Same-sex spouses have EU residency rights, rules court

EU COUNTRIES that have not legalised gay marriage must still offer samesex spouses residency rights equal to those of heterosexual couples, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The judges said a country cannot use the illegality of homosexual marriage to stop an EU citizen bringing their non-eu spouse to live with them.

It comes after an American was denied residency in Romania with Adrian Coman, his Romanian husband, because gay marriage is illegal there. “Romanian citizens cannot be divided into good and gay,” Mr Coman said. Romanian courts make the final decision but must take the EU ruling into account.