Danish foreign ministry updates travel advisory following U.S. policy changes
Denmark has updated its U.S. travel advisory for transgender individuals, joining other European nations like Germany and Finland, in warning that they may face difficulties entering the United States.
The Danish foreign ministry’s website now recommends that transgender people contact the U.S. Embassy before traveling.
Passport gender designations may lead to entry issues
“When applying for an ESTA or visa to the United States, there are two gender designations to choose from: male or female,” the Danish travel advisory stated in an update on Friday.
“If you have the gender designation X in your passport or you have changed your gender, it is recommended that you contact the U.S. Embassy before traveling for guidance on how to proceed,” the advisory added.
This update comes just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to define sex as either male or female in official documents such as passports.
The U.S. State Department has since stopped issuing travel documents with the “X” gender marker, commonly used by nonbinary individuals. It has also halted the process of allowing people to change the gender on their passport to match their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth.
Transgender rights group calls for clarity
Susanne Branner, head of LGBT Denmark, told Danish radio RadioIII that her organization requested the travel advisory update earlier in the week.
She estimates that thousands of people in Denmark who have legally changed their gender could face difficulties at U.S. airports.
“If you are transgender or have an X in your passport, can you risk being denied entry? We would like concrete answers to this,” Branner said.
Other European nations issue similar advisories
Germany and Finland have also updated their travel advisories in response to the situation in the U.S.
The German foreign ministry has advised travelers with an ‘X’ gender marker or whose legal gender differs from their assigned sex at birth to consult with a U.S. diplomatic mission before traveling.
Finland’s foreign ministry has issued a similar warning, stating that individuals whose passport gender does not match their sex at birth may be denied entry and should check with U.S. authorities before travel.
