Individuals wishing to be gender-reassigned must undergo gender reassignment surgery. The law defines the gender reassignment of transsexual patients as the performance of medical procedures to reassign gender by surgery that precludes any reproductive function. A transsexual patient is defined as someone experiencing a persistent misalignment between their psychological and physical gender (i.e. they have a gender identity disorder).
Reassignment surgery may be performed on a patient who has a clearly established gender identity disorder, has demonstrated that they are able to live permanently as a person of the opposite gender, and is not married or in a registered partnership, or in a similar same-sex union abroad, or proves that the marriage, registered partnership, or similar union has ended.
Gender reassignment surgery requires a written application from a patient who is at least 18 years old, a positive opinion from a Ministry of Health expert committee and, if the patient does not have full legal capacity, the approval of a court.
Gender reassignment surgery may be initiated if the patient or their guardian gives written consent immediately before the procedure begins. The health service provider issues the patient with a gender reassignment certificate. This is required by the registry office to amend the patient’s entry in the register.