Apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate

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Who can apply

You can apply if you meet all of the following requirements:

  • you’re aged 18 or over
  • you’ve been diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the UK
  • you’ve been living in your affirmed gender for at least 2 years
  • you intend to live in this gender for the rest of your life

You can apply even if you have not had any gender affirming surgery or treatments, or you do not plan to have any.

If you’ve got a Gender Recognition Certificate or something similar from an approved country or territory, you only need to meet the following requirements:

  • you’re aged 18 or over
  • you have a document showing your affirmed gender is legally recognised in that country or territory

If you do not have a gender dysphoria diagnosis

You might still be able to apply, but only if you meet all of the following requirements:

  • you currently live in England, Wales or Scotland
  • you were in a marriage or a civil partnership on 10 December 2014 and living in England or Wales, or on 15 December 2014 and living in Scotland
  • you had been living in your affirmed gender for at least 6 years before those dates, and you have evidence of that
  • you have had gender affirmation surgery

If this applies to you, contact the Gender Recognition Panel admin team to find out how to apply. It’s a different process to the one described in the rest of this guidance.

You can still apply through this route even if you do have a gender dysphoria diagnosis, so long as you meet all the requirements. However, you do not need to have had any gender affirmation surgery.

Gender Recognition Panel
GRPenquiries@justice.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 4503
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
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