The legal and social conditions for LGBTQ individuals have deteriorated across multiple nations during the previous year. Fresh criminal statutes, limits on prior entitlements, and political reversals suggest that LGBTQ travelers could encounter greater legal and societal hazards when journeying overseas.

These observations are featured in the LGBTQ Risk Map 2026, issued by Safeture, a top technology firm in people risk management, together with Riskline, a globally acknowledged source of travel risk intelligence. The map evaluates conditions for LGBTQ travelers across 233 countries and territories around the world.

Most countries fall into the highest risk category

Worldwide, the review places 91 countries in the high-risk group for LGBTQ travelers. An additional 62 nations receive a medium-risk rating, while 80 are viewed as low risk.

Relative to the prior year, situations have declined in several locations, such as Belarus, Burkina Faso, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Slovakia, and the United States. The causes differ but involve curbs on established rights, reversals in law, stricter punishments, and fresh limits on gender identity recognition along with travel documents.

Regional differences continue to grow

Western Europe stays the safest area for LGBTQ travelers, as every nation in the region is rated low risk in the current review.

In comparison, the Middle East and North Africa still feature some of the highest-risk spots for LGBTQ travelers. Most nations in the area are placed in the high-risk group, with Israel rated low risk and Lebanon rated medium risk.

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, conditions stay very difficult. Roughly 80 percent of the reviewed countries in the region fall into the top risk category. The decline stands out especially in Burkina Faso and Senegal. After the 2022 military takeover, Burkina Faso introduced its initial statute criminalizing same-sex relations. In Senegal, prison terms for same-sex relations have doubled.

In Europe and Eurasia, fresh legal limits have produced lower ratings for certain nations. Kazakhstan has placed curbs on details about so-called non-traditional sexual orientations, while Slovakia has further restricted the rights of same-sex couples. Belarus has passed a statute against so-called LGBT propaganda, which might lead to fines or even detentions.

Reversals have also occurred in Asia. In India, fresh rules aim to limit transgender individuals ability to self-identify. In Japan, a court confirmed the validity of the national prohibition on same-sex marriage.

In North America, the United States has strengthened requirements for travel documents. Passports will now show only the sex assigned at birth, and the X gender marker will cease to be accepted.

At the same time, the review also reveals zones of advancement. Botswana and St. Lucia have removed statutes criminalizing same-sex relations between men, leading to better ratings in this years map.

LGBTQ travelers encounter very different situations based on their destinations. In certain places, the risk may center on social factors. In others, it may involve legal issues with serious outcomes, said Magnus Hultman, CEO of Safeture. For organizations, this makes it vital to grasp destination-specific risks ahead of travel and to confirm that travelers receive relevant details, communication, and support if issues arise.

The LGBTQ Risk Map 2026 is now offered as a free download. It supplies companies, travel managers, security teams, and travelers with a useful summary to aid safer international travel planning.

For additional information, visit safeture.com or contact:

Safeture CEO Magnus Hultman: +46 706 00 81 66. [email protected]

About Safeture AB
Safeture is a Sweden-based SaaS company that provides a market-leading People Risk Management platform to help organizations protect their people anywhere in the world. By combining real-time risk intelligence, location awareness, and instant mass communication, Safeture enables faster response, stronger duty of care, and better decision-making for global operations.

Trusted by medical assistance providers, security companies, insurers, and multinational organizations, Safeture supports travel, facility, and workforce safety through a scalable, partner-centric platform.

Safeture AB is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Stockholm (ticker: SFTR). Redeye Nordic Growth AB is the companys Certified Adviser.

About Riskline:
Riskline is a Danish content provider and one of the worlds leading companies for travel risk analysis. Professional analysts, supported by AI, process more than 100,000 data sources to produce accurate risk assessments in real time. Riskline and Safeture have been working together since October 2022. www.riskline.com

SOURCE Safeture AB