{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gender-recognition-act-2004/section-21",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gender-recognition-act-2004/section-21.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2004/7",
  "legislation_title": "Gender Recognition Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gender-recognition-act-2004",
  "path": "section/21",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "21",
  "heading": "Foreign gender change and marriage",
  "text": "(1) A person’s gender is not to be regarded as having changed by reason only that it has changed under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom.\n(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) Nothing in this section prevents the exercise of any right which forms part of assimilated law by virtue of section 3 ... of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 21(1A) omitted (13.1.2020) by virtue of The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1514), regs. 1(2), 46(2) (with regs. 6-9)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 21(2)-(5) repealed: (S.) (16.12.2014) by Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 (asp 5), s. 36, Sch. 2 para. 12; S.S.I. 2014/287, art. 3, Sch.; and omitted (E.W.N.I.) (13.1.2020) by virtue of The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1514), regs. 1(2), 46(3) (with regs. 6-9)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(6) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Equality (Amendment and Revocation) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/305), regs. 1, 2(2); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 21(6) substituted (1.1.2024) by The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1424), reg. 1(2), Sch. para. 54(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(6) omitted (1.1.2024) by virtue of The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1424), reg. 1(2), Sch. para. 54(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/7/section/21",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:21.791018+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}