Palau — Gay Travel Index 2026

Name: Palau — Gay Travel Index 2026
Creator: GayOut
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

43/100

Some caution #108 of 207

Score = Legal 37/60 + Scene 6/40 = 43/100 · thin scene coverage — legal-weighted provisional score

Updated 7 Oct 2026 · release 2026.3.

A live score, not an annual report — it recomputes as laws, rulings and the scene itself change. See what moved in 2026.

Legal composite · Legal milestones · Scene on the ground · Frequently asked questions

Legal composite — 37/60 points

Criminalization	Legal (2014)
Partnership	● No not recognised
Anti-discrimination	● No
Gender recognition	—
Enforcement reality	—

Legal composite, five components

Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.

Legal milestones

Background, not travel advice — how the current status came to be. For planning a trip, rely on the current score, tier and scene sections above; 2026 movements are tracked in the sourced change log.

2008Voters approved a constitutional amendment in a November 2008 referendum defining marriage as between a man and a woman. ↗
2011Palau signed the UN joint statement condemning violence and rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. ↗
2014A new Penal Code signed by President Remengesau decriminalized consensual same-sex relations and set an equal age of consent of 17. ↗
2019President Remengesau called the constitutional marriage ban discriminatory and backed its repeal, but no legislative action followed. ↗
TodaySame-sex activity remained legal, but the constitutional marriage ban stood and no anti-discrimination protections existed. ↗

Sources: ILGA World · Human Dignity Trust · Equaldex. Each milestone links to a reference source ↗.

Scene on the ground — 6/40 points

LGBTQ+ venues listed

Dedicated gay bars

Gay saunas

Cities with a scene

Pride parades

Queer film festivals

Detailed scene metrics (for researchers)

Gay bars per million	0
Saunas per million	0
Events per million	0
Coverage grade	A
Scene score	6/40 (raw scene index 15/100)

Frequently asked questions

Is Palau safe for gay travellers?

Palau is rated Some caution on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026, scoring 43/100 overall with a legal safety component of 37/60.

Is same-sex marriage legal in Palau?

No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Palau. Overall legal status: Legal (2014).

Does Palau have a gay scene?

Palau has a limited documented gay scene: GayOut lists 6 LGBTQ+ venues, including 0 dedicated gay bars.