Over 2,000 Spaniards have changed their gender on ID cards since 2007

2,225 Spaniards have legally changed their gender on ID cards since it became legal to do so in Spain back in 2007.

Recent years have also seen an upsurge in the number of people applying for this change, with the figure tripling in the last seven years according to the justice ministry. 132 people undertook the procedure in 2009 compared to 436 in 2016

It became possible to switch gender on identification documents with the Gender Identity Law of 2007.

The law stipulates that to legally make the change the applicant is required to have a gender dysphoria diagnosis from a doctor, have been on hormone therapy for 2 years, be a Spanish national and a consenting adult.

Some LGBT groups have criticised the relevance of a diagnoses and believe in greater autonomy.

Men are more likely to make the change as they constitute 53% of the applicants whilst the over-50s are the least likely age group to apply.