If you want to record your decision on organ and tissue donation online, the organ donation register is the place to do it. This guide explains who runs the register, from which age you can make declarations there and which steps are usual for registering.
Short answer: The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM, Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte) sets up and runs the organ donation register. From the age of 16 you can make, change or withdraw a declaration on organ and tissue donation there. From the age of 14 you can declare an objection to removal yourself. The legal basis is section 2a of the German Transplantation Act (TPG, Transplantationsgesetz). Last updated: November 2026.
Key points
- The BfArM sets up the register and runs it.
- From the age of 16 you can make, change or withdraw a declaration on organ and tissue donation.
- From the age of 14 you can declare an objection to removal in the register yourself.
- Only certain persons and bodies receive information from the register, for example you yourself or named doctors.
- Under certain conditions you can also transfer the decision to a named person.
Who runs the organ donation register and what data does it store?
The register is governed by the German Transplantation Act (TPG, Transplantationsgesetz). Under section 2a(1) TPG, the BfArM sets it up and runs it. The stored information may only be used to establish whether removal under section 3 or section 4 TPG is permissible for the declaring person. The BfArM may also use the data for an annual report that evaluates it anonymously and is published by 30 June each year.
Section 2a(3) TPG specifies which information is stored. The table below summarises the categories.
| Group of persons | Information stored under section 2a(3) TPG |
|---|---|
| Declaring person | Identification and contact details, a pseudonymised health insurance number and access credentials |
| Named person | Only if the decision is transferred, and only with that person’s consent, their data |
| Doctors, transplant coordinators, institutions | Contact details and identification numbers |
The pseudonym may only be used to assign declarations clearly. For you this means the entry is linked to your person, but it is not publicly visible.
From what age can you register?
The law sets two age limits. You can make a declaration on organ and tissue donation from the day you turn 16. You can declare an objection to removal in the register yourself from the day you turn 14. Under the law, the declaration can be changed or withdrawn at any time.
| What you can declare in the register | Minimum age under section 2a TPG |
|---|---|
| Make, change or withdraw a declaration on organ and tissue donation | 16 years |
| Declare an objection to removal | 14 years |
How does registration work step by step?
Under section 2a(2) TPG, making, changing and withdrawing a declaration must be possible online at all times. The BfArM determines the authentication procedures in agreement with the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). The portal shows which entries are required as you fill in the form. The following order is usual:
- Open the portal of the register, which the BfArM operates.
- Prove your identity using the prescribed authentication procedure.
- Choose the declaration you want: a declaration on donation, an objection or a transfer of the decision to a named person.
- After completing the process, check that your entry is displayed and keep your access credentials for later changes.
Who may access the entry in an emergency?
Under section 2a(4) TPG, only you, named doctors or transplant officers of a hospital, named doctors of certain tissue establishments or manufacturers, and named doctors of the coordinating body receive information. Doctors in a hospital may not be involved in the removal or transfer, nor be subject to instructions from a doctor who is. Which steps apply when the register is queried, and how far an entry takes effect in an emergency, is covered in the article Organspende widersprechen: Wo der Eintrag gilt (in German).
The BfArM checks the admissibility of requests on a sample basis and, where there is cause, in each case. It records requests and information together with the reason and purpose (section 2a(6) TPG).
How does the register differ from the organ donor card?
The organ donor card is the paper form of the same decision. If you use both, make sure they match. The article Organspendeausweis ausfüllen: Schritt für Schritt (in German) describes which entries the card allows.
Anyone under 14 cannot currently make either declaration in the register under the law. For younger people it is therefore mainly important to keep the date in view when the minimum age is reached. A personal decision is worthwhile in any case, because it can give relatives orientation in a difficult situation. Whether and how to discuss it with your family remains a personal choice.
Registration touches several questions at once: the protection of your data, access in an emergency and whether you want to commit at all. Checking each of these separately makes the decision easier.
Frequently asked questions
Can I register at 14 or 15?
Under section 2a TPG you can declare an objection to removal yourself from the day you turn 14. A declaration on organ and tissue donation is possible only from the age of 16.
Who can view my entry?
The law names a closed list of authorised persons. It includes you and certain doctors named by a hospital or the coordinating body. Other persons, including relatives, receive no information from the register under the law.
Can I change my decision later?
Yes. Under section 2a(1) TPG a declaration can be changed or withdrawn at any time. You need the access credentials you received when you registered.
Is an objection model in force at the moment?
No. Under current law the decision model applies, in force since 1 March 2022. The opt-out model is being debated in the Bundestag but has not been adopted. The article Organspende: Pro und Contra der Widerspruchslösung für junge Menschen (in German) explains the state of the debate.
What to do next
- Check whether you have reached the minimum age for the declaration you want.
- Decide between a declaration on donation, an objection or a transfer to a named person.
- Read the notes on data and access before you enter your contact details.
- Keep your access credentials safe so that you can change the entry later.
Related articles
- Health system reform: overview of ePA, e-prescription, doctor visits and sick notes
- Filling in the organ donor card: step by step
- Opting out of organ donation: where the entry applies
- Organ donation: pros and cons of the opt-out model for young adults
- Opt-out model for organ donation: what would change
Sources: Section 2a Transplantation Act, organ donation register (gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved November 2026, German text); German Bundestag, plenary agenda 2026: deliberation on the Transplantation Act amendment (24 September 2026, German text).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
