For decades, same-sex Estonian couples could only register as co-habitants or domestic partners. As of 2024, they have the same right to marry as heterosexual couples. Minister for Social Protection Signe Riisalo underlined that the new law “ends years of legal confusion and ensures a sense of security,” as Estonia becomes the first post-Soviet state to officially legalize same-sex marriage. Neighboring Baltic countries Latvia and Lithuania saw their governments taking steps in the same direction in 2023, including by allowing new forms to register partnerships. Yet weddings remain an option only for male-female couples in many eastern and central European countries.