New marriage rules in Austria: Prohibition of marriages and relatives!

Österreich plant neue Ehegesetze: Ab August 2025 sind Ehen unter 18 und zwischen Verwandten verboten.
Austria is planning new spouses: from August 2025 marriages are banned under 18 and between relatives. (Symbolbild/DNAT)

New marriage rules in Austria: Prohibition of marriages and relatives!

Austria plans to make extensive changes in the area of ​​marriage law, which are primarily aimed at the protection of young people and the prevention of children's marriages. According to 5min , a ban on the marriage is introduced, which should come into force from August 2025. Justice Minister Anna Sporrer emphasizes that it will no longer be possible in the future that 16- and 17-year-olds will get married under certain conditions, which will make existing exceptions.

Another essential point of the amendment to the law is the ban on marriages between relatives to fourth degrees, such as between cousins. This ban should not only strengthen the integrity of the family units, but also counteract the family pressure and potential forced situations that are often associated with early marriages.

Legal effectiveness of marriage

In Austria, people without Austrian citizenship or residence can also get married as long as the marriage is closed in front of an Austrian registrar. It is important that home law of the fiancee has no stricter demands on marriage, since this has an impact on the recognition of marriage in the state of origin. The information is available from the representative authorities in Austria oesterreich.gv.at . The fact that same -sex couples in Austria can get married in Austria is also particularly relevant, however, Austrian law only applies as long as the marriage is closed in Austria and the personnel statute of the fiance enables this. An important aspect is the possibility that not all same -sex marriages in other countries are recognized, which can be a significant hurdle for the couples concerned.

planned legal adjustments

The legal reform also stipulates that the public prosecutor's office can in future sue the nullity of the marriages that have been concluded by circumventing the new regulations. This was seen as an essential step to combat children's marriages and as a support for the international objective of abolishing children's marriages by 2030. Political support for this initiative comes from several parties, including SPÖ, ÖVP and NEOS, which indicates a broad consensus in parliament Vol.at .

In conclusion, the reform will also provide an adaptation of the International Private Law Act. The non-recognition of Sharia marriages in Austria is sought until the end of the year, which could significantly change the legal situation for many people. The aim of this reform is to strengthen the rights of women and children and to create a clear legal framework for marriages in Austria.

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