President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy has promised to sign a bill on registered partnerships if it is passed by the Rada.
When asked whether he would sign a bill to establish an institution for registered partnerships for both same-sex and different-sex couples in Ukraine, he responded affirmatively.
According to the draft law, a registered partnership is defined as a voluntary family union between two adults of the same or different sexes, registered in accordance with the Family Code. However, a registered partnership is not considered a marriage, and cohabiting as a family does not constitute a registered partnership unless it is officially registered.
Once registered, partners acquire the status of close relatives, specifically first-degree family members, regardless of whether they live together or share a household.
The partnership will be registered within 10 days from the submission of the relevant application and can be terminated either by a joint application or by the request of one party.
The draft law also allows for the registration of a partnership in the absence of one partner or outside the civil registry office (e.g., when one partner is a military service member).
As of 14 March 2023, the draft law was submitted to the relevant committee for review, but there has been no further progress on the document.