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First Official Recognition in Poland

The Warsaw City Hall has officially recorded a marriage between a same-sex couple who wed in another EU member state. This unprecedented move signifies a significant advancement for the rights of homosexual couples in Poland.

The Mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, announced in a press conference that “this morning, we have completed the first recording” of a foreign same-sex marriage in the Polish civil registry.

Backed by European Justice

This recognition follows a ruling made in March by Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court (NSA), which decided that same-sex marriages conducted in other EU countries must be acknowledged by Polish authorities.

This decision aligns with a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union in November 2025, which mandated EU member states to ensure administrative recognition of such unions when they are legally officiated elsewhere in the Union.

A Procedure Sparked by a Berlin-Married Couple

The married couple involved, Jakub Cupriak-Trojan and Mateusz Trojan, have officially received a Polish marriage certificate after years of bureaucratic challenges.

Married in Berlin in 2018, the couple intended to settle in Poland. However, their request for registration was initially denied by Warsaw’s civil registry, in keeping with the Polish Constitution, which still defines marriage strictly as a union between a man and a woman.

Thanks to the European Court’s ruling, the couple eventually succeeded in their efforts. “We are pleased and hope that the subsequent recordings, awaited by many couples, will be processed without unnecessary delays,” they expressed to OKO.press.

LGBT+ Associations Celebrate a Historic Shift

This announcement has been widely celebrated by LGBT+ rights organizations in Poland. The magazine Replika, which advocates for this community, described this recognition as a “historic moment” and a significant turning point for the rights of homosexual couples in the country.

The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, had hinted only days earlier that such an administrative decision was forthcoming. He emphasized that recognizing same-sex couples is primarily about human dignity and rights.

No Change to Same-Sex Marriage Laws in Poland

This administrative progress does not alter the national legislation concerning same-sex marriage. Polish homosexual couples still cannot marry or enter into civil unions within the national territory.

Poland remains one of the few European countries, alongside Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia, that do not recognize any form of same-sex union.

Thousands of Couples Affected

Human rights organizations estimate that between 30,000 and 40,000 same-sex marriages involving Polish citizens have been conducted abroad in recent years.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association consistently ranks Poland among the least progressive European countries regarding LGBT+ rights, despite recent developments in some major cities.

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