Denmark and Finland have become the latest European countries to warn their citizens about potential difficulties at the United States border, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s drive for stricter immigration policies.
The Nordic nations have updated their travel advice for transgender people, following executive orders issued at the start of Trump’s mandate that limit official US gender recognition to two genders, exclude transgender people from the military and sports, and prevent those under 19 years old from accessing gender surgery. The US State Department has since ceased to recognise the “X” gender marker used by many nonbinary people, and is refusing to administer gender changes on US passports. Seven US citizens are challenging the ruling in court.
Trump says they're only 2 genders, male and female … and idiots still wonder why he is loved worldwide by anyone with common sense pic.twitter.com/dMQ7uo9DIu
— 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒕 𝑶𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 (@Shadaya_Knight) January 21, 2025
The updates
The less tolerant US attitude to transgender people has prompted Finland and Denmark to alert their citizens of the risks entailed in travel to the US. They warn that official documents stating genders other than male or female could result in problems when citizens attempt to apply for the electronic travel authorisation in place for people from visa-waiver countries. Anyone potentially affected is advised to contact US authorities ahead of departure.
“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 notes. “If your passport has the gender designation X or you have changed gender, it is recommended to contact the US embassy prior to travel for guidance on how to proceed,” it continues.
The edit came in response to a request from the LGBT+ Danmark association which told Danish broadcaster Radio IIII that it was “worried that people could be stopped at the airport and refused entry, or that something inappropriate and uncomfortable could happen.”
The Finnish advice was then also updated in mid-March, to read: “If the applicant’s current sex on their passport is different from their sex confirmed at birth, the US authorities may refuse entry.”
Germany and the UK warn their citizens too
The Danish and Finnish warnings come after German authorities said they were investigating apparent changes to US immigration policies that had resulted in the detention of three German citizens, one of whom was in possession of a green card, at the US border. In addition, Germany’s LGBTQ+ travel advice informs citizens that they “may encounter difficulties entering certain countries if they present a passport with a name and photo that no longer corresponds to their gender identity.”
The United Kingdom also edited its Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office advisory for the US on 14 March. Both Germany and the UK note the stricter application and interpretation of travel rules at US borders and emphasize that being in possession of visas or other paperwork does not guarantee entry to the US, which is decided by immigration officials.
Nearly half (48%) of travel industry buyers surveyed by Business Travel Show (BTS) earlier in March 2025 said they believe the flux in US immigration policies was likely to make travel more expensive, while 35% said it would become more difficult. Those concerns are increasingly reflected in the official guidance issued by European countries. The bloc provided 37% of visitors to the US in 2024.
