In the year since Latvia introduced the Partnership Institute, 235 same-sex partnerships have been officially registered, according to the Latvian Council of Sworn Notaries.
As of the 1st of July, a total of 613 partnerships have been recorded in the Physical Persons Register. Of these, 235 were between same-sex couples, while 378 involved opposite-sex couples. In 25 cases, partnerships were registered based on court rulings.
During the same period, 19 partnerships have ended. Nine were terminated because the couples decided to marry, another nine due to the death of one of the partners, and one was ended by mutual agreement.
The Partnership Institute grants two adult individuals—regardless of gender—the legal right to formalize their relationship through a notarized act before a sworn notary. Such legal registration provides couples with legal, economic, and social protections at the national level.
Aigars Kaupe, Chair of the Council of Sworn Notaries, believes that
the number of partnerships registered in the first year proves that this new legal mechanism is both needed and welcomed
by society. It meets public needs and strengthens legal clarity in relationships.
According to Kaupe, the “key to success” lies in the clarity and simplicity of the regulation—partnerships are easy to enter into and just as easy to terminate. Most importantly, a registered partnership ensures legal, economic, and social safeguards at the national level.
“Registering a partnership allows individuals to fully participate in each other’s lives, even in critical situations, and grants access to social guarantees. Therefore, I encourage all couples—regardless of gender—who live together to use this opportunity to formalize their relationship at a notary’s office,” Kaupe urges.
Those who register a partnership gain several legal protections, including eligibility for personal income tax relief on mutual gifts and loans, the right for one partner to make medical decisions if the other becomes incapacitated, and social security guarantees in the event of a partner’s death. Registered partners may also receive family-equivalent protection when relocating to other European Union countries, exercising one of the EU’s core principles—freedom of movement.
By law, a registered partnership is not equivalent to marriage. Unlike marriage, a partnership does not provide for property rights or inheritance between partners.
Partnerships cannot be registered by individuals who are already married, in a partnership, or closely related (direct-line relatives, siblings, half-siblings).
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