The Best Countries for Transgender People Who Want to Leave the U.S.

As of June 2026, U.S. state legislatures have proposed 793 anti-trans bills in 43 states, and legislators have also introduced 127 national anti-trans bills. Roughly half of these bills considered in 2026 focus on education or healthcare, from denying pronoun autonomy to prohibiting gender-affirming care.

While LGBTQ+ rights are under attack in the States, this does not hold true worldwide. Our free You Can Move Abroad webinar can help you get started on this journey. Sessions run every day. Here are some of the better countries for trans rights that you can move to:

Uruguay

Uruguay tops our internal rankings at Expatsi in terms of public sentiment around transgender identities. Same-sex relationships were decriminalized in 1934, establishing a longstanding record of inclusion in this South American nation. Gender affirming care is widely available, including for minors.

Remote workers can come on Uruguay’s residency for nomads and later turn that short stay into residency. Outside the summer rush, Punta del Este is a calm seaside town.

Malta

Despite Malta’s strong Catholic presence, the Mediterranean island is often named tops for LGBTQIA+. Travel writers Asher & Lyric note that 16-year-olds can apply for legal gender ID change with parental consent. The nation offers worker protections and constitutional protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows no trans murders from 2008-2022.

In Valletta, a walkable, car-light city of about 5,000, the calm arrives once the day-trippers leave. If you live on foreign income, the Global Residence Programme taxes what you bring into Malta at a flat 15%.

Portugal

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Portugal has become a popular location for all kinds of people looking to emigrate out of the United States, thanks to its progressive laws for abortion, LGBTQIA+ rights, and drug use. Asher & Lyric say that 18-year-olds can get a legal gender ID change with no requirements, but 16-year-olds need a psych evaluation and parental consent. The nation offers worker protections and constitutional protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows .2 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

NOTE: As of Spring 2026, Portugal’s Parliament advanced three bills designed to remove key gender-identity rights and end the 2018 system for gender self-determination. Human rights organizations like Outright International are actively campaigning against this effort. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups are also challenging these rights regressions. We’ll keep a close eye on any changes to Portugal’s laws.

Canada

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Canada has long supported LGBTQIA+ refugees fleeing persecution, though claiming asylum can be exceptionally difficult for Americans. Gender ID change is legal here without surgery. The nation offers worker protections and constitutional protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows .2 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

Before you look into asylum, check your family tree: a Canadian parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent may be all it takes for citizenship by descent.

Sweden

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In 1972, Sweden was the first country to allow transgender people to legally change their sex, but the requirements at that time were brutal. Legislation is in progress to make changing your legal gender easier, but there is increasing restriction there in hormone therapy for minors.

Bolivia

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Bolivia got Asher & Lyric’s top score outside of Europe. The Amazonian nation offers worker protections and constitutional protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows .2 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia’s biggest city, sits low enough that altitude isn’t a worry, and BoA flies nonstop from there to Miami. To earn a paycheck, you’ll need a work visa and one to three years of work residence.

Belgium

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In Belgium, Asher & Lyric say that transgender individuals have to complete paperwork attesting to their gender identity. Legal protections besides worker protections are more broad, but the country hasn’t had any trans murders from 2008-2022.

One way to get a first taste of Belgium is as an au pair or intern, with a host family or employer handling the paperwork. Ghent is a smaller, younger alternative to Brussels.

Croatia

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Like Belgium, Croatia offers worker protections and broad protections and has had zero trans murders during the study period. Changing your gender identity is legal, and hate crimes are prosecuted. The Balkan nation is popular with American emigrants for its weather and lifestyle. There have been zero trans murders from 2008-2022.

That weather shows in Dubrovnik, where the sea stays warm enough to swim from June into October. With a U.S. passport, you can skip Croatia’s D visa and apply for a residence permit directly.

Denmark

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Generally progressive Denmark does require a six-month “reflection period” before changing your gender identity. Hate crimes are prosecuted, and worker protections and broad protections are available. There have been zero trans murders from 2008-2022.

Away from the capital, Aalborg is a northern university city with beaches a short drive away. A Danish job paying about $84,000 a year can clear the work visa process in about a month.

Norway

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Minors can transition in Norway from the age of 6 with parental consent. Otherwise, worker protections and broad protection are available, hate crimes are prosecuted, and there have been zero trans murders from 2008-2022.

Bergen has a center small enough to walk end to end. A Norwegian job offer can get you a skilled worker permit for one to three years, renewable.

Greece

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You can change your gender identity without surgery in Greece. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows .1 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

Remote workers with employers outside Greece can apply for the digital nomad visa at a consulate before they move.

Switzerland

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You can change your gender identity without surgery in Switzerland. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It shows .1 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

French-speaking Lausanne, a university town on Lake Geneva, costs less than Geneva itself. Students need a Swiss student visa before they fly, and the canton makes the call.

France

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You can change your gender identity without surgery in France. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows .2 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

In Strasbourg, Germany is one stop away on the tram. Students on a French student visa can work up to 964 hours a year.

Finland

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Finland just changed its law requiring individuals be sterilized before legally changing their gender, a common past stipulation in Europe. The country’s new center-right government was in favor of the repeal. In addition, the nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows .2 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

In Helsinki, neighborhoods like Kallio and Töölö suit different tastes. Freelancers who set up a Finnish company can apply for a self-employment permit.

Spain

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Spain recognizes both transgender and non-binary people without surgery. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows .3 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

Seville is one of Spain’s more affordable big cities. Founders can get a three-year residence and work permit through Spain’s entrepreneur visa.

Peru

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You can change your gender identity without surgery in Peru, but you must go before a judge. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows 1.3 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

Calmer than Lima, Arequipa has a white volcanic-stone center, sunny weather, and real hospitals. Retirees with lifelong income can apply for the rentista visa.

Chile

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Asher & Lyric say that since 2019, ID documents can be changed in Chile without surgery. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It prosecutes hate crimes and shows 1.3 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

Hilly Valparaíso, with its murals and excellent broadband, is popular with artists and remote workers. Once you have a signed Chilean contract and a work visa, you can even change employers without notifying immigration.

Netherlands

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You can change your gender identity without surgery in the Netherlands. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It shows .2 trans murders per million people from 2008-2022.

Haarlem offers a quieter life a short train ride from Amsterdam. Founders who sign with a recognized facilitator get twelve months to build a Dutch company on the startup visa.

Iceland

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In Iceland, Asher & Lyric note that minors can change their legal gender ID without parental consent. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It shows zero trans murders from 2008-2022.

For Iceland without the capital, there’s Akureyri, a town of about 20,000 in the north. Students can come on an Icelandic student visa by showing about $2,160 a month.

Ireland

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Asher & Lyric note that 16-year-olds can change their legal gender with a court order. The nation offers worker protections and broad protections. It shows zero trans murders from 2008-2022.

Out west, Galway has a young university crowd and the Wild Atlantic Way starting at the edge of town. Americans taking an ordinary Irish job come in on a General Employment Permit.