Donor Act

The Donor Register was introduced in 1998. Any resident of the Netherlands aged 12 and over can register their preference regarding organ donation in this register. The amended Donor Act came into force on 1 July 2020. It stipulates that everyone aged 18 and over will be included in the Donor Register. People are now automatically registered as having ‘no objection to organ donation’ if they do not register any other preference.

Since the summer of 2021, young people reaching the age of 18 have received a letter asking them to register their choice in the Donor Register. Everyone who has lived in the Netherlands for three years - regardless of their nationality - receives a donor form. After a person has died, a doctor always discusses with family or surviving relatives what is stated in the register. If they are absolutely certain that the deceased did not want to be an organ donor, or if they have serious objections to this, the organ donation will not go ahead, even if ‘yes' or 'no objection’ is registered.

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