Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior has notified local governments that the 2019 same-sex marriage bill applies to transnational couples, excluding Taiwanese-mainland Chinese couples.

Taiwan: Same-sex Marriage for Transnational Couples Legalised

The news of the decision came after Premier Su Tseng-chang announced his resignation and a Cabinet reshuffle. The law is set to take effect in early 2024.

Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage four years ago. But the law initially was interpreted as prohibiting Taiwanese citizens from registering a marriage with a partner from a jurisdiction where same-sex marriage has not yet been legalised. Same-sex marriage is currently recognized in only 33 countries across the globe, thenewslens.com reports.