Hundreds of couples register same-sex marriage, first foreign spouse applies for family visa

Hundreds of same-sex couples registered marriages around Taiwan today, as legislation passed May 17 came into effect.

According to an SETN report, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) recorded 363 same-sex marriage registrations nationwide by 2:00pm, including 116 male couples, and 247 female couples.

As some Household Registration offices will be open until 8:30pm, the MOI will release the final figures for today’s marriage registrations at 9:00pm.

China Times reports that the National Immigration Agency (NIA) received the first same-sex partner application for a family residence visa at around 10:00am at the Taipei City Service Center.

The application was filed by a South African woman immediately after her marriage to her Taiwanese partner was registered at the Household Registration Office.

NIA officials said that since the marriage equality legislation came into effect today, same-sex partners from 26 countries where same-sex marriage is legal can apply for family resident visas, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Spain, the United States, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Malta. , Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Argentina.

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