Right to change legal gender
You can change your legal gender in 59 countries, but 30 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
Timeline of right to change legal gender
Number of countries to allow changing legal gender over the past 18 years.
Recent & Upcoming Changes
Upcoming Changes
2026
- QuerétaroLegal, no restrictionsAugust 19
- South DakotaIllegalJuly 28
- BulgariaLegal, but requires medical diagnosisJuly 23
- ChiapasLegal, no restrictionsJuly 1
- South DakotaLegal, but requires medical diagnosisApril 22
- IndiaLegal, but requires surgeryMarch 31
- OklahomaIllegalMarch 15
- WyomingIllegalMarch 13
- South DakotaLegal, but requires surgeryMarch 4
- KansasIllegalFebruary 26
2025
- AustriaLegal, no restrictionsDecember 18
- U.S. Virgin IslandsLegal, but requires medical diagnosisOctober 15
- KansasLegal, but requires medical diagnosisOctober 6
- Norfolk IslandLegal, no restrictionsJuly 1
- CzechiaLegal, but requires medical diagnosisJuly 1
- PennsylvaniaLegal, no restrictionsJuly 1
- New South WalesLegal, no restrictionsJuly 1
- IowaIllegalJuly 1
- SwedenLegal, no restrictionsJuly 1
- ManitobaLegal, no restrictionsJune 3
- GuerreroLegal, no restrictionsJune 3
- VeracruzLegal, no restrictionsApril 7
- PolandLegal, but requires medical diagnosisMarch 4
- IndianaIllegalMarch 4
2024
- GuanajuatoLegal, no restrictionsDecember 27
- EgyptIllegalDecember 12
- GermanyLegal, no restrictionsNovember 1
- GeorgiaIllegalSeptember 17
- TexasIllegalSeptember 3
- ArizonaLegal, but requires medical diagnosisAugust 20
- CampecheLegal, no restrictionsAugust 16
- NepalLegal, no restrictionsJuly 31
- IdahoIllegalJuly 1
- MassachusettsLegal, no restrictionsJuly 1
- MontanaLegal, no restrictionsJune 25
- QueenslandLegal, no restrictionsJune 24
- OklahomaLegal, but requires surgeryJune 18
- IraqIllegalApril 27
- YucatánLegal, no restrictionsApril 26
- Hong KongLegal, but requires surgeryApril 3
- Australian Capital TerritoryLegal, no restrictionsMarch 28
- FloridaIllegalJanuary 26
- MinnesotaLegal, no restrictionsJanuary 1
Right to change legal gender by Country
Legal, no restrictions
Right to change legal gender is legal, no restrictions in 29 regions.
- Europe (17)
- Andorra 2023
- Austria 2025
- Belgium 2018
- Denmark 2014
- Finland 2023
- France 2018
- Germany 2024
- Greece 2017
- Iceland 2019
- Ireland 2015
- Luxembourg 2018
- Malta 2015
- Norway 2016
- Portugal 2018
- Spain 2022
- Sweden 2025
- Switzerland 2022
- North America (1)
- Costa Rica 2018
- Africa (1)
- Botswana 2017
- Oceania (1)
- New Zealand 2023
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
Right to change legal gender is legal, but requires medical diagnosis in 20 regions.
Legal, but requires surgery
Right to change legal gender is legal, but requires surgery in 30 regions.
- Asia (15)
- Bahrain
- China 1986
- India 2026
- Indonesia 1973
- Iran 1987
- Japan 2022
- Kazakhstan 2011
- Kyrgyzstan 2020
- Lebanon 2016
- Mongolia 2009
- Singapore 1973
- South Korea 2020
- Taiwan 2008
- Tajikistan 1972
- Vietnam 2017
- Europe (10)
- Armenia 2006
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 2012
- Kosovo 2019
- Moldova 2001
- Montenegro 2008
- North Macedonia 1995
- Romania 1996
- Russia 2023
- Slovakia 2023
- Turkey 1988
- South America (1)
- Suriname 2017
Illegal
Right to change legal gender is illegal in 105 regions.
- Asia (22)
- Afghanistan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Iraq 2024
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Malaysia 2017
- Maldives
- Myanmar
- North Korea
- Oman
- Palestine
- Philippines 2007
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste 2002
- Turkmenistan 1991
- United Arab Emirates 2019
- Yemen
- North America (16)
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Nicaragua
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Africa (46)
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt 2024
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini 1984
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi 2015
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique 2004
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Data on right to change legal gender is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 14 regions.
- Asia (1)
- Bangladesh Ambiguous
- North America (4)
- Canada Varies by Region
- El Salvador Ambiguous
- Mexico Varies by Region
- United States Varies by Region
- Oceania (1)
- Australia Varies by Region
- South America (1)
- Peru Ambiguous
- Antarctica (1)
- Antarctica N/A
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