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As of November 2026: of the nine countries we track, eight treat a US same-sex marriage as a marriage for immigration purposes — full stop. The exception is Italy, where your marriage arrives but changes name. The real differences hide one level down: income bars, sequencing, and reach.
As of November 2026: yes — several countries admit an unmarried partner without a marriage certificate, Spain and the Netherlands among them. But when we asked Madrid counsel for the standard evidence checklist, their written answer was that none exists. That refusal is the real finding.
As of November 2026: usually not by itself — and the rules moved this year in both directions. France opened in July 2026, Spain closed in 2025, the UK requires its own court order regardless of US paperwork. The document that actually travels is the US court judgment, not the certificate.
As of October 2026: safety for a retiring gay couple is four questions — legal recognition, healthcare that ages with you, the stability of the rules, and the right city inside the right country. The honest answer is a method, not a list, because the list depends on your household.
As of October 2026: in the right places, yes — and the law is stronger than most Americans assume. Marriage equality has been nationwide since 2022 and conversion therapy is a federal crime. But geography decides more in Mexico than anywhere else we track, and honest numbers belong in the answer.
As of October 2026: the sticker price matters less than who is paying whom. Professional help splits into research, legal casework, and destination services — each priced differently, some funded by commissions you never see. Our research product is $495, and nobody pays us but you.
As of October 2026: yes — but Portugal treats you as two applicants, not one household. Each spouse filing as a principal must show €3,680 a month in active remote income on their own. Whether one can instead ride the other's application depends on something most couples never check: children.
As of October 2026: possibly — and more often than the old rules suggest. British nationality law has repaired historic rules that blocked mothers and grandmothers from passing citizenship on. London counsel walked us through four doors in writing; one bypasses the UK settlement overhaul entirely.
As of October 2026: yes, they count — on conditions most planners don't see coming. Greek counsel tells us in writing that the path requires becoming a Greek tax resident and showing Greek-source passive income, and that naturalization for digital nomads runs twelve years, not the standard seven.