Romantic relationship in Bhutan

Bhutan has no state dating licence, dating register or general procedure for approving romantic relationships. Partner choice, dating, engagement, customary rites and living together are mainly organised privately and socially. National survey data for women aged 15 to 49 recorded 63.5% as married, 16.9% as never married, 11.1% living with a partner and 2.4% engaged or dating; these figures do not represent the entire population. The median age at first marriage was 20.8 years and at first sexual intercourse 20.3 years. A couple who wants legal marriage applies through the local Court for a Marriage Certificate, known locally as Nyentham. The Court checks marriage capacity and legal compliance. The process can involve identity, family and census documents, proof of single status, witnesses, a male surety for the bridegroom and a female surety for the bride. A prescribed Court fee applies, but the current amount was not shown in the public service information. The G2C service provides online application, appointment and status tracking. If someone cannot attend physically, the Gup may collect information and forward it to the Court through the relevant Gewog or Thromde. Bhutanese citizens and foreign nationals follow separate Court or High Court pathways, so the responsible court and current document list should be confirmed before applying. Legal recognition begins on the date shown on the Marriage Certificate. Living together without Nyentham does not automatically create the full status of a legally married couple. The marriage certificate also becomes relevant for later divorce, property and maintenance claims. A later marriage normally requires the Yikthi, the divorce document from the earlier marriage; the Marriage Act also contains consent rules for a subsequent marriage and special rules for death or prolonged absence. Courts should confirm how those provisions currently apply because the legislation is under review. The current Ministry of Health guidance in 2026 states that the legal marriage age is 18. The consolidated Marriage Act materials still contain a conflicting reference to 18 and 16, so the Court should confirm the operative rule before any application. Sexual advances towards anyone below 18 are illegal regardless of consent. Consent must be express and given by a person with capacity, without fraud, duress, compulsion or coercion. Sexual intercourse in marriage without or against a spouse's will can constitute marital rape. Adult homosexuality was removed from the Penal Code's unnatural-sex provision by the 2021 amendment, but no official same-sex Marriage Certificate pathway was found in the reviewed sources. The Domestic Violence Prevention Act 2013 also covers intimate personal relationships, including couples who live together or previously lived together. Physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse can fall within its scope. A victim, a concerned third party, a guardian of a minor, a Protection or Social Welfare Officer, or an educational institution can complain to the Royal Bhutan Police, commonly called the RBP. Complaints may be oral, written or communicated in another form, and the RBP may also act on its own information. Women and Child Protection Units or desks operate at every police station. The RBP can provide protection, investigate, refer the case to the prosecutor and help connect the survivor with shelter, medical care and other services. A Protection Order can be requested by the RBP, the victim, a complainant, a Protection Officer, a competent authority or a service provider. An Interim Protection Order may be issued without first hearing the other side. The show-cause hearing must generally be set within 15 days, and a Protection Order may last up to 9 months and be extended. The RBP can enforce an order or a petition can be brought before the Court. The PEMA provides national mental-health and child-protection support. Its 1098 line is confidential, available 24 hours a day without a referral and provides initial help, guidance and referral; the RBP hotline 1010 is linked with The PEMA. Counselling is available for relationship and marital problems in person, online or by telephone, and many core services, including 1098 and initial assessment, are free. Health Centres and regional hospitals provide Youth Friendly Health Services for people aged 10 to 24, including support for sexually transmitted infections, sexual and reproductive health, adjustment and psychological concerns. In the 2023 national survey, 74.2% of women aged 15 to 49 reported using any contraception and 70.1% using a modern method, while 25.8% reported no current method. State family-planning services were reported as free for individuals and couples in the 2012 survey, but current fees and local availability should be checked with the chosen facility. Bhutan's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights framework was in force in 2025. Dating or cohabitation can end informally because Bhutan has no state dissolution procedure for those arrangements. Legal divorce requires a Court process using the Yikthi and Divorce Certificate or Form G-50. Grounds in the Marriage Act include incompatibility, wilful negligence, absence for more than one year, sterility or impotence, an unconsummated marriage and imprisonment of at least three years. The current public sources do not provide a complete uniform list of processing times and fees. Where violence, threats or severe distress continue after separation, the protection-order, police, medical and counselling services remain relevant.