The status of religious freedom in Europe varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion (and the legal implications that this has for both practitioners and non-practitioners), the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.
There are further discrepancies between some countries' self-proclaimed stances of religious freedom in law and the actual practice of authority bodies within those countries: a country's establishment of religious equality in their constitution or laws does not necessarily translate into freedom of practice for residents of the country. Additionally, similar practices (such as having religious organizations register with the government) can have different consequences depending on other sociopolitical circumstances specific to the countries in question. Virtually every country in Europe legally establishes the freedom of religion for people living in the country, and most also have anti-discrimination laws that specifically highlight religious freedom. However, enforcement of these laws is not always consistent, and several countries routinely fail to implement these laws at a local level. A few countries in Europe continue to have state religions.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Liechtenstein, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Malta, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Most countries in the former Eastern bloc have government programs for the restitution of religious property confiscated by previous socialist governments.United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Belarus: International Religious Freedom Report 2007.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Lithuania, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Macedonia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Many countries in Europe also provide government funding or other privileges for registered religious groups."International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Hungary", US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Montenegro, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Several countries have animal slaughter laws that effectively ban butchers from making kosher and halal meat, and a smaller proportion ban non-medical circumcision, generally on the grounds of animal rights and human rights respectively. In most cases, religious individuals that need to observe these practices are able to import meat and go to other countries to have circumcisions performed without interference from their government.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Belgium, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Slovenia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
Religious tolerance in general society varies across Europe. While some countries have a high degree of religious tolerance, others have significant levels of Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish sentiments in the general populace, US State Dept 2022 International Religious Freedom report on Belarus as well as discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses, at times resulting in religiously-motivated physical violence or vandalism. In a few countries, particularly in former Yugoslav states, but also Ukraine, there are hostilities between Christian denominations connected to disputes between Orthodox churches over religious jurisdictions and the control of holy sites.International Religious Freedom Report 2017, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
Albania
The constitution of Albania provides for freedom of religion, and the government respects this right in practice. The government of Albania provides financial support to the Catholic Church, the Albanian Orthodox Church, Sunni Muslims, and Bektashi Sufi Muslims.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Albania, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
The government of Albania is in the process of returning property confiscated from religious organizations during the People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1944-1991). As of 2017, religious organizations have not prioritized engaging with the bureaucratic processes implemented by the government for the return of such property, and thus it remains in the government's possession.
In May 2017 United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Ahmed Shaheed completed his assessment of the state of religious freedom in the country and stated, “Albania is a model for interfaith harmony.”
Public schools are secular, and the law prohibits religious instruction in them. Private schools may offer religious instruction.
In 2023, Albania scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.Freedom House website, Albania page, retrieved 2025-07-23
Andorra
The constitution of Andorra provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. There is no state religion; however, the constitution acknowledges a special relationship with the Roman Catholic Church, which receives some privileges not available to other religious groups, such as salaries and expedited citizenship for clergy.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Andorra, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
One of the two Co-Princes of Andorra is the Bishop of Urgell, in whose diocese Andorra is located (the other is the President of France).
Muslim and Jewish communities in Andorra (populations 800-2000 and 100 respectively) have been requesting that local municipalities allocate land for Muslim and Jewish cemeteries, in order for them to be able to bury people according to their ritual customs. As of 2017, no municipality has accepted these requests, although non-Christians are allowed to use existing cemeteries. The Muslim and Jewish communities continue to use cemeteries in Toulouse, France and Barcelona, Spain in order to be able to follow their religious customs.
There are no mosques in Andorra, although there are two prayer rooms that are used by the Muslim community.
In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom.Freedom House website, Andorra page, retrieved 2023-08-08
Austria
Austria guarantees freedom of religion through various constitutional provisions and through membership in various international agreements. In Austria, these instruments are deemed to allow any religious group to worship freely in public and in private, to proselytize, and to prohibit discrimination against individuals because of their religious allegiances or beliefs. However, part of the Austrian constitutional framework is a system of cooperation between the government and recognized religious communities. The latter are granted preferential status by being entitled to benefits such as a tax-exempt status and public funding of religious education.
Currently, Austria recognizes twelve religions. In addition to various Christian denominations including Jehovah's Witnesses, these include Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. To date, Austria has not granted full recognition to several newer and allegedly controversial religions such as the Church of Scientology. Some newer religious groups, however, have applied under the 1998 Act and thereby attained the preliminary status of communities of believers.
In October 2017, Austria passed a law banning the covering of one's face in public, which has been criticized as Islamophobic and a "criminalization of Muslim women" by various experts due to its effectively banning the usage of burqas and other similar clothing. There have been reports of antisemitism,Sueddeutsche Zeitung (German) on possible antisemitism in Serfaus. and fascist sympathizers with connections to the Nazi Germany have held elected office as recently as 2008.
In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom.Freedom House website, Austria page, retrieved 2023-08-08
Belarus
The Constitution of Belarus provides for freedom of religion. However, the government restricts religious freedom in accordance with the provisions of a 2002 law on religion and a 2003 concordat with the Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC), a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the only officially recognized Orthodox denomination. Although there is no state religion, the concordat grants the BOC privileged status.
Foreign missionaries, clergy, and humanitarian workers affiliated with churches faced delays with visa applications which impacted their work.
Belarus is the only country in Europe to have jailed a newspaper editor for publishing the Danish cartoons of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. On January 18, 2008, Alexander Sdvizhkov was jailed for three years for 'incitement of religious hatred'.Norris, Harry (2009). Islam in the Baltic. I.B. Tauris: London. p. 130.
In 2023, Freedom House rated Belarus’ religious freedom as 1 out of 4.Freedom House, Belarus page, Retrieved 2023-04-25
Belgium
The constitution guarantees freedom of religion in Belgium, and the law prohibits discrimination based on religious orientation. There are, however, various laws prohibiting the operation of Muslim and Jewish religious slaughterhouses on animal cruelty grounds, as well as bans on Muslim veils and headscarves. Additionally, there have been several reports of antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents, including hate speech, discrimination, and violence.
Legal framework Belgian law states no individual may be barred from religious ceremonies or from observing religious days of rest, and bars the state from interfering in the appointment of religious clergy or blocking the publication of religious documents. It obligates the state to pay the salaries and pensions of religious clergy that are certified by the official organizations of recognized religions and employed in recognized houses of worship. Unrecognized groups do not receive government subsidies but may worship freely and openly. The law prohibits discrimination based on religious or philosophical (e.g., nonconfessional) orientation. Federal law prohibits public statements inciting religious hatred, including Holocaust denial.
In 2017, Wallonia and Flanders regional governments passed laws, scheduled to take effect in 2019, banning the ritual slaughter of animals without prior stunning, effectively outlawing kosher and halal practices.
In the continuing aftermath of 2016 terrorist attacks, the government extended its stated efforts to curb radical Islam, particularly following the release of a government report stating Wahhabism constituted a threat to the practice of moderate Islam in the country.
The government maintains a ban on Muslim women wearing headscarves in public sector jobs, and full-face veils (niqab) are banned in public.
Education The constitution requires teaching in public schools to be neutral with respect to religious belief. All public schools offer mandatory religious instruction or, alternatively, "moral" instruction (which is oriented towards citizenship and moral values), although parents in schools in Flanders may have their children opt out of such courses. A constitutional court ruling in 2015 allows francophone community parents to opt out of primary school religion and ethics classes for their children, pursuant to the court's finding those classes not to be "objective, critical, and pluralistic."