Questions
Does registering on this site count?
No. This site takes no registrations, pledges or money, so nothing you do here records your decision. Each country page links to that country's official registry or, where none exists, explains what the country offers instead.
Can I change my mind after I register?
Yes, in the registries checked. The USA's National Donate Life Registry lets you change or remove your registration at any time, and India's official pledge form says you can withdraw your pledge. Each country page names the official body that holds registrations there.
Source: Donate Life America, which runs the National Donate Life Registry (USA): donor registration questions, Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014 (India), Form 7, the organ and tissue pledge form (India Code copy)
Will doctors try less to save me if I am a registered donor?
No. Official sources say being a registered donor does not affect your medical treatment, the doctors caring for you are not the ones involved in donation, and donation is considered only after death. WHO's principles also keep the doctors who declare death apart from organ removal and transplant.
Source: New York State Donate Life Registry (donatelife.ny.gov), frequently asked questions, World Health Organization, WHO Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation (endorsed by the World Health Assembly, 2010), Guiding Principle 2
Am I too old or not healthy enough to register?
Usually not. Official sources say people of any age and medical history can potentially be donors, and that your condition at the time of death decides what can be donated. In India, eyes can be donated at any age, including by people who wear glasses or had cataract surgery.
Source: New York State Donate Life Registry (donatelife.ny.gov), frequently asked questions, Donate Life America, which runs the National Donate Life Registry (USA): frequently asked questions, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi: Manual on Training of Trainers for Volunteers in Primary Eye Care (2015), Eye donation
Does my family still decide?
It depends on the country, and WHO notes that opt-in systems typically still ask the family. In the USA, a registered adult's decision is a binding legal gift, while India's official pledge form says organ donation is a family decision. Each country page explains its own rule.
Source: Donate Life America, which runs the National Donate Life Registry (USA): donor registration questions, Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014 (India), Form 7, the organ and tissue pledge form (India Code copy), World Health Organization, WHO Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation (endorsed by the World Health Assembly, 2010), commentary on Guiding Principle 1
Do I need to tell my family?
Official sources encourage it. India's pledge form asks you to discuss your decision with your family so it is easier for them to follow your wishes, and New York's state registry says telling them ahead of time may help them through an extremely difficult time.
Source: Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014 (India), Form 7, the organ and tissue pledge form (India Code copy), New York State Donate Life Registry (donatelife.ny.gov), frequently asked questions
Does donation cost my family anything?
Not in the USA: the family or estate pays nothing for donation, only for medical care before death and for the funeral. In India, the government's MyGov portal says eye donation facilities are free at government institutes and NGOs.
Source: Donate Life America, which runs the National Donate Life Registry (USA): frequently asked questions, New York State Donate Life Registry (donatelife.ny.gov), frequently asked questions, MyGov, Government of India: Importance of Eye Donation
Can we still have an open-casket funeral after donation?
Usually yes. New York's state registry says donation does not usually change funeral arrangements and an open casket is possible, and AIIMS in India says eye donation leaves no disfigurement of the face.
Source: New York State Donate Life Registry (donatelife.ny.gov), frequently asked questions, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi: Manual on Training of Trainers for Volunteers in Primary Eye Care (2015), Eye donation
Can I donate only some organs, or only my eyes?
Often yes, though the options differ by country. New York's state registry lets you limit your donation, and India's official pledge form lets you tick the organs and tissues you choose, corneas included. In India you can also register with an eye bank to pledge your eyes.
Source: New York State Donate Life Registry (donatelife.ny.gov), frequently asked questions, Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014 (India), Form 7, the organ and tissue pledge form (India Code copy), MyGov, Government of India: Importance of Eye Donation
What does my religion say about donation?
India's Minister of State for Health has said no major religion prohibits organ donation, and New York's state registry says all major religions approve of it. That registry suggests talking any questions through with your religious or spiritual leader.
Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare release for the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day, August 3, 2026, New York State Donate Life Registry (donatelife.ny.gov), frequently asked questions
Can people under 18 register?
It depends on the country. In the USA's national registry, people aged 15 to 17 can register their intent, but a parent or legal guardian makes the final decision until they turn 18, while India's official pledge form is for people 18 or above. Each country page gives its age rule.
Source: Donate Life America, which runs the National Donate Life Registry (USA): donor registration questions, Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014 (India), Form 7, the organ and tissue pledge form (India Code copy)
Is it legal to buy or sell organs?
No. WHO's guiding principles say organs should be donated freely and their sale banned, and laws such as the USA's National Organ Transplant Act and India's Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 make buying or selling organs a crime.
Source: World Health Organization, WHO Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation (endorsed by the World Health Assembly, 2010), Guiding Principle 5, National Organ Transplant Act, Public Law 98-507 (USA, 1984), section 301, Prohibition of organ purchases, Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 (India), section 19, Punishment for commercial dealings in human organs (India Code, as on May 30, 2026)