Denmark tells transgender citizens to seek advice before U.S. trips

Denmark has begun advising transgender people to contact the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen before visiting America, amid concerns that President Donald Trump's gender policies could cause problems with their travel documents.

The announcement came a week after Finland issued a similar warning in the wake of Trump's executive order that the United States will recognise only two unchangeable sexes - male and female.

The Danish foreign ministry did not refer directly to Trump's order but said the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization application form only has two genders to choose from, male or female, and this could cause complications.

"If your passport has the gender designation X or you have changed gender, it is recommended to contact the U.S. embassy prior to travel for guidance on how to proceed," the updated Danish travel advisory page read.

Under Danish law, citizens can apply to have their gender designated as X in their passport if the application "is based on an experience of belonging to the other gender, that the person concerned is intersex, does not identify as either male or female."

Finland, Germany also issue travel advice

Finland updated its advice page on March 14 to warn travellers: "If the applicant's current sex on their passport is different from their sex confirmed at birth, the U.S. authorities may refuse entry."

Trump's order, issued on his first day in office, requires the U.S. government to use the term "sex" rather than "gender", and mandates that identification documents, including passports and visas, be based on what it described as "an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female."

It was not clear what advice the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen could give travelers. The embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment by email and phone.

A spokesperson for the Danish foreign ministry said no Danish citizens had been refused entry to the U.S. or detained since Trump took office.

Germany this week updated its travel advisory for the United States to emphasise that a visa or entry waiver does not guarantee entry for its citizens after several Germans were recently detained at the border.