Legal gender recognition
Legal gender recognition 2026 Main Findings
In Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Monaco, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom there is no functioning legal or administrative process for legal gender recognition.
Additionally, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia and the United Kingdom have explicit bans or other kinds of legal limitations which serve to make legal gender recognition practically impossible. Although gender recognition certificates are still issued in the UK, The 2025 Supreme Court decision ruled that “sex” based protection refers to “biological sex” thus trans men with a GRC are legally treated as “biological women” and trans women as “biological men”.
39
Trans people can legally change their names in 39 countries.
Legal gender recognition is based on self-determination in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
Non-binary gender is recognised on all kinds of identity documents in Austria, Germany, Iceland and Malta.
10
There is no age restriction for legal gender recognition in 10 countries.
Sterilisation is a legal requirement for legal gender recognition in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Romania, and Turkey.
34
34 countries require trans people to obtain a ‘Gender Identity Disorder’ diagnosis or psychological opinion for legal gender recognition.
30
Medical intervention in 30 countries and surgical intervention in 19 countries are requirements.
Depathologisation is fully implemented in healthcare in Denmark, Iceland, Malta, and Spain.
2
Only Iceland and Malta fulfil all criteria on legal gender recognition.
Counters & Map by Criteria
Below, when selecting a criterion, all countries are grouped based on their status relative to that criterion, and the map is colored in accordance.
Comply
Applicable in some regions only
Do not comply
Index by Criteria
The table displays the status of all criteria for each country on the Rainbow Map research.
- Complies
- Applicable in some regions only
- Does not Comply
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Rainbow Map – ILGA-Europe’s annual benchmarking tool – comprises the Rainbow Map and Index and national recommendations.
ILGA-Europe have produced the Rainbow Map since 2009, using it to illustrate the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in Europe.
Rainbow Map ranks all 49 European countries on a scale between 0% (gross violations of human rights, discrimination) and 100% (respect of human rights, full equality).
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We rank the countries on the basis of effective laws and policies that have a direct impact on LGBTI people’s human rights under 75 criteria – divided between seven thematic categories: equality and non-discrimination, family, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition, intersex bodily integrity, civil society space and asylum.
The 75 criteria under seven categories make up 100 points in total and they are attributed different weights. Points may be allocated partially in countries where legislation and policies are governed on a regional level.
You can find all the indicators and their allocation of weight at About.
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In order to create our country ranking, ILGA-Europe examine the laws and policies in 49 countries using a set of 75 criteria – divided between seven thematic categories:
- equality and non-discrimination,
- family,
- hate crime and hate speech,
- legal gender recognition,
- intersex bodily integrity,
- civil society space,
- and asylum.
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ILGA-Europe consistently improve the Rainbow Europe benchmarking system, aiming at developing benchmark indicators to better reflect implementation of existing legislation and thus the lived experience of LGBTI people. The criteria is determined by ILGA-Europe staff and board members, in consultation with member organisations and national experts.
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The first edition of the Rainbow Map in 2009 consisted of a map which provided information concerning 13 issues.
In the 2010 edition, ILGA-Europe added an index and collected data with regard to 14 indicators.
A year later the Annual Review was added to the Rainbow Europe module and the Index grew to cover 24 indicators.
The latest edition provides an Index with regard to 75 criteria – divided between seven thematic categories:
- equality and non-discrimination,
- family,
- hate crime and hate speech,
- legal gender recognition,
- intersex bodily integrity,
- civil society space,
- and asylum.
Since 2013, ILGA-Europe has used a scale between 0% (gross violations of human rights, discrimination) and 100% (respect for human rights, full equality), which makes the data comparable.
You can compare the country rankings with the previous year’s edition. The weight for each criterion has been changed over the years, allocated to different issues that are captured.
As a result of these alterations, the Rainbow Map and Index gives a more accurate picture of what LGBTI people really need, and what matters to the lives of people in different parts of LGBTI communities across Europe.
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ILGA-Europe monitor legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in Europe and collect relevant data sets throughout the year, via our work advocating for human rights and equality, strengthening the LGBTI movement, and strategic litigation.
The ILGA-Europe team verifies data with member organisations and its network of country experts who then provide detailed information about various developments in every country. We fact-check the information with the original sources.
ILGA-Europe’s network of country experts consist of LGBTI human rights defenders, researchers, lawyers, and other experts from 49 countries.