Hong Kong’s government released a proposal to come up with a registration system that would recognize LGBTQIA+ partnerships formed overseas, thereby granting such couples more rights in the city.
The proposal submitted to the legislature would specifically allow registration for LGBTQIA+ adult couples who married, formed civil partnerships or civil unions overseas, as long as these relationships were legally recognized in those jurisdictions and one of them is a Hong Kong resident.
After the registration, the couples would be granted rights including:
- the ability to participate in medical decisions for their loved ones, provided consent is given;
- the right to handle after-death matters for their partners, including claiming the bodies and deciding whether their remains can be used for medical treatment, education or research; and
- for mentally incapacitated adult patients, their partners can take part in the decisions as guardians.
Currently, LGTQIA+ couples cannot get married or register for civil partnerships in Hong Kong. However, same-sex marriages registered abroad are recognized for taxation and civil service benefits and other practical reasons, such as dependent visas.
The government’s proposal is a response to the top court’s landmark ruling in 2023 that ordered authorities to establish a framework recognizing LGBTQIA+ marriage, giving the government two years to do so.
