| Gambia, The | No age limit | 2005 | No minimum legal age for marriage. The constitution states that men and women of "full age and capacity" shall have the right to marry and find a family. |
| Maldives | No age limit | 2001 | No minimum legal age for marriage. An individual can enter into marriage once puberty has been reached, however, government policy strictly discourages marriages under the age of 16. |
| Saudi Arabia | No age limit | 2003 | |
| Sudan | No age limit | 2004 | Women in Sudan have a very low level of legal protection in relation to family matters. At time of publication, no information was available regarding laws that define a legal minimum age of marriage. According to available statistics, early marriage appears to be widespread. |
| Equatorial Guinea | 12 | 2004 | |
| Bolivia | 14 | 2007 | Marriages between adolescents have to be approved by their parents, although there does exist the option that, if the parents do not give their consent, a judge may authorize the marriage. |
| Guinea-Bissau | 14 | 2009 | |
| Madagascar | 14 | 2003 | |
| Mozambique | 14 | 2007 | |
| Venezuela | 14 | 2006 | |
| Mexico | 14-16 | 2006 | The legal minimum age for marriage varies by State: 26 states set the minimum age for marriage at 16 for men and 14 for women; 5 states establish an age of 16 for both sexes; and one state raised the age to 18 and 16 years, respectively. |
| Bahrain | 15 | 2007 | |
| Benin | 15 | 2005 | |
| Cameroon | 15 | 2000 | |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 15 | 2006 | |
| Costa Rica | 15 | 2003 | Requires parental consent. |
| Gabon | 15 | 2005 | |
| Iran | 15 | 2003 | |
| Kuwait | 15 | 2004 | |
| Mali | 15 | 2006 | |
| Niger | 15 | 2007 | Requires parental consent for minors. |
| Afghanistan | 16 | 2005 | |
| Albania | 16 | 2003 | |
| Andorra | 16 | 2001 | |
| Argentina | 16 | 2002 | |
| Barbados | 16 | 2002 | |
| Dominica | 16 | 2003 | |
| Egypt | 16 | 2003 | |
| Hong Kong | 16 | 2009 | but parental consent is required for persons younger than 21 years |
| Indonesia | 16 | 2007 | |
| Isle of Man | 16 | 2009 | between the ages of 16 and 18 years parental consent is required. |
| Jersey | 16 | 2009 | Only if you are over the age of 16, and have the written consent of both parents or guardians |
| Korea, South | 16 | 2007 | |
| Luxembourg | 16 | 1997 | No minimum legal age for marriage. An individual can enter into marriage once puberty has been reached, however, government policy strictly discourages marriages under the age of 16. |
| Macedonia [FYROM] | 16 | 2009 | |
| Moldova | 16 | 2006 | |
| Pakistan | 16 | 2007 | |
| Paraguay | 16 | 2005 | Requires parental consent when younger than 20 years. |
| Peru | 16 | 2007 | |
| Poland | 16 | 2009 | The minimum marriageable age for both men and women has been set at 18. But the guardianship court may authorize the marriage a woman who has completed sixteen years of age, and circumstances indicate that the marriage would be compatible with the welfare of the family founded.(article 10, paragraph 1, of the Family and Guardianship Code). |
| Puerto Rico | 16 | 2009 | without parental authorisation, it is 21 years for both men and women. |
| Romania | 16 | 2006 | |
| Uganda | 16 | 2003 | |
| Vanuatu | 16 | 2007 | Requires parental consent. |
| Zimbabwe | 16 | 2009 | |
| United Kingdom | 16-18 | 2003 | 16 Requires parental consent. |
| Armenia | 17 | 2002 | |
| Azerbaijan | 17 | 2007 | |
| Burkina Faso | 17 | 2005 | |
| Guinea | 17 | 2007 | |
| Israel | 17 | 2003 | |
| Korea, North | 17 | 2005 | |
| Syria | 17 | 2009 | but judges may authorise marriages at even younger ages: as low as 13 years for women and 15 years for men. |
| Tajikistan | 17 | 2009 | Under certain conditions, the courts can authorise marriage during the year before the spouses turn 17. |
| Thailand | 17 | 2006 | Requires parental consent for minors. |
| Togo | 17 | 2006 | |
| Turkey | 17 | 2005 | Requires parental consent for those aged below the age of legal competence . |
| Ukraine | 17 | 2003 | |
| Uzbekistan | 17 | 2006 | |
| Yemen | 17 | 2002 | Based on age of majority. Marriage may not be contracted with a minor, except where such marriage will entail some clear benefit. |
| Algeria | 18 | 2005 | |
| Angola | 18 | 2004 | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 18 | 1997 | |
| Australia | 18 | 2006 | In exceptional circumstances, where one party to a proposed marriage is under the age of 18 years and has already turned 16 years, the court may grant approval to that person being married to a specific person over the age of 18 years. |
| Austria | 18 | 2003 | |
| Bahamas, The | 18 | 2003 | |
| Bangladesh | 18 | 2004 | |
| Belarus | 18 | 2004 | |
| Belgium | 18 | 2003 | |
| Belize | 18 | 1999 | |
| Bhutan | 18 | 2004 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 18 | 2006 | |
| Bulgaria | 18 | 2003 | |
| Burundi | 18 | 2007 | Exceptions may be made only on serious grounds such as pregnancy. |
| Cambodia | 18 | 2006 | |
| Canada | 18 | 2003 | |
| Cape Verde | 18 | 2006 | |
| Central African Republic | 18 | 2003 | |
| Chile | 18 | 2003 | |
| Colombia | 18 | 2007 | |
| Congo, Republic of the | 18 | 2003 | The State Procurator may, in a serious case, grant a dispensation of the minimum legal age. |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 18 | 2003 | |
| Croatia | 18 | 2005 | |
| Cuba | 18 | 2006 | |
| Cyprus | 18 | 2003 | |
| Czech Republic | 18 | 2003 | |
| Denmark | 18 | 2006 | If person is under 18, the Danish High Commissioner resident may grant permission to marry. |
| Dominican Republic | 18 | 2003 | |
| Ecuador | 18 | 2003 | Parental consent or authorization by a competent judge is required in the case of minors. |
| El Salvador | 18 | 2003 | |
| Eritrea | 18 | 2006 | |
| Estonia | 18 | 2003 | |
| Ethiopia | 18 | 2003 | |
| Finland | 18 | 2003 | |
| France | 18 | 2007 | |
| Georgia | 18 | 2006 | |
| Germany | 18 | 2003 | |
| Ghana | 18 | 2006 | |
| Greece | 18 | 2003 | |
| Guatemala | 18 | 2006 | |
| Haiti | 18 | 2007 | |
| Hungary | 18 | 2003 | |
| Iceland | 18 | 2003 | Data is from Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs of Iceland. |
| India | 18 | 2003 | |
| Iraq | 18 | 2003 | |
| Ireland | 18 | 1996 | From August 1, 1996 (under the Family Law Act, 1995) the minimum age at which a person, ordinarily resident in the State, may contract a marriage valid in Irish law is eighteen years of age; whether the marriage takes place in Ireland or elsewhere. This provision also applies where one party to the proposed marriage is over 18 years of age and the other is under 18, and to all non-residents who are marrying in the State. All persons applying to marry in the State must provide a Registrar with evidence of age and identity. Failure to produce such evidence will result in refusal to proceed with the marriage. Persons aged under 18 must obtain the permission of the Circuit Family Court or the High Court to get married. |
| Italy | 18 | 2003 | |
| Jamaica | 16 | 2011 | (Sections 3 ,24, 37) If one is above 16 but under 18 and not a widow or a widower then one requires the consent of one's parent or legal guardian. Persons 18 and above do not require consent unless the marriage is one in articulo mortis. In cases of marriages in articulo mortis, persons under the age of 21 who are not widows or widowers require the consent of the parent or legal guardian. |
| Jordan | 18 | 2007 | |
| Kazakhstan | 18 | 2007 | |
| Kenya | 18 | 2003 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 18 | 2003 | |
| Laos | 18 | 2005 | |
| Latvia | 18 | 2004 | |
| Liberia | 18 | 2009 | |
| Liechtenstein | 18 | 2003 | |
| Lithuania | 18 | 2003 | |
| Malawi | 18 | 2003 | |
| Malaysia | 18 | 2006 | |
| Malta | 18 | 2004 | |
| Mauritania | 18 | 2007 | |
| Mauritius | 18 | 2006 | |
| Mongolia | 18 | 2001 | |
| Morocco | 18 | 2007 | |
| Burma | 18 | 2003 | |
| Nepal | 18 | 2003 | without parental authorisation, it is 20 years for both men and women. |
| Netherlands | 18 | 2003 | |
| Nicaragua | 18 | 2007 | |
| Norway | 18 | 2003 | |
| Oman | 18 | 2003 | |
| Panama | 18 | 2003 | |
| Philippines | 18 | 2006 | |
| Portugal | 18 | 2003 | |
| Russia | 18 | 2003 | |
| Saint Lucia | 18 | 2006 | |
| San Marino | 18 | 2003 | |
| Serbia | 18 | 2007 | |
| Slovakia | 18 | 1998 | |
| Slovenia | 18 | 2003 | |
| Somalia | 18 | 2009 | but women can marry at the age of 16 years with parental authorisation |
| South Africa | 18 | 2003 | |
| Spain | 18 | 2003 | |
| Sri Lanka | 18 | 2002 | Does not apply to Muslim population. |
| Swaziland | 18 | 2009 | but early marriage occurs in exceptional cases; women aged 16 or 17 years can marry with their parents’ consent |
| Sweden | 18 | 2007 | |
| Switzerland | 18 | 2003 | |
| Tanzania | 18 | 2003 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 18 | 2003 | |
| Turkmenistan | 18 | 2005 | 18 years in the case of marriage to a foreigner |
| Uruguay | 18 | 2005 | |
| Vietnam | 18 | 2003 | |
| United States | 18-19 | 2003 | The legal minimum age for marriage varies by State. |
| Nigeria | 18-21 | 2009 | There are three forms of marriage in the country: monogamous marriage registered under the civil marriage law, customary marriage and Islamic marriage. In southern Nigeria, the minimum legal age for marriage is between 18 and 21 years of age, depending on the region; in the north it ranges from 12 to 15 years. In some regions, customary law allows girls to marry from the age of only nine years; such marriages are banned in two states, but remain common overall. |
| Samoa | 19 | 2005 | |
| China | 20 | 2003 | |
| Japan | 20 | 2003 | |
| New Zealand | 20 | 2003 | |
| Suriname | 20 | 2003 | |
| Tunisia | 20 | 2003 | |
| Botswana | 21 | 2003 | |
| Brazil | 21 | 2003 | |
| Cook Islands | 21 | 2007 | |
| Fiji | 21 | 2003 | |
| Libya | 21 | 2009 | but judges can grant permission for marriage at an earlier age |
| Namibia | 21 | 2003 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 21 | 2003 | |
| Rwanda | 21 | 2003 | |
| Sierra Leone | 21 | 2007 | Based on the Christian Marriage Act (no minimum age set for customary law). Persons under the age of 21 years are allowed to marry provided parental consent is given. |
| Singapore | 21 | 2001 | |
| Zambia | 21 | 2003 | |
| Lebanon | 9-15 | 2007 | Legal ages for marriage and Authority to grant license varries according to denominations. |
| No Results |
