---
id: sgkb.data.organ-donation-framework
kind: dataset
title: "Singapore Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation Framework"
url: https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.organ-donation-framework
language: en
evidence_status: verified
last_verified: 2026-10-25
collection_as_of: 2026-11-04
---

# Singapore Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation Framework

A route-by-route reference distinguishing Singapore's HOTA and MTERA deceased-donation frameworks, living kidney/liver donation safeguards, and BMDP volunteer marrow registry.

# Singapore Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation Framework

This qualitative dataset compares the rules and administrative boundaries for different donation routes in Singapore. It does not estimate how many people are eligible, how many donations occur, or the probability of a match. Eligibility at registration and clinical suitability at the time of donation are separate questions. The source pages were checked on 25 October 2026; rule changes and the interactive BMDP intake screen should be rechecked before advising an individual.

## Comparison by donation route

| Route | Who / when | Scope and purpose | Consent and matching boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOTA deceased donation | Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 21 and above who are not mentally disordered, unless they object; overseas deaths are outside HOTA | Kidneys, heart, liver and corneas for transplantation | Opt-out. A person may object to all or specified organs. Donation is subject to medical suitability and a suitable recipient; organs enter the relevant national waiting list, not a donor-selected recipient. Objectors have lower transplant priority; after withdrawal, the lower priority lasts two years from receipt by the Director of Medical Services. |
| MTERA deceased donation | Anyone aged 18 and above regardless of nationality; applies after death in Singapore | Pledged organs, tissues and/or whole body for transplantation, therapy, education and/or research | Opt-in pledge; the pledger may specify organs and purposes. If there is no prior pledge, next of kin may consent under MTERA. MTERA and HOTA do not apply to deaths overseas. |
| Living organ donation | A potential living donor and recipient pair assessed by a Singapore transplant centre | Kidney or liver donation, subject to assessment and consent; biological relationship is not required | Independent clinical and psychosocial assessments and Transplant Ethics Committee authorisation are required. A seven-day cooling-off period follows authorisation. Reimbursement is limited to reasonably incurred donation costs, expenses or loss of earnings; organ trading is prohibited. |
| BMDP volunteer marrow register | The current online screen asks whether applicants are aged 18–49 and are Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents or Malaysians; medical self-assessment also applies. BMDP FAQ separately describes a registration route for age 50, so confirm current arrangements directly. | Volunteer donor register for blood stem-cell (bone-marrow) matching; not HOTA, MTERA or whole-blood donation | Registration uses a cheek swab and HLA tissue typing. Donors join a public register and cannot choose recipients or exclude groups. A potential match undergoes further medical review and consent; BMDP requires parental consent before a matched donor under 21 proceeds to donation. |

HOTA/MTERA legal scope and opt-in/opt-out boundaries follow MOH and Live On guidance ([MOH, accessed 25 October 2026](https://www.moh.gov.sg/seeking-healthcare/organ-donation/); [Live On eligibility, 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/)). Registry submission and witness details are described by Live On ([decision and submission routes, updated 30 June 2025](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/how-can-i-make-my-decision-known/)). Living-donor assessment, ethics authorisation and reimbursement safeguards follow Live On's living donation guidance ([updated 16 January 2026](https://www.liveon.gov.sg/about-organ-donation/when-does-organ-donation-happen/living-donor-organ-transplants/)). BMDP's current screen, separate age-50 FAQ route, HLA typing, matching limits and under-21 consent rule come from BMDP ([registration, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/donor-management); [FAQ, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/faq); [matching process, accessed 25 October 2026](https://bmdp.org/you-are-a-match)). This matrix is a retrieval aid; use the current official service and clinical team for case-specific decisions.

## Record details

- **Tags:** policy; statute; agency; how-to
- **What each row represents:** one route-specific eligibility, purpose, consent, matching or authorization rule for deceased, living or volunteer marrow donation
- **All domains:** data
- **Facets:** current; eligibility; institution; law; policy; procedure
- **Status:** verified
- **All topics:** [Organ, tissue and bone-marrow donation in Singapore](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/topic/sgtopic.healthcare.organ-tissue-and-bone-marrow-donation)
- **Also known as:** HOTA and MTERA comparison; organ donation pathways; bone marrow donor eligibility; donation route comparison
- **Explore connections:** organ-tissue-and-bone-marrow-donation; healthcare-system-anchors
- **Entities:** [Human Organ Transplant Act 1987](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.statute.hota1987); [Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act 1972](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.statute.mtera1972); [National Organ Transplant Unit](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.institution.national-organ-transplant-unit); [Bone Marrow Donor Programme](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/entity/sg.organisation.bmdp)
- **Language:** en
- **Volatility:** fast
- **Jurisdiction:** SG
- **Last verified:** 2026-10-25
- **Temporal scope:** current
- **Update cadence:** review when MOH, Live On, Singapore Statutes Online or BMDP revises the applicable rule or current registry process
- **Source format:** markdown
- **Geographic scope:** national
- **Classification source:** curated
- **Classification confidence:** high

## 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 — 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 — 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: [Organ, Tissue and Bone-Marrow Donation in Singapore](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.healthcare.organ-tissue-and-bone-marrow-donation)
- Datasets: [Healthcare System Structure Anchors](https://ik.sg/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.healthcare-system-anchors)
- 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.