Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage in Spain

Date: July 3, 2005 • Location: Madrid, Spain

Same-sex marriage became legal in Spain under a law passed by the Cortes Generales.

Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage or same-gender marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal sex or gender. As of 2026, marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 billion people. The most recent jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage is Thailand; legalization has also been mandated for Nepal.