Marriage between cousins and other close relatives to be prohibited
Published:
The Riksdag voted in favour of the Government’s proposal to ban marriage between cousins and marriage where one partner is a direct descendant of the other’s siblings.
The Riksdag voted in favour of the Government’s proposal to ban marriage between cousins and marriage where one partner is a direct descendant of the other’s siblings.
The decision also means that it will no longer be possible for half-brothers and half-sisters or siblings through adoption to be granted permission to marry. Furthermore, marriages between cousins in another country will, as a rule, not be recognised in Sweden.
The purpose of the amendments is to counteract honour-based oppression, violence and other pressure connected with entering into marriage.
The amendments will come into force on 1 July 2026.
Committee report (In Swedish):
Kusinäktenskap och äktenskap mellan andra nära släktingar förbjuds (CU33)