diff --git a/changelog/5751.bugfix.rst b/changelog/5751.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..879909c8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/5751.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed ``TypeError`` when importing pytest on Python 3.5.0 and 3.5.1.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/_code/code.py b/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
index 7d72234e7..a0f4d15ce 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ class ExceptionInfo(Generic[_E]):
         )
         return fmt.repr_excinfo(self)
 
-    def match(self, regexp: Union[str, Pattern]) -> bool:
+    def match(self, regexp: "Union[str, Pattern]") -> bool:
         """
         Check whether the regular expression 'regexp' is found in the string
         representation of the exception using ``re.search``. If it matches
diff --git a/src/_pytest/python_api.py b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
index fbc3d914e..c5e06d491 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/python_api.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import inspect
 import math
 import pprint
+import sys
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 from collections.abc import Sized
@@ -28,6 +29,12 @@ from _pytest.outcomes import fail
 if False:  # TYPE_CHECKING
     from typing import Type  # noqa: F401 (used in type string)
 
+if sys.version_info <= (3, 5, 1):
+
+    def overload(f):  # noqa: F811
+        return f
+
+
 BASE_TYPE = (type, STRING_TYPES)
 
 
@@ -547,12 +554,12 @@ _E = TypeVar("_E", bound=BaseException)
 def raises(
     expected_exception: Union["Type[_E]", Tuple["Type[_E]", ...]],
     *,
-    match: Optional[Union[str, Pattern]] = ...
+    match: "Optional[Union[str, Pattern]]" = ...
 ) -> "RaisesContext[_E]":
     ...  # pragma: no cover
 
 
-@overload
+@overload  # noqa: F811
 def raises(
     expected_exception: Union["Type[_E]", Tuple["Type[_E]", ...]],
     func: Callable,
@@ -563,10 +570,10 @@ def raises(
     ...  # pragma: no cover
 
 
-def raises(
+def raises(  # noqa: F811
     expected_exception: Union["Type[_E]", Tuple["Type[_E]", ...]],
     *args: Any,
-    match: Optional[Union[str, Pattern]] = None,
+    match: Optional[Union[str, "Pattern"]] = None,
     **kwargs: Any
 ) -> Union["RaisesContext[_E]", Optional[_pytest._code.ExceptionInfo[_E]]]:
     r"""
@@ -724,7 +731,7 @@ class RaisesContext(Generic[_E]):
         self,
         expected_exception: Union["Type[_E]", Tuple["Type[_E]", ...]],
         message: str,
-        match_expr: Optional[Union[str, Pattern]] = None,
+        match_expr: Optional[Union[str, "Pattern"]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         self.expected_exception = expected_exception
         self.message = message
diff --git a/src/_pytest/recwarn.py b/src/_pytest/recwarn.py
index 19e3938c3..27519fd46 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/recwarn.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/recwarn.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """ recording warnings during test function execution. """
 import re
+import sys
 import warnings
 from types import TracebackType
 from typing import Any
@@ -18,6 +19,11 @@ from _pytest.outcomes import fail
 if False:  # TYPE_CHECKING
     from typing import Type
 
+if sys.version_info <= (3, 5, 1):
+
+    def overload(f):  # noqa: F811
+        return f
+
 
 @yield_fixture
 def recwarn():
@@ -58,26 +64,26 @@ def deprecated_call(func=None, *args, **kwargs):
 def warns(
     expected_warning: Union["Type[Warning]", Tuple["Type[Warning]", ...]],
     *,
-    match: Optional[Union[str, Pattern]] = ...
+    match: "Optional[Union[str, Pattern]]" = ...
 ) -> "WarningsChecker":
     ...  # pragma: no cover
 
 
-@overload
+@overload  # noqa: F811
 def warns(
     expected_warning: Union["Type[Warning]", Tuple["Type[Warning]", ...]],
     func: Callable,
     *args: Any,
-    match: Optional[Union[str, Pattern]] = ...,
+    match: Optional[Union[str, "Pattern"]] = ...,
     **kwargs: Any
 ) -> Union[Any]:
     ...  # pragma: no cover
 
 
-def warns(
+def warns(  # noqa: F811
     expected_warning: Union["Type[Warning]", Tuple["Type[Warning]", ...]],
     *args: Any,
-    match: Optional[Union[str, Pattern]] = None,
+    match: Optional[Union[str, "Pattern"]] = None,
     **kwargs: Any
 ) -> Union["WarningsChecker", Any]:
     r"""Assert that code raises a particular class of warning.
@@ -207,7 +213,7 @@ class WarningsChecker(WarningsRecorder):
         expected_warning: Optional[
             Union["Type[Warning]", Tuple["Type[Warning]", ...]]
         ] = None,
-        match_expr: Optional[Union[str, Pattern]] = None,
+        match_expr: Optional[Union[str, "Pattern"]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__()