Marriage and civil partnership are two legal frameworks that regulate cohabitation between two individuals in Greece, but they also present certain differences on legal, social, and religious levels.
- Type and Ceremony
Marriage:
- Can be civil (before a mayor or deputy mayor) or religious (before a priest or other religious official).
- Has a ceremonial character.
Civil Partnership:
- Is a private agreement signed before a notary and does not require any ceremony.
- Gender of the Parties
Marriage:
- Since 2024, marriage between same-sex couples is permitted in Greece (previously, only heterosexual couples were allowed).
Civil Partnership:
- Permitted for both heterosexual and same-sex couples since 2015 (Law 4356/2015).
- Marriage:
- Can be dissolved through divorce (either judicial procedure or mutual agreement via a notary).
Civil Partnership:
- Can be easily dissolved by a unilateral or joint declaration exclusively before a notary.
- Property and Inheritance Rights
- Civil partnerships allow the option of maintaining separate property between the parties and also provide the possibility to waive statutory inheritance shares in advance. This constitutes a major difference compared to marriage.
- Other Characteristics of Civil Partnership
- Civil partnerships are simpler, more flexible, and suitable for couples seeking legal recognition without a ceremony or religious context.