Right to change legal gender

You can change your legal gender in 63 countries, but 31 require surgery.

DATE

Right to change legal gender

Legal recognition of a change in gender by permitting a change on an individual's legal documentation.

Summary

32
Legal
32 regions (16%)
Legal
50
Somewhere in between
50 regions (25%)
Somewhere in between
102
Illegal
102 regions (52%)
Illegal
14
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
14 regions (7%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Europe
36%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
18 regions (36%)
Somewhere in between
23 regions (46%)
Illegal
6 regions (12%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
3 regions (6%)
Oceania
7%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
1 regions (7%)
Somewhere in between
regions (0%)
Illegal
12 regions (86%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
1 regions (7%)
South America
58%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
7 regions (58%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (8%)
Illegal
3 regions (25%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
1 regions (8%)
North America
9%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
2 regions (9%)
Somewhere in between
2 regions (9%)
Illegal
16 regions (70%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
3 regions (13%)
Africa
2%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
1 regions (2%)
Somewhere in between
5 regions (9%)
Illegal
44 regions (82%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
4 regions (7%)
Asia
7%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
3 regions (7%)
Somewhere in between
19 regions (43%)
Illegal
21 regions (48%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
1 regions (2%)

Timeline of right to change legal gender

Number of countries to allow changing legal gender over the past 35 years.

Recent & Upcoming Changes

Upcoming Changes

2026

2025

2024

Right to change legal gender by Country

Legal, no restrictions

Right to change legal gender is legal, no restrictions in 32 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Nepal 2024
  3. Pakistan 2023
  4. South Korea 2020
  5. Europe (18)
  6. Andorra 2023
  7. Austria 2025
  8. Belgium 2018
  9. Cyprus 2022
  10. Denmark 2014
  11. Finland 2023
  12. France 2018
  13. Germany 2024
  14. Greece 2017
  15. Iceland 2019
  16. Ireland 2015
  17. Luxembourg 2018
  18. Malta 2015
  19. Norway 2016
  20. Portugal 2018
  21. Spain 2022
  22. Sweden 2025
  23. Switzerland 2022
  24. North America (2)
  25. Canada 2017
  26. Costa Rica 2018
  27. Africa (1)
  28. Botswana 2017
  29. Oceania (1)
  30. New Zealand 2023
  31. South America (7)
  32. Argentina 2012
  33. Bolivia 2016
  34. Brazil 2018
  35. Chile 2019
  36. Colombia 2015
  37. Ecuador 2016
  38. Uruguay 2009

Legal, but requires medical diagnosis

Right to change legal gender is legal, but requires medical diagnosis in 19 regions.

  1. Asia (4)
  2. Bhutan 2019
  3. Israel 2014
  4. Sri Lanka 2016
  5. Uzbekistan 1998
  6. Europe (12)
  7. Belarus 2010
  8. Croatia 2014
  9. Czechia 2025
  10. Estonia 1999
  11. Italy 2015
  12. Lithuania 2022
  13. Netherlands 2013
  14. Poland 2025
  15. Serbia 2019
  16. Slovenia 2005
  17. Ukraine 2016
  18. United Kingdom 2005
  19. Africa (3)
  20. Eswatini 1984
  21. Lesotho 1975
  22. South Africa 2004

Legal, but requires surgery

Right to change legal gender is legal, but requires surgery in 31 regions.

  1. Asia (15)
  2. Bahrain
  3. China 1986
  4. India 2026
  5. Indonesia 1973
  6. Iran 1987
  7. Japan 2022
  8. Kazakhstan 2011
  9. Kyrgyzstan 2020
  10. Lebanon 2016
  11. Mongolia 2009
  12. North Korea 1997
  13. Singapore 1973
  14. Taiwan 2008
  15. Tajikistan 1972
  16. Vietnam 2017
  17. Europe (11)
  18. Armenia 2006
  19. Azerbaijan 1991
  20. Bosnia and Herzegovina 2012
  21. Kosovo 2019
  22. Latvia 2012
  23. Moldova 2001
  24. Montenegro 2008
  25. North Macedonia 1995
  26. Romania 1996
  27. Slovakia 2023
  28. Turkey 1988
  29. North America (2)
  30. Cuba 2008
  31. Panama 2006
  32. Africa (2)
  33. Namibia 1974
  34. Tunisia 2018
  35. South America (1)
  36. Suriname 2017

Illegal

Right to change legal gender is illegal in 102 regions.

  1. Asia (21)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Brunei
  4. Cambodia
  5. Iraq 2024
  6. Jordan
  7. Kuwait
  8. Laos
  9. Malaysia 2017
  10. Maldives
  11. Myanmar
  12. Oman
  13. Palestine
  14. Philippines 2007
  15. Qatar
  16. Saudi Arabia
  17. Syria
  18. Thailand
  19. Timor-Leste 2002
  20. Turkmenistan 1991
  21. United Arab Emirates 2019
  22. Yemen
  23. Europe (6)
  24. Albania
  25. Bulgaria 2023
  26. Georgia 2024
  27. Hungary 2020
  28. San Marino
  29. Vatican City
  30. North America (16)
  31. Antigua and Barbuda
  32. Bahamas
  33. Barbados
  34. Belize
  35. Dominica
  36. Dominican Republic
  37. Grenada
  38. Guatemala
  39. Haiti
  40. Honduras
  41. Jamaica
  42. Nicaragua
  43. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  44. Saint Lucia
  45. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  46. Trinidad and Tobago
  47. Africa (44)
  48. Algeria
  49. Angola
  50. Benin
  51. Burkina Faso
  52. Burundi
  53. Cameroon
  54. Cape Verde
  55. Central African Republic
  56. Chad
  57. Comoros
  58. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  59. Djibouti
  60. Egypt 2024
  61. Equatorial Guinea
  62. Eritrea
  63. Ethiopia
  64. Gabon
  65. Gambia
  66. Ghana
  67. Guinea
  68. Guinea-Bissau
  69. Liberia
  70. Libya
  71. Madagascar
  72. Malawi 2015
  73. Mali
  74. Mauritania
  75. Mauritius
  76. Morocco
  77. Niger
  78. Nigeria
  79. Republic of the Congo
  80. Rwanda
  81. Sao Tome and Principe
  82. Senegal
  83. Seychelles
  84. Sierra Leone
  85. Somalia
  86. South Sudan
  87. Sudan
  88. Tanzania
  89. Togo
  90. Zambia
  91. Zimbabwe
  92. Oceania (12)
  93. Federated States of Micronesia
  94. Fiji
  95. Kiribati
  96. Marshall Islands
  97. Nauru
  98. Palau
  99. Papua New Guinea
  100. Samoa
  101. Solomon Islands
  102. Tonga
  103. Tuvalu
  104. Vanuatu
  105. South America (3)
  106. Guyana
  107. Paraguay
  108. Venezuela 1998

Varied, unclear, or unknown laws

Data on right to change legal gender is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 14 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Bangladesh Ambiguous
  3. Europe (3)
  4. Liechtenstein Ambiguous
  5. Monaco Ambiguous
  6. Russia Ambiguous
  7. North America (3)
  8. El Salvador Ambiguous
  9. Mexico Varies by Region
  10. United States Varies by Region
  11. Africa (4)
  12. Côte d’Ivoire Ambiguous
  13. Kenya Ambiguous
  14. Mozambique Ambiguous
  15. Uganda Ambiguous
  16. Oceania (1)
  17. Australia Varies by Region
  18. South America (1)
  19. Peru Ambiguous
  20. Antarctica (1)
  21. Antarctica N/A

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