Current Version
| Region | Austria |
| Issue | Right to change legal gender |
| Status | Legal, but requires medical diagnosis |
| Start Date | Apr 24, 2009 |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | After a court ruling the Civil Status Registry is required to allow people with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to change their legal gender. However in January 2025, the Administrative Court of Austria ruled that the civil registry should correspond to “biological, physical sex”. However, trans Austrians can currently still change their legal gender. |
| Sources | https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/persoenliche_dokumente_und_bestaetigungen/aenderung-der-geschlechtszugehoerigkeit.html https://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=52340 |
Reports (1)
- Note field is incorrect "Issue: New court ruling
Source:
1. https://www.ilga-europe.org/news/landmark-cjeu-ruling-demands-member-states-ensure-legal-gender-recognition-freedom-of-movement/
2. https://infocuria.curia.europa.eu/tabs/jurisprudence?sort=DOC_DATE-DESC&searchTerm=%22C-43%2F24%22&publishedId=C-43%2F24
Description:
On March 12th 2026, the European Court of Justice issued a judgment "C-43/24" in a case of a Bulgarian trans woman living in Italy.
The court has ruled that her inability to change the gender marker on her Bulgarian documents violates the right to free movement within EU as described in the Article 21 of Treaty on the Functioning of European Union, as well as the right to private life, guaranteed by the Article 7 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of European Union.
As such, the court ruled two orders:
1. On the basis of Article 21 of TFEU and article 7 of CFREU, European Union Member States should allow for the amendment of gender data, such as the sex, family name, patronymic, first name and personal identification number, recorded in their civil status registers.
2. Local courts of Member States of European Union are no longer bound by their respective Constitutional Courts if their interpretation of the national law bans legal gender recognition as described by the first ruling of the European Court of Justice."
Revision History (4)
edited by DaisyGeekyTrans. Adding recent court ruling to clear reports and add some insight as an update to the gender change government article in March did not remove the policy.
Helpful?
1 | Old Value | New Value (Current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | After a court ruling the Civil Status Registry is required to allow people with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to change their legal gender. | After a court ruling the Civil Status Registry is required to allow people with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to change their legal gender. However in January 2025, the Administrative Court of Austria ruled that the civil registry should correspond to “biological, physical sex”. However, trans Austrians can currently still change their legal gender. |
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| Sources | https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/persoenliche_dokumente_und_bestaetigungen/aenderung-der-geschlechtszugehoerigkeit.html | https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/persoenliche_dokumente_und_bestaetigungen/aenderung-der-geschlechtszugehoerigkeit.html https://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=52340 |
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edited by jadeywadey. bad description, adding sources
Helpful?
1 | Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Under Article 41 of the Civil Status Law (2013), the Civil Status Registry has the ability to alter an entry, when it has become incorrect after is it made. In 2019, local organisation TransX.at informed ILGA World that, according to local administrative proceedings, to amend their gender markers applicants need to present one statement (in some provinces, two) by a psychologist, a psychiatrist or a psychotherapist attesting for the following facts: (1) a permanent feeling of belonging to the other gender; (2) that it is irreversible in all foresight; and (3) that measures have been taken that lead to a convergence to the outer appearance of the other gender. Gender affirmation surgeries are not necessary. The ruling against compulsory surgical interventions arises from a 2009 case before the Constitutional Court (Judgment No. 2008/17/0054) wherein it was stated that a “feeling of belonging [which] is in all likelihood irreversible and has been expressed in external terms by the person closely aligning their appearance to the external appearance of the opposite gender” is sufficient to validate gender marker change. (ILGA) | After a court ruling the Civil Status Registry is required to allow people with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to change their legal gender. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | https://database.ilga.org/austria-lgbti https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf | https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/persoenliche_dokumente_und_bestaetigungen/aenderung-der-geschlechtszugehoerigkeit.html |
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Reports (1)
- Newer law has been passed "The highest administrative court ruled in January 2025 that one cannot change legal gender. https://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=52340 "
| Old Value (Original) | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Legal, no restrictions | Legal, but requires medical diagnosis |
| Start Date | Feb 27, 2009 | Apr 24, 2009 |
| Description | Under Article 41 of the Civil Status Law (2013), the Civil Status Registry has the ability to alter an entry, when it has become incorrect after is it made. In 2019, local organisation TransX.at informed ILGA World that, according to local administrative proceedings, to amend their gender markers applicants need to present one statement (in some provinces, two) by a psychologist, a psychiatrist or a psychotherapist attesting for the following facts: (1) a permanent feeling of belonging to the other gender; (2) that it is irreversible in all foresight; and (3) that measures have been taken that lead to a convergence to the outer appearance of the other gender. Gender affirmation surgeries are not necessary. The ruling against compulsory surgical interventions arises from a 2009 case before the Constitutional Court (Judgment No. 2008/17/0054) wherein it was stated that a “feeling of belonging [which] is in all likelihood irreversible and has been expressed in external terms by the person closely aligning their appearance to the external appearance of the opposite gender” is sufficient to validate gender marker change. (ILGA) | |
| Sources | https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf | https://database.ilga.org/austria-lgbti https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf |
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| Original entry | |
|---|---|
| Status | Legal, no restrictions |
| Start Date | Feb 27, 2009 |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | |
| Sources | https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/queer/transgender/geschlechtswechsel/rechtlich/personenstand.html http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Vwgh/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00/JWT_2008170054_20090227X00.pdf |