The Gender Recognition Act of 2004 established a procedure for anyone in the United Kingdom who wants to have their legal gender and birth certificates changed. The person can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate from the Government’s Gender Recognition Panel.

If their application is approved, the law will recognize them as having all of the same rights and responsibilities as someone of their embraced gender.

If you want your acquired gender to be legally recognised in the UK, you can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate through the Gender Recognition Panel. After a GRC is completed, your birth certificate will be reissued, confirming your true gender and, if applicable, your new chosen name.

There are three different ways (or ‘routes’) to obtain a certificate, depending on your circumstances.

Standard route for Gender Recognition Certificate

If all of the following criteria are met, use by the standard route 

• you’re 18 or over
• you’ve been diagnosed with gender dysphoria (discomfort with your birth gender) – this is also called gender identity disorder, gender incongruence or transsexualism
• you’ve lived in your acquired gender for at least 2 years
• you intend to live in your acquired gender for the rest of your life

Alternative route

If all of the following criteria are met, use the alternative route:

• you’re 18 or over
• you’ve been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or had surgery to change your sexual characteristics
• you live in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland most of the time 
• you intend to live in your acquired gender for the rest of your life
• you’re in (or have been in) a protected marriage or protected civil partnership before 10 December 2014 (16 December 2014 for Scottish marriages and civil partnerships)
• you’ve lived in your acquired gender for at least 6 years before 10 December 2014 (16 December 2014 for Scottish marriages and civil partnerships)

A marriage or civil partnership is protected if it’s one of the following:

• registered under the law of England, Wales or Northern Ireland
• a marriage solemnised in Scotland
• a civil partnership registered in Scotland
• a marriage registered under the law of a country or territory outside the UK
• a marriage on UK consular premises or in an armed forces base, if you elected England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland as the relevant part of the UK

Overseas route

If your acquired gender has been legally accepted in a ‘approved country or territory‘ and you have documents to prove it, you can apply through the overseas route.

You must be at least 18 years old.

You can get information, advice and support from a number of voluntary organisations – you can find a list on page 21 of the full guidance.

You can also contact Citizens Advice or find a legal adviser.

Read the full guidance before you apply.