The first milestone victory on the legal front came in 1996 with the passing of laws on confirmed cohabitation, but even so, gays and lesbians were still barred from adopting or seeking assisted pregnancies in Iceland’s free public hospitals. Another breakthrough was on Christopher Street Day, June 27 2006 when laws improving the legal status of gays and lesbians in Iceland took effect and in 2010 same-sex marriage was legalised in Iceland replacing the older legislation of confirmed cohabitation. This means the wording of marriage legislation includes matrimony between “man and man, woman and woman” and upgrades same sex marriege to be fully equal with marriage.
Two individuals of the same sex can register their cohabitation with the National Register (Borgartún 24) and thereby receive the same social rights as heterosexuals with regards to social security, taxation, labour law and municipal social services. Icelandic citizens do not need to be residents of Iceland to register a partnership.
