Civil union has been legal in
New Zealand since 26 April 2005. The
Civil Union Act 2004 to establish the institution of civil union for
same-sex and opposite-sex couples was passed by the
Parliament on 9 December 2004. The Act has been described as very similar to the Marriage Act 1955 with references to "
marriage" replaced by "civil union". A companion bill, the Relationships (Statutory References) Act, was passed shortly thereafter on 15 March 2005, to remove discriminatory provisions on the basis of
relationship status from a range of statutes and regulations. As a result of these bills, all couples in New Zealand, whether married, in a civil union, or in a
de facto partnership, now generally enjoy the same rights and undertake the same obligations. These rights extend to
immigration,
next-of-kin status,
social welfare, matrimonial property and other areas. Non-married couples are not however permitted to adopt children, although people in non-marital relationships can adopt as individuals.