Quick answer
To record your donor wishes in Australia, register on the Australian Organ Donor Register — at donatelife.gov.au, through your Medicare online account via myGov, or by phone on 1800 777 203. It takes about a minute. Then do the part most people skip: tell your family. In Australia your family is always asked to agree to donation, so they need to know what you decided.
Organ and tissue donation is something most Australians say they support, and far fewer have actually registered. The gap is not disagreement — it is that registering feels like a task for another day, and the conversation with family feels awkward.
Both take less time than you would think.
Organ and tissue donation in Australia, briefly
Donation is when organs or tissue are recovered from a donor and transplanted into someone who needs them. Organs that can be transplanted include the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and intestine. Tissue donation covers things such as heart valves, corneas, bone, skin and tendons.
Two points that surprise people:
- Donation is rare. Only a very small proportion of people die in the specific circumstances that make organ donation medically possible — which is part of why each registration matters.
- Tissue donation is possible in more situations than organ donation, and can help with burns, eyesight and reconstructive surgery.
How to register your donor wishes
There is one national register: the Australian Organ Donor Register. Anyone in Australia aged 16 and over can record a decision on it.
| Way to register | What is involved |
|---|---|
| Online at DonateLife | donatelife.gov.au — the quickest route, about a minute |
| Medicare online account | Through myGov, if you already have Medicare linked |
| By phone | 1800 777 203, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm |
| By post | Ask for a registration form to be mailed to you |
You can register to donate everything, or specify which organs and tissue you are willing to donate. You can change or withdraw your decision at any time.
If you only ever ticked a box on a licence
Recording a donation decision when renewing a driver licence used to be common, and arrangements have changed over the years and differ by state. If that is the only place you ever recorded it, your decision may not be on the national register. It is worth taking a minute to check and register properly — the Australian Organ Donor Register is what donation staff consult.
The part that actually decides it: your family
This is the single most important thing in this article. In Australia, your family is always asked to agree to donation proceeding — even when you are registered.
Registering matters enormously, because it gives your family a clear answer instead of a guess at the worst moment of their lives. Families are far more likely to agree when they know the person had registered and had said so out loud. But the register alone does not remove the conversation.
How to have the conversation in two minutes
- Say plainly that you have registered, and what you decided.
- Say why, briefly. It makes the decision feel like yours rather than a form.
- Ask them to respect it if they are ever asked.
- Tell more than one person — the person asked may not be the person you told.
- If you decided not to donate, say that too. Clarity helps either way.
What actually happens
Donation is only considered after death has been determined by doctors who are entirely separate from any transplant team. Medical care always comes first, and registering as a donor does not change the treatment you receive.
If donation becomes a possibility, specialist DonateLife staff check the register and speak with the family. Suitability is assessed medically at the time. Donation is handled with the same respect as any other surgery, and in most cases an open casket funeral is still possible.
Four things people get wrong
- “I’m too old.” There is no upper age limit on registering. Suitability is assessed at the time, and organs and tissue have been donated successfully by people in their seventies and eighties.
- “My medical conditions rule me out.” Very few conditions rule out donation outright. Register, and let the medical assessment happen.
- “It will affect my care.” It will not. Donation is only considered after death, by a separate team.
- “My family knows what I’d want.” Often they think they do and are not certain — and uncertainty at that moment is very hard to act on.
Wishes only work if they can be found.
A MedibandPlus profile keeps your conditions, medications, emergency contacts and other wishes in one place — readable from a membership number you carry.
See how MedibandPlus worksPart of the Mediband family. Designed in Australia since 2004.
Living donation is a separate thing
Everything above concerns donation after death. Living donation — most commonly a kidney, or part of a liver — is a different process entirely, arranged through a transplant unit with its own medical and psychological assessment. Registering on the Australian Organ Donor Register has nothing to do with it, and does not commit you to anything while you are alive.
If living donation is something you are considering, whether for a relative or as a non-directed donor, the conversation starts with your GP or a transplant unit rather than with the register.
Where donation fits with your other wishes
Donation registration is separate from, and does not replace, other planning documents. It is worth knowing which does what:
| Document | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Australian Organ Donor Register | Your donation decision, nationally |
| Advance care directive | Treatment you would or would not want while alive |
| Enduring power of attorney / guardianship | Who decides for you if you cannot |
| Will | Your estate after death |
| Your emergency profile | Conditions, medications and contacts, readable straight away |
Advance care planning documents differ by state and territory — see why end of life planning matters. For the emergency layer, see what to include in medical records and how to set up your emergency contacts.
Related reading: what emergency responders look for and what MedibandPlus is. To keep your medical details readable in an emergency, create your emergency profile.
FAQs
How do I register my donor wishes in Australia?
Register on the Australian Organ Donor Register, the one national register. You can do it online at donatelife.gov.au, through your Medicare online account via myGov, by phone on 1800 777 203 between 8:30am and 5pm on weekdays, or by asking for a form to be posted. It takes about a minute, and anyone in Australia aged 16 and over can register.
Does my family still have to agree if I am registered?
Yes. In Australia your family is always asked to agree to donation proceeding, even when you are registered. That is why registering and then telling your family both matter: the register gives them a clear answer instead of a guess, and families are far more likely to agree when they know what the person decided.
I ticked a box on my driver licence, am I registered?
Possibly not. Recording a decision at licence renewal used to be common, but arrangements have changed over the years and differ between states and territories. If that is the only place you recorded it, your decision may not be on the national register, which is what donation staff consult. It is worth checking and registering properly.
Am I too old or too unwell to be a donor?
There is no upper age limit on registering, and very few medical conditions rule out donation outright. Organs and tissue have been donated successfully by people in their seventies and eighties. Suitability is assessed medically at the time, so the useful thing is to register and let that assessment happen rather than ruling yourself out.
Will registering as a donor affect my medical care?
No. Donation is only considered after death has been determined by doctors who are entirely separate from any transplant team. Your medical care always comes first, and being registered does not change the treatment you receive.
What can be donated?
Organs that can be transplanted include the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and intestine. Tissue donation covers heart valves, corneas, bone, skin and tendons, and is possible in more situations than organ donation. You can register to donate everything or specify which organs and tissue you are willing to donate.
Can I change my mind after registering?
Yes. You can change or withdraw your decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register at any time, through the same channels you used to register. If you change your decision, tell your family as well, so that what they know matches what is recorded.
Sources
- DonateLife — Join the register — the national registration form.
- Services Australia — How to register as an Australian organ donor — the registration channels and phone number.
- Services Australia — Australian Organ Donor Register — what the register is and how to change your decision.
- DonateLife — Donation and transplantation data — current Australian donation figures.
- healthdirect — Organ and tissue donation — what is involved and who can donate.
Disclaimer: This article is general information about registering a donation decision, not medical or legal advice. Donation suitability is assessed medically at the time, and advance care planning documents differ between Australian states and territories. For decisions about your own care, speak with your GP. In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000). For non-urgent health advice, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (NURSE-ON-CALL 1300 60 60 24 in Victoria, 13 HEALTH 13 43 25 84 in Queensland).
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