Kathmandu: In a historic moment, Nepal has officially registered a same-sex marriage between a Nepali citizen and an American national. This marks a first-ever such marriage involving a foreign national in the country.

Prajeet Budhathoki, a resident of Dharan Sub Metropolitan City-11, Sunsari, and Joseph Foster Ellis, a US citizen from New York registered their union at the sub metropolis. Both are listed as “husband” and “wife” in the marriage certificate issued by the local level.

Sunil Babu Pant, Asia’s first openly gay former parliamentarian of Nepal, and executive director of Mayako Pahichan Nepal, a non-governmental organisation advocating for the rights of sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), congratulated the newlywed couple on their official union, through social media.

Pant said Nepal has started legally recognising same-sex marriages, highlighting that even foreign couples can get their unions legally recognised in the country.

He shared that the couple’s official wedding ceremony is scheduled for coming Thursday.

MKPN, which facilitated the marriage, continue to facilitate same-sex marriage registration, providing guidance and counseling to those seeking legal recognition of their marriage, said MKPN’s secretary Surendra Pandey.

On 27 June 2023, the Supreme Court issued an interim order to register marriages involving SGM communities in temporary records until related laws are made.

On April 24, 2024, the Department of National ID and Civil Registration issued a circular to all 753 local levels to implement the court order.

Following these directives, Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey became the first couple to legally register their same-sex marriage, making Nepal the first country to recognise same-sex marriage in South Asia and the second in Asia after Taiwan.

Several other same-sex marriages have since been recognised involving those of lesbian couples, Anju Devi Shrestha and Suprita Gurung, and Anjali Thapa and Laxmi Silwal as well as a gay couple.