Same-sex marriage in Nepal

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Nepal since 18 June 2026, when the Supreme Court issued a binding order to the government to recognise same-sex marriages. Prior to this decision, the legal status of same-sex marriage in Nepal had been the subject of lengthy litigation. In November 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in Sunil Babu Pant v. Nepal Government that the government must ensure equal rights for same-sex couples, and recommended legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but did not itself legalize same-sex marriage. The government subsequently delayed enacting comprehensive legislation recognizing same-sex unions. Despite repeated commitments to introduce a same-sex marriage bill, the Federal Parliament enacted the National Code of Nepal in 2018 that explicitly defines marriage as the union of "a man and a woman". In addition, the Constitution of Nepal, approved in September 2015, includes "gender and sexual minorities" as a protected category, but does not specifically address same-sex marriages.

On 28 June 2023, Supreme Court Justice Til Prasad Shrestha issued an interim order directing the government to establish a "separate register" for "sexual minorities and non-traditional couples" and to "temporarily register them" pending a final verdict by the full Supreme Court bench. Despite the directive, the Kathmandu District Court denied a same-sex couple's application to marry on 13 July 2023. The couple appealed to the Patan High Court, which also rejected the application on 6 October. However, the couple was issued a "temporary" marriage license in their home Lamjung District on 29 November 2023. On 24 April 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a circular instructing local registration authorities to "temporarily" enter same-sex marriages into a separate record. However, the Ministry confirmed in May 2025 that these "temporary" certificates did not grant same-sex couples all the legal protections and benefits of marriage. Over the following years, thirty-five marriages were documented by local LGBT rights organizations, with nine confirmed by local media reports. Same-sex couples remained in legal limbo until 18 June 2026, when the Supreme Court delivered a final verdict in the case, ordering the government to recognise same-sex marriages.