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This is an information resource mainly written for trans US citizens considering emigrating to another country, although we hope it is useful beyond that.

Please treat this wiki as a starting point for your own research, not as an authoritative source of truth or as legal advice.

Many of the authors have gone through the process themselves and want to share what they have learned.

European Union

From Trans World Express

The European Union is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The EU sets policy that member states implement, many of which have important implications for immigration, citizenship, and human rights.

Member States

Political Situation for Trans People

Transgender rights vary greatly by member state. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in all EU member states and discrimination in employment has been banned since 2000. The EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. There are no specific protections at the EU-level for trans people, but case law regarding sex-based discrimination has been interpreted to apply to discrimination based on transition status.

Immigration Policy

There are some imporant-to-know policies regarding visas and long term residence.

EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card[1] is a type of temporary work visa offered by many EU countries. Whereas a typical work visa ties you to a specific employer and only grants you temporary residency to the host country, the Blue Card allows you to easily transfer your temporary residence to another country if you are able to find a job in the new country.

There is an effort to harmonize the rules for getting a Blue Card in each country, but it is up to each country to define their own rules around Blue Card visas.

The Blue Card is typically valid for up to 3 years and can be renewed.

By Country

Long-Term Residence

Once you have lived in any EU country for 5 years, you can apply for EU long-term residence.[2] This is a status separate from any permanent/long-term residence you may gain from residing in an EU country for over 5 years.[3]

The advantage of having EU long-term residency is that you can effectively transfer your permanent residence from one country to another[4]. For example, if you obtain permanent residence in Spain and are granted EU long-term residency, you can then move to Germany and immediately get a long term residence permit in Germany.

  1. ↑ https://www.apply.eu/
  2. ↑ https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/legal-migration-and-resettlement/long-term-residents_en
  3. ↑ https://balcellsgroup.com/permanent-residency-in-spain/#Long-term_EU_residency
  4. ↑ https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/MobilitaetEU/MobilitaetLangfristigerAufenthalt/mobilitaet-langfristigeraufenthalt-node.html
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