Tier 1 · Free and accepted#3 in tier 1
Netherlands
First country in the world with same-sex marriage, 2001.
- Same-sex activity
- Legal
- Recognition
- Same-sex marriage
- Region
- Europe
- Confidence
- High
- Reviewed
- September 2026
Acceptance
Pew 2019: 92% acceptance. Williams Institute most-accepting group.
Travel advice
Go. Hold hands, book the double room, kiss at the airport. The whole country is on your side, not just the capital.
Where the boys go
Amsterdam.
Method
Tiered on the legal status and social acceptance of gay men and LGB people using ILGA World, the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Human Dignity Trust, the Williams Institute, Pew, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, Equaldex and court rulings. Where two tiers are plausible we choose the more cautious one. How we tier. Last reviewed September 2026.