a civil partnership bill to the Seimas.9 MPs register bill on same-sex partnershipCivilinio kodekso 3.1, 3.3, 3.16, 3.140, 3.150, 3.194, 3.229, 3.230, 3.231, 3.234, 3.235 straipsnių ir III knygos III dalies ir VI skyriaus pavadinimų pakeitimo, Kodekso papildymo 3.230(1) ir 3.230(2) straipsniais, bei 3.232 ir 3.233 straipsnių pripažinimo netekusiais galios Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius expressed opposition to the bill.PM against legalisation of same-sex partnerships On 6 May 2015, the Committee on Legal Affairs announced that it could find no constitutional barriers to same-sex civil partnerships. However, the bill was not voted on and died at the end of the legislative session in November 2016. A similar bill was introduced by deputies from the Liberal Movement on 30 May 2017,Civilinio kodekso 2.18, 2.19, 3.3, 3.16, 3.140, 3.141, 3.143, 3.146, 3.147, 3.150, 3.155 straipsnių, Kodekso Trečiosios knygos VI dalies XV skyriaus ir 5.13, 6.588, 6.590, 6.744 straipsnių pakeitimo įstatymo projektas but was rejected at first reading in a 29–59 vote with 20 abstentions on 15 June 2017. Seime žlugo bandymas įteisinti vyro ir moters bei homoseksualų partnerystę

In 2017, the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union and the Homeland Union proposed a bill to establish "cohabitation agreements" () as an alternative to civil partnerships. The proposed legislation would have guaranteed same-sex partners hospital visitation rights and the right to inherit a late partner's property. MP Povilas Urbšys, one of the authors of the proposal, said: "Our registered project will effectively contribute to legal clarity, regulate property rights and some property unrelated relations between people living together and will also help to avoid negative consequences when the cohabitation is dissolved."Lithuanian Peasant and Green Party Propose “Cohabitation Agreements” Instead of Partnerships The proposal, which was criticised by LGBT groups, explicitly stipulated that the cohabitants entering the agreement did not intend to create family relations. The proposal was preliminarily approved by the Seimas with 46 votes for, 17 votes against and 6 abstentions on 31 May 2017, and sent to further consideration.Seimas Approves the Proposal on “Cohabitation Agreements” as Alternative to Partnership Law Civilinio kodekso 6.589, 6.969, 6.971, 6.973, 6.978 straipsnių pakeitimo įstatymo projektas On 25 October 2017, the Lithuanian Government announced its support for the bill, DĖL LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS CIVILINIO KODEKSO 6.589, 6.969, 6.971, 6.973, 6.978 STRAIPSNIŲ PAKEITIMO ĮSTATYMO PROJEKTO NR. XIIIP-750 IR LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS PAVELDIMO TURTO MOKESČIO ĮSTATYMO NR. IX-1239 7 STRAIPSNIO PAKEITIMO ĮSTATYMO PROJEKTO NR. XIIIP-751 but it stalled and was not voted on before the end of the legislative session. On 14 February 2018, appearing at a demonstration in Vilnius, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis called on the Seimas to pass a same-sex partnership law.Lithuanian Prime Minister Wants Same-Sex Partnerships Law Of the eight candidates running in the 2019 presidential election, five expressed support for registered partnerships, including the eventual winner of the election, Gitanas Nausėda. The other three candidates expressed support for limited legal rights such as inheritance and property rights, among others.

Failed attempts in 2021–2025 In December 2020, MP Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius from the Freedom Party said that the government would submit a civil partnership bill to Parliament in March 2021. The bill's introduction was a condition for creating the ruling coalition formed following the 2020 parliamentary election. In May 2021, an estimated 10,000 people demonstrated in Vilnius to oppose the partnership legislation. On 25 May 2021, the civil partnership bill was defeated at first reading, receiving 63 votes in favour, two short of the 65 required. Raskevičius said the bill would be brought back to Parliament in an amended form during the autumn session.

Legislation creating civil unions was drafted by a group of MPs and introduced to Parliament in May 2022. The proposal was a compromise after the more expansive civil partnership bill was defeated in 2021. The legislation would establish civil unions offering some of the rights and benefits of marriage, including joint property ownership and the ability to make medical decisions for a partner, while not allowing for joint adoption. On 26 May 2022, it passed first reading in the Seimas by 70 votes in favour, 49 votes against and 6 abstentions. On the same day, an alternative draft amendment to the Civil Code aiming to "regulate the recognition of a person's right to close relations" also passed its first reading, with 70 votes in favour, 23 votes against and 30 abstentions. Actress Elžbieta Latanaitė said in response, "My feelings are mixed after the vote. On the one hand, the parliament took a step towards Europe, towards Western values. But on the other hand, there's nothing joyous that even such a restrained bill cannot pass without a big fight, with powerful homophobes hurling insults at citizens who want equal rights". President Gitanas Nausėda declined to take an official position on the bills, but in a September 2023 interview said that efforts to allow same-sex unions were "a sign of a civilized state".

+26 May 2022 vote in the Seimas Party Voted for Voted against Abstained Absent (Did not vote) Homeland Union – Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union – Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" Liberals' Movement – Social Democratic Party Freedom Party – – – Labour Party – Lithuanian Regions Political Group – – Independent – – – Total 49 6 16

In September 2022, the Committee on Legal Affairs approved the civil union bill 6–1 and recommended that the Seimas pass it and reject the alternative "close connection agreement" bill. In April 2023, the Vilnius District Court rejected a same-sex couple's request to enter into a civil partnership, ruling that Lithuania lacked a partnership law and that the matter was for Parliament to address. The civil union bill passed its second reading on 23 May 2023 by a vote of 60–52 with 3 abstentions. Some lawmakers expressed doubts that the bill would receive a third reading before the May 2024 presidential election. In June 2024, the Freedom Party announced it would block the government's candidate for European Commissioner until it agreed to pass the civil union bill. In the last few days of the legislative session in July 2024, the parties came to an agreement on the civil union bill and placed it on the agenda for a vote on the final day of the session. Although the Social Democrats had campaigned on supporting civil unions, they announced they would boycott the final reading, meaning the bill would be unable to pass without their votes. On 25 July, the government voluntarily pulled the bill from the schedule rather than allowing it to fail, which would allow it to be brought back by a new parliament following the October parliamentary election rather than starting the process over again.

The election resulted in the formation of a government composed of the Social Democrats and two socially-conservative parties, the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" and the Dawn of Nemunas, which oppose registered partnerships. In November, the Dawn of Nemunas party expressed its opposition to including the draft partnership bill in the new coalition's governing programme. President Nausėda expressed opposition to the bill in February 2025.

2025 Constitutional Court ruling and aftermath In early April 2025, the Constitutional Court announced it would hear oral arguments in a case filed by the previous government that denying same-sex couples the possibility to solemnize their partnerships "violates the constitutional principle of equality, discriminates against same-sex couples who have effectively formed family relationships, and violates their constitutional rights to legal protection of dignity and private life". On 17 April 2025, the court ruled that the lack of legal recognition for same-sex couples was unconstitutional. It found that article 3.229 of the Civil Code, which permitted partnerships exclusively between "a man and a woman", violated the Constitution. In addition, it ruled that the lack of legal recognition of same-sex partnerships contradicted the principles of human dignity and respect for private and family life, and that societal stereotypes could not justify denying or restricting fundamental rights and freedoms. Consequently, the court mandated the Lithuanian Parliament to enact legislation recognizing same-sex civil partnerships. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court also opened a legal pathway for same-sex couples to register civil partnerships through the courts, even in the absence of specific legislation.Absence of same-sex partnerships in Lithuania 'unconstitutional', rules court The first same-sex union was recognised in Vilnius in August 2025.

On 24 April, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas stated that the government would prepare legislation to legalise gender-neutral partnerships. "The Ministry of Justice will definitely prepare some proposals. Whether there is political will in the Seimas to resolve the rights of a certain group, we will see", said Paluckas. Such legislation would likely establish civil unions (, ) offering some of the rights and benefits of marriage. On 17 June, Speaker Saulius Skvernelis said the government would not put the bill on the parliamentary agenda, because "the government believes it should bring forward its own bill and restart the whole process". If passed, the bill is expected to come into force on 1 July 2026. In early November, a cross-party group of MPs introduced their own civil union bill after Minister of Justice Rita Tamašunienė said she would not prepare a government-backed partnership bill. In March 2026, a group of conservative lawmakers introduced a motion to conduct a referendum on banning same-sex unions in the Lithuanian Constitution, accusing the Constitutional Court of having introduced "chaos in the legal system" with its April 2025 ruling.

Same-sex marriage

Constitutional ban Same-sex marriage is not legal in Lithuania, as the Civil Code defines marriage as a "voluntary agreement between a man and a woman". Moreover, an additional article in the Civil Code explicitly bans same-sex marriages. Nevertheless, a drive to amend the Constitution of Lithuania to ban same-sex marriages was reportedly under way in December 2005 by a social conservative member of the Seimas who had started collecting signatures."Lithuania could follow in Latvia's footsteps on banning gay marriage" The Baltic Times, December 24, 2005 MP Julius Sabatauskas, however, denounced the plan as unnecessary as "the Constitution already bans same-sex marriage". Article 38 of the Constitution states: "Marriage shall be concluded upon the free mutual consent of man and woman."

Recognition of marriages performed abroad