See also: Age
of consent
Africa
- Algeria: 21 for males and 18 for females, scope for
judicial discretion if necessity or benefit is established for marriage
below that age.[1]
- Egypt: 18 for males and 16 for females (lunar calendar).[2]
- Ethiopia: Legally 18 for both males and females. In
practice, however, children in rural areas are married young. It is not
uncommon to see girls as young as 6 years of age being married. It is also
unusual for a girl to be 16 and yet unmarried.
- Kenya: 16 for statutory marriages under the Marriage Act.[3]
- Libya: 20 years for men and women; judicial discretion for
marriages below that age on grounds of benefit or necessity and with
wali's agreement.[4]
- Madagascar: 17 for males, 14 for females.[5]
- Morocco: 18 years for both males and females (since the
legal reform of 2004). [6]
- Senegal: 20 for males and females.
- Somalia: 18 years for both parties; female party may
marry at 16 with guardian's consent; Court may grant exemption from
minimum age requirements in case of necessity.[7]
- South Africa: 18, or 16 with parental consent.[8]
There are provisions made for respecting the marriage laws of traditional
marriages, whereby a person might be married as young as 12 for females
and 14 for males.
- Sudan: Puberty, with requirement for willing consent of
both parties.[9]
- Tanzania: 18 for males and 15 for females; courts may
permit underage marriage of parties who have reached 14 years of age if
specific circumstances make marriage appear desirable; Penal Code provides
that persons of "African or Asiatic descent" may marry or permit
marriage of girl under 12 years of age in accordance with their custom or
religion if marriage is not intended to be consummated before she attains
12 years.[10]
- Tunisia: 20 for males and 17 for females; marriage below
these ages require special permission from the court, which may be given
only for pressing reasons and on the basis of a clear interest for both
spouses. .[11]
Americas
- Argentina: 21 generally; with parental consent is 16
for females, 18 for males. Under these ages only exceptional cases with
judicial consent (See Articles 166, 167 and 168 - Marriage
Section of the Argentine Civil Code).
- Brazil: 18 generally; 16 with parental consent; unlimited
in case of pregnancy. Since 2003 marital status is granted by law to
adolescents (legally defined as individuals from 12 to 17) living together
to someone else, with family approval (article 1513 of the 2003 Civil
Code).
- Canada: 18 generally, 16 with parental consent, 14 with
judicial consent.[citation needed]
- Chile: 18 generally, 16 with parental consent.
- Mexico: 18 for males and females. 16 years old for both
only with parental or legal consent.
- Paraguay: 14 for females and 16 for males. Article 39,
clause "b", of the Paraguayan
Civil Code reads: “The legal incapacity of minors will cease: ...(b)
for gentlemen of 16 and for women of 14 years completed, through marriage,
with the limitations established in this Code”.
- Peru:
18 for all
- United States: Usually 18. Most states, however,
allow marriage at a younger age with parental and/or judicial consent.
Some states allow marriage at a still younger age if the female is
pregnant.
- Alabama:
18, 16 with parental consent (statute).
- Alaska: 18,
16 with parental consent.[12]
- Arizona: no
statutory minimum, those under 18 must have parental consent, those under
16 must receive approval of a superior court judge and parental consent. (statute)
- Arkansas:
18, 16 for females and 17 for males with parental consent.[13]
- California:
no statutory minimum, those under 18 must receive approval of a superior
court judge and parental consent.
- Colorado:
18, 16 with parental consent.[14]
- Connecticut:
18, 16 with parental consent.[15]
- District of Columbia: 18, 16 with parental
consent.[16]
- Delaware:
18, 16 for females with parental consent.[17]
- Florida:
18, 16 with parental consent.[18]
- Georgia: 18 generally, 15 with parental
consent, 16 without parental consent if pregnant.[19]
- Hawaii: 18,
15 with parental consent.[20]
- Idaho: 18, 16
with parental consent.[21]
- Illinois:
18, 16 with parental consent.[22]
- Indiana:
18, 17 with parental consent.[23]
- Iowa: 18, 16 with
parental consent.[24]
- Kansas: 18,
16 with parental consent.[25]
- Kentucky:
18, 16 with parental consent.[26]
- Louisiana:
18, 16 with parental consent.[27]
- Maine: 18, 16
with parental consent.[28]
- Massachusetts:
18 generally for first marriage, 16 with parental and judicial consent [29].
- Maryland:
18, 16 with parental consent.[30]
- Michigan:
18 generally, 16 with parental consent. 15 and under with parental
consent and probate judge approval.
- Minnesota:
18, 16 with parental consent.[31]
- Mississippi:
21, 17 for males, 15 for females, with parental consent.
- Missouri:
18, 15 with parental consent.[32]
- Montana: 18,
16 with parental consent.[33]
- Nebraska:
19, 17 with parental consent.[34]
- Nevada: 18,
16 with parental consent.[35]
- New
Hampshire: 18 generally; 14 for males and 13 for females, in cases of
"special cause" with parental consent and court permission.
- New
Jersey: 18 generally, 16 with parental consent.
- New
Mexico: 18, 16 with parental consent.[36]
- New York:
18 generally, 16 with parental consent, 14 with parental and judicial
consent.
- North
Carolina: 18 generally, 16 with parental consent, unlimited in case
of pregnancy or birth of child with parental consent.
- North
Dakota: 18, 16 with parental consent.[37]
- Ohio: 18 for
males, 16 for females. Parental consent needed for minors.
- Oklahoma:
18, 16 with parental consent.[38]
- Oregon: 18
generally, 17 with parental consent. The consenting parent or guardian
must accompany the applicant when applying for the marriage license.
There is no waiver for anyone under the age of 17.
- Pennsylvania:
18 generally, 16 with Birth Certificate and written consent of parent or
guardian. Anyone under the age of 16 needs parental consent and the
approval of a Judge of the Orphans Court. (statute)
- Puerto
Rico: 21, 18 with parental consent.[39]
- Rhode
Island: 18, 16 for females with parental consent.[40]
- South
Carolina: 18, 16 with parental consent.[41]
- South
Dakota: 18, 16 with parental consent.[42]
- Tennessee:
18, 16 with parental consent.[43]
- Texas: 18, 16
with parental consent. Possibly younger with judicial consent or if
person under 18 had previously married and divorced.
- Utah: 18
generally for first marriage, 16 with parental consent, 15 with court
approval.[44]
- Vermont:
18, 16 with parental consent.[45]
- Virginia:
18, 16 with parental consent.[46]
- Washington:
18, 17 with parental consent.[47]
May be waived by superior court judge.(statute)
- West
Virginia: 18, 16 with parental consent, under 16 (unspecified limit)
with parental and judicial consent[48][49]
- Wisconsin:
18, 16 with parental consent.[50]
- Wyoming:
18, 16 with parental consent.[51]
- Venezuela: 18 generally, 14 for females and 16 for
males with parental consent.
Asia
- Afghanistan: 18 for males, 14 for females, although
more than half of marriages involve females under 14. [52]
- Armenia: 18 for males, 17 for females. [53]
- Azerbaijan: 18 for males, 17 for females. 17 or 16
correspondingly in special cases. [54]
- China (PRC): 22 for males, 20 for
females.[55]
- Hong Kong SAR of
China: 21, 16 with parental consent.
- Bangladesh: 21 for males and 18 for females, lunar
calendar; penal sanctions for contracting under-age marriages, though such
unions are not considered invalid.[56]
- Brunei: No minimum marriage age specified.[57]
- India: 21 for males, 18 for females.
- Indonesia: 18 for males, 16 for females.
- Iran:
15 for males, 13 for females.[58]
(girls under 13 and boys under 15 may get married with their guardian
consent and court ruling that it is in their interest, rarely ever done at
the age of 13/15, in some cases in late 20s)
- Iraq:
18 for men and women; judicial permission may be granted at 15 years if
fitness, physical capacity and guardian's consent (or unreasonable
objection on part of guardian) are established. (May or may not have been
revised after Saddam Hussein's fall.)[59]
- Israel: 18 for males, 17 for females.
- Kazakhstan: 18 years, in special cases 16 years with
parental consent [60]
- Kuwait: No minimum marriage age identified; capacity to
marry requires parties to be of age (puberty) and of sound mind, however,
no notarisation or registration of marriage permitted where female has not
reached 15 years or male 17 years[61]
- Lebanon: 18 years for males and 17 for females; scope
for judicial discretion on basis of physical maturity and wali's
permission from 17 years for males and 9 for females; real puberty or 15/9
with judicial permission for Shi'a; 18/17 or 16/15 with judicial
permission for Druze.[62]
- Japan: 20 generally, 18 for males with parental consent,
16 for females with parental consent.
- Jordan: 16 for males and 15 for females, lunar calendar;
court permission required for females under 18 to marry men older by 20
years or more.[63]
- Malaysia: 21, 18 with parental consent, 16 for females
with special marriage license.[64]
- Maldives: According to custom, the minimum age for
marriage is 15; the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child
discourages marriage before the age of 16[65]
- Pakistan: 18 for males, 16 for females.
- Philippines: 21 for males, 18 for females, 16-21
with parental consent, 22-25 with Parental Advice (parents aware of
couple's intent) [6].
- Singapore: 21, 18 with parental consent, below 18 with
special marriage license.
- South Korea: 20 generally. 18 for males, 16 for
females with parental consent.
- Sri Lanka: In general, the minimum marriage age is
18; for Muslims, the rule is that a girl must be 12 years of age or have a
Quazi's permission to marry before contracting into marriage.[66]
- Syria: 18 years for males and 17 for females; judicial
discretion for males of 15 years and females of 13 years; judge may
withhold permission for marriage if court finds incompatibility in age
between betrothed parties.[67]
- Taiwan (ROC): 20 generally. 18 for males, 16 for
females with parental consent.
- Thailand: 20, 15 with parental consent.
- Uzbekistan 18 for males, 17 for females. 17 and 16
correspondingly in special conditions. [68]
- Vietnam: 20 for males, 18 for females.
- Yemen: 9 ("In 1999, the minimum marriage age of
fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty,
interpreted to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for
consummation of marriage."[69])
Europe
- Austria: 18, 16 with court consent (partner must be 18
or older).
- Belgium: 18, 16 with parental consent.
- Bulgaria: 18, 16 with parental consent.
- Croatia: 18, 16 with parental consent.
- Czech republic: 18, 16 for females in case of
pregnacy (parental consent required).
- Denmark: 18 generally, one can marry at 16 with special
letter of approval from the Queen and parental consent.
- Estonia: 18, 16 with parental consent.
- Finland: 18 generally, under 18 with the consent of the
ministry of justice in extraordinary circumstances, in which case parents
or other guardian must be heard, but actual parental consent is not
required.
- France: 18 for males and females, without exceptions.
(The 2005 law intends to protect minors from arranged childhood
marriages).
- Germany: 18 generally, 16 with court consent (partner
must be 18 or older).
- Hungary: 18, 16 with parental consent.
- Republic of Ireland: 18, 16 with parental
consent, below 16 with both parental and High Court consent.
- Italy: 18 generally, 16 with court consent.
- Lithuania: 18, 16 with court permission.
- Netherlands: 18 generally, 16 with parental consent
and permission from the Queen.
- Norway: 18 generally, younger with consent from parents
(guardian) and permission from the County Governor. The County Governor
may only give permission when there are 'special reasons for contracting a
marriage'. [7][8]
- Poland: 21 for men, 18 for women; grooms must be no less
than 3 years older than their brides; 16 for females with court consent
- Portugal: 18, 16 with parental consent (if not
possible, the court can provide the consent).
- Romania: 18 without exceptions [9]
- Russia: 18 generally, 16 or 14 with consent of a parent
or guardian (depends on region), unlimited under special circumstances.
- Slovakia: 18, 16 with court consent.
- Spain: 18, 16 with parental consent
- Sweden: 18 generally, underage may marry with permission
from the county administrative board. The county administrative board may
only give permission when there are 'special reasons' but although the
custodians of the underage should be heard if possible, the consent of the
custodians is not required. The
Swedish Matrimonial Code (SFS 1987:230), 2006-05-13
- Switzerland: 18
- Turkey: 18, 17 with parental consent, 16 under special
circumstances with court approval.
- Ukraine: 18 for males, 17 for females, 16 with parental
consent.
- United Kingdom[70]
Oceania
References
[edit] See also
· This page was last
modified on 12 April 2008