Swiss to allow simple legal gender transition from Jan. 1

Switzerland joins two dozen countries aiming to decouple gender choice from medical procedures

People in Switzerland will be able to legally change gender by a visit to the civil registryoffice from Jan.1, putting the country at the forefront of Europe's gender self-identification movement.

Switzerland joins Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Norway as one of the few countries on the continent that allow a person to legally change gender without hormone therapy, medical diagnosis or further evaluation or bureaucratic steps.

Under the new rules written into Switzerland's civil code, anyone aged 16 and above who is not under legal guardianship will be able to adjust their gender and legal name by self-declaration at the civil registry office. Younger people and those under adult protection will require guardian consent.