Trans-friendly European countries, and how to work or study there
A guide to living or studying while out, proud, and free from discrimination in Europe. Includes information on some of the most trans-inclusive countries on the continent.
If you’re a US citizen and trans, the chances are you’ve been affected by the sudden changes in policy from the Trump Administration. President Trump, encouraged and enabled by Elon Musk at Doge, is talking about outlawing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Federal Government and in workplaces. While companies are private organisations and can do what they want within the bounds of the law, numerous firms have acted ahead of any changes, ending DEI programmes. Research funding is also extremely difficult to get, or to keep, if you are studying with a gender- or sexuality-related focus at university.
You might want to stay where you are, fight it out, and hope that Trump is replaced with a President who will be able to reverse some of the damage being done to civil rights. On the other hand, you might decide that the best option is to get out. But how do you do that?
Student visa
If you’re a student, you can attempt to apply for a student visa in one of several European countries with trans protections written into law. This isn’t easy or cheap, but if you or your family have the financial resources to consider this option, and your documentation allows you to travel, you may wish to consider this. I’ll put links to options for students and non-EU workers below each country.
Passport problems
One of the key problems with giving trans people in the US travel advice at this time is that Federal and State agencies are being ordered to erase guidance for trans people from their websites, and more damagingly, not to issue passports and other documents with the applicant’s identified gender marker, if it is not the same as their sex assigned at birth. There have been accounts of passports simply not being issued, or being issued with, for example, a “male” gender marker if the applicant is a trans woman. If you are trans and receiving gender-affirming care, or have changed your name for example, this can clearly cause issues down the line when you enter a new country.
One possible solution is not to apply for new documents unless they are expiring imminently and must be replaced in order to travel. If you apply, expect to receive documentation which may not match your identified gender marker, and may even deadname you. This is clearly extremely upsetting, and in normal times I would always advise people to change their documentation to reflect their wishes, but if you really want to travel, you may have to put up with the trauma of doing so with documents which may not match who you are as a person right now.
While this refers to US trans people (as they are currently suffering at the hands of sudden political change and discrimination), it’s a sad possibility that other countries might try to ape Trump’s policies and effect some sort of “war on DEI”. If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable where you live at the moment, these countries might provide you with a way to feel safer and more liberated than you could in your home nation.
Please note that while I’m well-travelled, I haven’t been everywhere, so therefore some of this list is based on publicly available information. Where possible, though, I have tried to add personal experience. With all of the countries below, the cities will naturally be more tolerant and open, while you may experience some degree of negativity in smaller towns or the countryside. There’s no such thing as a utopia, and the far right is on the rise everywhere, but these are some countries where at least trans people are likely to be given the rights they deserve.
The list is not exhaustive, and I will be writing about more countries in the coming weeks and months.
This article is free. If you are finding this writing useful, I would really appreciate a small donation, as it helps me to continue to make free content to help trans people. Thank you! Sascha :)
Denmark
In 2021, Denmark passed legislation making discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression a crime. Denmark was also the first country in the world, in 2017, to remove transgender identities from its list of mental health disorders. Denmark also passed a self-identification law in 2014, enabling people to change their gender without a medical diagnosis. Danes are also reckoned to be calm, measured people in the main.
I’ve been to Copenhagen, although before I came out. It’s safe, clean, and has acres of open parks next to roads with cycle access throughout.
Malta
Malta, also in 2014, passed a law which made sexual orientation and gender identity protected characteristics, meaning freedom from discrimination for trans people under the law. Operations on intersex infants were also outlawed. They allow self-determination for gender. Malta is a Catholic country, and the older residents might give you some negative looks according to sources, but compared to the majority of European countries, being trans here is pretty good.
Disclaimer: I personally haven’t been to Malta, but I hope to, very soon.
Norway
Norway also has gender self-determination on the books, although it is said to have issues with the prompt supply of gender-affirming care. Similar to other Nordic peoples, Norwegians are quiet, reserved, and tend to look the other way if they see something they dislike. You may not be actively embraced by all Norwegians, and there may be occasional misgendering, but overall it is a tolerant country.
I have visited Tromso (after coming out but still not quite “in my final form”, and it is a beautiful city with kind, polite people. While it is a city with a small-town feel, it is also a demonstration of how a diverse community can live peacefully, even outside the capital.
Student and work visa information
Portugal
There has been gender self-determination without medical intervention in Portugal for some time now, and trans people are protected from discrimination by law. Equaldex ranks Portugal the lowest on its list of 30 countries for perceived prevalence of transgender discrimination.
Overall Portuguese people are respectful, though I visited Porto and encountered a fair amount of staring, along with giggling and jokes on the metro. Nonbinary genders are not recognised by Portuguese law. While it’s not perfect, Portugal, like Malta a Catholic country, offers safety and protection for trans people, and is a relatively cheap and easy place to get around and in which to have a good time.
If you’re considering visiting any of these countries, whether on holiday, to study, or to live, let me know what it’s like for you as a trans person. Equally, if you have up-to-date information you think I should have mentioned, let me know. You can message me on Bluesky, or by email.
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