26 March 2025, 16:48
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A growing number of countries are advising caution for trans citizens visiting America amid fears of ‘detention’.
It comes after Donald Trump banned ‘X’ gendered US passports and one of the first executive orders he signed as president declared there were only two genders.
A number of US allies are now warning their trans and non-binary citizens who have their gender listed as ‘X’ that they should get advice from American embassies before travelling there.
There are concerns that holidaymakers may be refused entry as a result, with countries updating their travel advisory pages to draw attention to the changes.
Read more: Donald Trump to ban transgender troops and military diversity programmes in new executive orders
Full list of countries advising ‘caution’ while visiting US
- Austria
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Norway
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Netherlands
Certain countries like the UK and Canada have not issued specific advice for transgender citizens visiting America.
However, there is general guidance suggesting trans people could face issues with travel documents in countries where they are not recognised.
The UK’s foreign office warns Brits to fully comply with all entry and visa requirements.
Meanwhile, France’s foreign ministry tells citizens to declare their gender assigned at birth when applying for a US visa or through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).
Denmark is among the countries to have explicitly stated that trans people may not be allowed entry into the US.
In Finland, advice states: “If the applicant’s current sex on their passport is different from their sex confirmed at birth, the US authorities may refuse entry.
“The policy of the United States is that an individual’s sex is not changeable.”
Germany has also said trans citizens may face issues visiting the US.
Guidance states that those travelling must state either ‘male’ or ‘female’ on ESTA or visa applications.
Director of the organisation TransActual, jane fae, told Metro: “Confiscation of your passport and indefinite detention in an ICE facility is a real possibility.”
