---
id: sgkb.healthcare.organ-tissue-and-bone-marrow-donation
kind: article
title: "Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation in Singapore"
url: https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.healthcare.organ-tissue-and-bone-marrow-donation
language: en
evidence_status: verified
last_verified: 2026-10-25
collection_as_of: 2026-11-04
---

# Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation in Singapore

Singapore organ and tissue donation uses the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) and Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA), while BMDP separately manages a volunteer bone-marrow donor register with its own eligibility and matching process.

# Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation in Singapore

Singapore has separate routes for donation after death, living organ donation and volunteer blood stem-cell donation. HOTA is an opt-out framework for specified organs and people; MTERA is a broader opt-in pledge; and BMDP's bone-marrow donor register is a distinct matching service. The rules for one route do not automatically determine eligibility for another. For example, being eligible to make a MTERA pledge does not by itself make someone eligible to join BMDP's public donor register. The route-by-route comparison is available in [organ donation framework](/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.organ-donation-framework) ([MOH, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.moh.gov.sg/seeking-healthcare/organ-donation/); [BMDP, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/donor-management)).

## HOTA and MTERA cover different forms of donation

HOTA covers Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 21 and above who are not mentally disordered, unless they have registered an objection. It provides for the recovery after death of kidneys, heart, liver and corneas for transplantation. A person can object to all or selected organs; objectors have lower priority if they later need a transplant, and a person who withdraws an objection remains at lower priority for two years after the Director of Medical Services receives that withdrawal ([MOH, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.moh.gov.sg/seeking-healthcare/organ-donation/); [Live On FAQ, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/faq/)).

MTERA is an opt-in route: anyone aged 18 or older, regardless of nationality, may pledge organs, tissues or their whole body for transplantation, therapy, education or research, and can specify the donation and purpose. If someone made no prior MTERA pledge, next of kin may consent to donation under MTERA. HOTA and MTERA do not apply to deaths occurring overseas. Neither a pledge nor default inclusion guarantees that organs can be used: the transplant team assesses suitability at death, and recovery requires a suitable recipient. HOTA organs go to the relevant national waiting list rather than a recipient chosen by the donor ([Live On eligibility guide, updated 16 January 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/who-is-eligible-to-be-a-donor/); [Live On FAQ, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/faq/)).

## How to record a decision and what happens after death

People can use the Ministry of Health's Organ Donor Registry through Singpass to remain in HOTA, withdraw a previous HOTA objection, make an MTERA pledge or object to HOTA. Online submissions require a witness's full name, NRIC or FIN and local phone number. Paper forms are also available for submission through NOTU's digital service or by mail. Someone who has never objected to HOTA does not need to file a form to remain included; a MTERA pledge is a separate action. Discussing a pledge with family is useful so they know the person's wishes, but do not confuse that discussion with the HOTA opt-out process ([Live On, updated 30 June 2025](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/how-can-i-make-my-decision-known/)).

Donation after death depends on clinical circumstances and medical assessment, not age alone. Live On states there is no upper age limit for organ donation, but transplant coordinators assess organ viability and suitability after death and recovery occurs only when a suitable recipient is available. Organ donation for transplantation is usually possible in hospital when the organs can be supported; if death occurs outside hospital, organs deteriorate rapidly, although certain tissues may still be donated if NOTU is contacted promptly. The National Organ Transplant Unit, under MOH, oversees and facilitates donation and transplant matters. MTERA also covers tissue and whole-body pledges, but whole-body donation for education or research is a different pathway from organ transplantation and cannot proceed after organs have been donated for transplant ([Live On eligibility guide, updated 16 January 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/who-is-eligible-to-be-a-donor/); [Live On FAQ, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/faq/); [MOH, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.moh.gov.sg/seeking-healthcare/organ-donation/)).

## Living kidney and liver donation has separate safeguards

Living donation is not the same as registering a posthumous HOTA or MTERA decision. In Singapore, a living person may be assessed to donate a kidney or part of a liver, and the donor does not have to be biologically related to the recipient. The potential donor and recipient should consult a transplant centre; clinicians assess both, including medical examinations and reviews by an independent physician, a medical social worker and a psychiatrist. The donor must receive information about the procedure, risks and future implications, and annual follow-up is required after donation ([Live On, updated 16 January 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/when-does-organ-donation-happen/living-donor-organ-transplants/)).

Before a living organ transplant can proceed, a Transplant Ethics Committee authorises it and checks that consent is informed and free from fraud, duress or undue influence; a seven-day cooling-off period follows approval. Reimbursement is limited to reasonably incurred costs, expenses or loss of earnings related to donation. Buying or selling organs is not a lawful way to arrange a transplant. Anyone considering living donation should use the transplant team for individual medical advice rather than infer suitability from the general rules ([Live On, updated 16 January 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/when-does-organ-donation-happen/living-donor-organ-transplants/); [Live On FAQ, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/faq/)).

## BMDP's volunteer bone-marrow register is not HOTA or blood donation

The Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) manages Singapore's volunteer bone-marrow donor register. Its current online registration screen asks whether an applicant is aged 18–49 (age is determined by year of birth) and is a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident or Malaysian, then applies medical self-assessment questions. BMDP's FAQ separately says a person aged 50 may still be able to register through a different route; because that route and the current online screen are not identical, applicants should confirm their case directly with BMDP. These registry conditions are separate from the age or nationality rules for MTERA. The public register is for patients who may match; registrants cannot choose a recipient or exclude groups. A foreign student who is not in the online form's listed categories should check directly with BMDP rather than assume that MTERA eligibility also qualifies them for the marrow register ([BMDP, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/donor-management); [BMDP FAQ, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/faq)).

Registration begins with BMDP's form and cheek swab; BMDP uses tissue typing to record HLA markers for matching. Being registered is not a promise that a match will be found. If contacted as a potential match, the donor receives information and undergoes further medical checks before deciding whether to proceed. Collection may use peripheral blood stem cells after mobilisation injections or marrow collected from the pelvic bones under general anaesthesia; the transplant team determines the suitable method and explains individual risks. Applicants under 21 do not need parental consent merely to join, but BMDP requires parental consent before a matched donor under 21 proceeds to donation. Donation choices and medical consent at the matching stage therefore remain distinct from the initial cheek-swab registration ([BMDP FAQ, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/faq); [BMDP, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/you-are-a-match); [BMDP donor management, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/donor-management)).

## Sources

- [MOH — Organ donation](https://www.moh.gov.sg/seeking-healthcare/organ-donation/) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [Live On — Who is eligible to be a donor](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/who-is-eligible-to-be-a-donor/) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [Live On — How can I make my decision known?](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/how-can-i-make-my-decision-known/) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [Live On — What organs can be donated](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/what-organs-can-be-donated/) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [Live On — Frequently asked questions](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/faq/) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [Live On — Living donor organ transplants](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/when-does-organ-donation-happen/living-donor-organ-transplants/) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [BMDP — Who We Are](https://bmdp.org/who-we-are) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [BMDP — Donor Management and registration](https://bmdp.org/donor-management) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [BMDP — Frequently asked questions](https://bmdp.org/faq) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [BMDP — You are a match](https://bmdp.org/you-are-a-match) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [Singapore Statutes Online — Human Organ Transplant Act 1987](https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HOTA1987) — Accessed 2026-10-25
- [Singapore Statutes Online — Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act 1972](https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/MTERA1972) — Accessed 2026-10-25

## Explore connections

- Articles: [Blood Donation Eligibility Checker](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.healthcare.blood-donation-eligibility-checker)
- Articles: [Healthcare System Overview](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.healthcare.healthcare-system-overview)
- Articles: [Hospitals and Specialist Care](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.healthcare.hospitals)
- Datasets: [Singapore Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation Framework](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.organ-donation-framework)
- Topics: [Healthcare](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/topic/sgtopic.healthcare)
- Topics: [Organ, tissue and bone-marrow donation in Singapore](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/topic/sgtopic.healthcare.organ-tissue-and-bone-marrow-donation)
- People & organisations: [Bone Marrow Donor Programme](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.organisation.bmdp)
- People & organisations: [Human Organ Transplant Act 1987](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.statute.hota1987)
- People & organisations: [Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act 1972](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.statute.mtera1972)
- People & organisations: [National Organ Transplant Unit](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.institution.national-organ-transplant-unit)

Dates describe this record’s own period and applicability. A verification date does not mean a rule is currently in force. An expanding collection. Published counts show available knowledge, not complete coverage of Singapore.