The Standard Track Application Procedures
The Standard Track forms are to be used by all people whose:
- Birth was registered in the UK, or by British Forces overseas** (or with a British Consul or High Commission, or under Merchant Shipping or Civil Aviation
provisions) - Birth was registered elsewhere, but who have not obtained legal recognition in their birth state.
** Includes the British Forces overseas, a British Consul or High Commission, or under the UK's Merchant Shipping or Civil Aviation provisions
A trans person may be living inside or outside the UK at the time of the application. All that is relevant is that
a. their birth certificate is a UK birth certificate, or/
b. that there is no gender recognition system in their home country or state, or/
c. that they have not made us of their home country's gender recognition process
AND
d. The person has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, AND
e. the person has been living permanently in their preferred gender role for at least 2 years , AND
f. the person is unmarried (though married people can apply for an Interim certificate) , AND
g. the person is able to provide the appropriate evidence (see more below), the application form and the fee
Any documents you have in your new gender in the new country, may stand as good evidence of you having fully lived in your new gender for at least 2 years when applying for a gender recognition certificate. However they are not proof of your legal gender, here in the UK.(The reason for this is that prior to 2004 the provision of day-to-day documents like driving licenses and passports was not contained in law. They were provided as discretionary concessions to make lives more comfortable and less likely to be victimised).
n.b. Even though the Gender Recognition Act itself has brought about the apparent circumstances where people might have more than one birth certificate, people who are issued with new birth certificates should destroy their old birth certificates completely. However, if you do keep it as a souvenir, be aware your old certificate has no legal standing, and it might always betray your hard won privacy.
The Overseas Track Application Procedures
The Overseas Track is is for
h. The process of gender recognition in their home country will have been as rigorous as that of the UK i.e. the person must have:
d. The person has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, AND
e. the person has been living permanently in their preferred gender role for at least 2 years , AND
f. the person is unmarried (though married people can apply for an Interim certificate) , AND
g. the person is able to provide the appropriate evidence of their gender recognition in one of the approved territories, the application form and the fee
*** Please note that many territories do not afford full legal recognition unless your birth certificate is altered or re-issued. As other countries cannot amend or reissue UK birth certificates, you may find that despite having every other document altered., you do not have full legal recognition in some countries. For example in some Australian states, full legal recognition can only be afforded to those whose birth is registered in that state. e.g. The UK alters every other document at the point of transition not 2 years later, at the point of legal recognition. But all of those documents eg. driving licence, passport, national insurance number, NHS medical number etc. do not , in themselves, afford legal recognition. This has caused many problems for people born in the UK, but now living overseas. If you have any doubt - use the Standard track form.