CNN
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Many would-be travelers go online to plan their vacations, whether that means looking for the best flight deals and hotel recommendations or more nitty-gritty info about whether their destination of choice requires a visa.
In the United States, those preparing for an international trip can check out the State Department’s website for up-to-date info about other countries, which are ranked from “Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions” to “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” These rankings can change based on political conflicts, natural disasters and other current events as things happen in real time.
But the travel advisory system also works in the other direction. Countries around the world maintain their own guidelines for their citizens who are planning to visit the United States.
In 2023, amid high-profile incidents of gun violence in the US, several nations issued travel warnings about potential safety risks in America, including Japan, Australia and Canada.
Now, a series of European countries have begun warning residents about what could happen if they travel to the United States if they are trans, non-binary or hold a third-gender passport.
President Donald Trump has enacted, or announced plans to enact, policies regarding this community, including moving to ban trans people from serving in the military and blocking support for gender-affirming health care for minors.
In January, he signed an executive order stating that there are only two biological sexes, male and female, and that US passport holders would need to have a passport that reflected the sex they were assigned at birth.
In light of those moves, here is what several countries have told their citizens to know about travel to the United States.
Canadians to Maine: No Thanks!
The Nordic nation is currently at odds with the United States over President Trump’s comments about wanting to take over Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark.
Denmark has warned its citizens, who can have an X marker for their sex on passports, that it could be challenging to visit the United States, writing “if you have the gender designation X in your passport or you have changed gender, it is recommended to contact the US embassy prior to travel for guidance on how to proceed.”
Finland
Finland has just been named the world’s happiest country for the eighth straight year.
Last month, the country issued an advisory regarding US travel, noting that “if the gender listed on the applicant’s passport does not match the gender assigned at birth, the US authorities may deny the application for a travel permit or visa.”
Finns were also cautioned that “a valid ESTA or visa does not necessarily grant entry to the United States,” with discretion given to individual border patrol officers and other enforcement groups.
In January, German tattoo artist Jessica Brösche tried to enter the United States from Mexico but was detained at the American border and held for several weeks before eventually being deported.
Brösche’s case was big news in Germany, where Friedrich Merz, expected to become the country’s next chancellor, has said that Europe needs to “declare independence” from the US.
However, Germany’s latest travel advisory regarding American travel focused on gender identity, not on tattooing or traveling via Mexico.
“Travelers who have the gender entry ‘X’ or whose current gender entry differs from their gender entry at birth should contact the relevant US diplomatic mission in Germany before entering the country and find out the applicable entry requirements,” reads the advisory.
Ireland
Irish media was watching closely when MMA fighter Conor McGregor — who was recently ordered to pay $257,000 to a woman who accused him of rape and assault — visited the White House as a guest of President Trump.
McGregor has said he is against immigration to Ireland and hopes to run for office himself.
In the meantime, Ireland has issued a warning that Irish citizens will have to fill out forms declaring their sex to get an ESTA visa waiver.
“The US authorities have indicated that this should reflect, what they term, the traveler’s biological sex at birth,” reads the advisory. “Travelers whose sex on their passport differs from sex assigned at birth should contact the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin for further details on specific entry requirements.”
The Netherlands
While no citizens from the Netherlands are known to have been turned away at the US border, the country put out an advisory that “you must indicate your gender at birth when applying for an ESTA or a visa” to the United States.
An existing note on the Netherlands’ travel page for the US states that “a number of states have introduced local laws that may have negative consequences for LGBTIQ+ people, for example when it comes to access to health care.”
Portugal has become one of the most popular destinations for Americans seeking to relocate abroad.
But for travelers going in the other direction, Portugal recently offered guidance on what to do when heading to the US.
“We point out that the possession of an ESTA or of a visa does not constitute an automatic right of entry to the USA,” says its government. “The final decision is always taken by the border agent on arrival to the North American territory. To avoid misunderstandings in communication, it is recommended that travelers have proof of return travel and avoid making false statements about the purposes of their stay.”
In addition, “citizens who identify as non-binary” are reminded that they can only check “male” or “female” on immigration forms and should choose the sex they were assigned at birth.
