Same Sex Families in Europe
"Legal jungle: same-sex families trapped between EU countries" (from ILGA - Europe) highlights the key problems and discrimination same sex families and their children experience due to the lack of mutual recognition of civil status of their families.
A number of countries in Europe have introduced legislative measures to address some of the issues highlighted above by allowing both members of a same-sex couple to become legal parents of the same child.
European laws on adoption by same-sex couples
Country | LGBT individual may petition to adopt | Same-sex couple may jointly petition to adopt | Same-sex partner may petition to adopt partner's child | Same-sex couples allowed to foster or stepchild foster |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belgium | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Denmark | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Estonia | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Finland | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
France | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Germany | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Iceland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Ireland | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Italy | No | No | No | No (but singles can foster) |
Latvia | Yes | No | No | No |
Lithuania | No (only in exceptional circumstances) | No | No | No |
Netherlands | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Norway | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Poland | Yes | No | No | No |
Portugal | Yes | No | No | No (but singles can foster) |
Spain | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sweden | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |