LGBTQ+ travel safety, country by country

Same-sex marriage since 2019 – first in Asia. Taipei (Ximen, Red House) is one of Asia’s most LGBTQ-friendly cities; protections strong.

Same-sex marriage since 2013. Paris and major cities openly accepting; rural areas more reserved but rarely hostile to visitors.

Same-sex marriage since 2005. Among the most LGBTQ-friendly destinations globally; Madrid, Barcelona, Sitges, Ibiza all major scenes.

Same-sex marriage since 2017. Berlin is one of the world’s most LGBTQ-friendly cities; Munich, Hamburg, Cologne also accepting.

Same-sex marriage since 2014 (England/Wales/Scotland; Northern Ireland 2020). Strong legal protections; London, Manchester, Brighton are major LGBTQ hubs.

Same-sex marriage since 2010. Lisbon and Porto have active scenes; non-discrimination protections strong.

World’s first country to legalise same-sex marriage (2001). Amsterdam is a global LGBTQ icon; protections strong nationwide.

Same-sex marriage since 2009. Stockholm is highly accepting; legal trans recognition among the world’s most progressive.

Same-sex marriage since 2010. Buenos Aires very accepting; Milei government rhetoric mixed but legal protections solid.

Marriage equality nationwide since 2005. Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver have major scenes; strong protections.

Same-sex marriage since 2017 (popular vote). Sydney Mardi Gras world-famous; Melbourne accepting; protections strong.

Same-sex marriage since 2013 – first in Asia-Pacific. Auckland and Wellington very accepting; consistently top ILGA rankings.

Same-sex marriage since 2015 (first country to legalise by popular vote). Dublin has strong LGBTQ scene.

Same-sex marriage since 2003 (second country in the world). Brussels and Antwerp have visible scenes.

Same-sex marriage since 2009. Oslo openly accepting; strong legal protections.

Same-sex marriage since 2012; partnerships since 1989 (world’s first). Copenhagen is a major LGBTQ hub.

Same-sex marriage since 2017. Helsinki accepting; Sami and rural areas more conservative.

Same-sex marriage since 2010. Reykjavík is highly accepting; one of the most LGBTQ-friendly capitals globally.

Same-sex marriage since 2013 – second in Latin America. Montevideo very accepting; among the most LGBTQ-friendly globally.

Same-sex marriage since 2017. Malta consistently ranks #1 on Europe’s ILGA index. Valletta and Sliema accepting.

Same-sex marriage since 2015. PM Xavier Bettel was openly gay (2013–23); fully accepting society.

Marriage equality from January 2025 – first Southeast Asian country. Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai openly accepting; trans visible. Rural conservatism real but enforcement targets locals not tourists.

Same-sex marriage since 2024 – first Orthodox-majority country to legalise. Athens and Mykonos openly accepting; smaller islands more conservative.

Same-sex marriage since 2016. Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena have scenes; armed-group areas remain hostile.

Same-sex marriage since 2020 – first in Central America. San José and Pacific coast accepting; Catholic conservatism in interior.

Same-sex marriage since 2019. Vienna has solid scene; rural Catholic conservatism in some Alpine areas.

Same-sex marriage since 2022. Zürich and Geneva accepting; mountain villages more reserved but rarely hostile.

Same-sex marriage since 2022. Santiago and Valparaíso openly accepting; conservative rural areas.

Same-sex marriage since 2019. Quito accepting; coastal/Andean rural areas conservative.

Same-sex marriage since 2022 (first ex-Yugoslav country). Ljubljana accepting; rural conservatism real but rarely hostile.

Same-sex marriage since 2024 (first Baltic and ex-Soviet state). Tallinn accepting; rural conservatism remains.

Same-sex marriage since 2023. Andorra la Vella small but accepting; conservative Pyrenean villages more reserved.

Marriage equality nationwide since 2022. CDMX, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta openly accepting; rural areas more conservative; trans hate crime real concern.

Same-sex marriage since 2013. São Paulo Pride is the world’s largest; Rio gay-friendly; trans hate-crime rate among the world’s highest. Urban-rural split sharp.

Marriage equality nationwide (Obergefell 2015). State-level non-discrimination patchy; Trump-era rollbacks on trans rights. Cities (NYC, LA, SF, Chicago) very accepting; some rural/Bible Belt areas hostile.

Same-sex marriage since 2022 (Family Code referendum). Havana has scene; revolution-era prejudice still present in older generations.

Same-sex marriage since 2006 – first country in Africa. Constitution protects; reality varies. Cape Town openly accepting; townships and rural areas have hate-crime risk.

No marriage in Israel itself but foreign same-sex marriages recognised; partnership rights extensive. Tel Aviv is the regional LGBTQ hub. Jerusalem more conservative; ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods PDA inadvisable.

No national same-sex marriage but most major cities offer partnership certificates. Tokyo (Shinjuku Ni-chōme), Osaka, Kyoto have scenes; PDA generally fine in cities.

Supreme Court ordered same-sex marriage registration 2023; first registered couple 2023. Third-gender legally recognised. Kathmandu accepting; rural areas more conservative.

Civil unions since 2016 (no full marriage). Rome and Milan have visible scenes; Vatican adjacency means Catholic conservatism in some areas.

Registered partnerships since 2006; rights expanded by 2024 amendment to include joint adoption and shared surnames – still short of full marriage equality. Prague has visible scene; rural conservatism exists but not openly hostile.

Life partnerships since 2014. Zagreb has small scene; coastal Dalmatia generally relaxed; rural conservatism real.

Registered partnerships since 2009 but constitutional ban on same-sex marriage (2020). Government anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Budapest has scene; Pride march sometimes contentious.

Civil partnerships since 2015 (south only – north has no recognition). Limassol and Nicosia have scenes; rural Orthodox/Muslim conservatism real.

Civil unions since 2024. Rīga has small scene; conservatism real outside capital.

Civil partnerships since 2020. Podgorica and coast more accepting; rural conservatism real.

Civil unions since 2020 (court). La Paz small scene; conservatism strong; PDA inadvisable.

Same-sex relations legal; no recognition. Ho Chi Minh City has growing scene; family pressure heavy. PDA tolerated in cities, not rural.

Legal but no recognition; SOGIE Equality Bill pending decades. Manila and Cebu have scenes; Catholic-influenced conservatism real but rarely hostile to tourists.

Legal; no recognition. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap relaxed for tourists. Family/Buddhist pressure means most local LGBTQ stay closeted.

Section 377A repealed 2022 but constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Cosmopolitan but legally unrecognised. Discretion advisable; PDA generally tolerated in tourist areas.

Legal but no recognition; military still criminalises within ranks. Seoul has Itaewon scene; PDA discreet. Chaebol/conservative-Christian pressure significant.

Decriminalised 1997, removed from disorder list 2001, no recognition. Tier-1 city scenes (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu) exist but censored online; "sissy" content banned. PDA discreet.

Section 377 struck down 2018; same-sex marriage rejected by SC 2023. Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore have scenes; trans (hijra) legally recognised. PDA varies sharply by region.

Legal since Ottoman times; no recognition; Pride banned in Istanbul since 2015. Istanbul/Ankara have underground scenes; trans visible historically; current government anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. PDA inadvisable.

Legal; no recognition. Lima has scene; Catholic conservatism in interior; PDA inadvisable rurally.

Decriminalised 2000; constitutional ban on same-sex marriage 2024. Tbilisi has scene; far-right groups sometimes attack Pride. PDA inadvisable.

Legal but no recognition. Kigali has tiny low-profile scene; government less hostile than neighbours but society conservative. PDA inadvisable.

Court overturned ban 2024; foreign same-sex marriages recognised. Windhoek tiny scene; PDA inadvisable rurally.