Supporting lifesaving generosity
We are the official organisation for organ and tissue donation after death in Aotearoa New Zealand. We give you clear, accurate answers, and support you and your whānau through the decision, from your first questions to your final choice.
People often ask:
What happens to my body during donation?
Surgeons remove organs and tissues carefully, using normal surgical procedures. Your body is treated with the utmost respect.Can we still have an open casket or tangi?
Yes. Donation does not change funeral or tangihanga plans, such as taking you home or to the marae.How do I become a donor?
Start by telling your whānau or the people who would be at your bedside if you were critically ill what you want. New Zealand has no donor register, so that conversation is the step that counts. You can also tick 'donor' when you get or renew your driver licence, but that only records an indication of your wishes.Am I too old to donate?
Age by itself does not stop you from donating. Doctors check whether your organs and tissues are healthy enough to donate.Who can donate their organs?
Almost anyone can be a donor, whatever their age or medical history. Doctors look at each person to decide if donation is possible.Does my family make the final decision?
Yes. Your whānau or the people who would be at your bedside if you were critically ill will always be asked before any donation happens, and they make the final decision, even if you have ticked ‘donor’ on your driver licence.
Have the conversation with your loved ones
Having “DONOR” on your driver licence indicates your wishes, but it is not final consent for organ and tissue donation. Use our guide to talk to your whānau and loved ones.
Learn about Organ Donation New Zealand
Learn more about our organisation and the work we do.
Donation changes lives. One person’s decision can give several other people a second chance.
Organ donation is only possible after a small number of deaths, and only in certain medical situations. But when it is possible, one donor can help up to ten people by giving their organs and tissues.
With more donors, and more whānau saying yes, many more people could receive a transplant.
293
organ and tissue donations from deceased donors in 2025.
60
New Zealanders who passed away donated their organs in 2025.
500+
people in Aotearoa are waiting for an organ transplant.
How does it work?
When donation is possible, a trained healthcare professional talks with your whānau or the people who would be at your bedside if you were critically ill. They explain what will happen, and ask whether your family agrees to donation, and which organs or tissues they wish to donate.
If they agree, a specialist surgical team will perform the donation surgery with the utmost care, using normal surgical procedures.
Donation does not change funeral or tangihanga plans, such as taking you home, to your marae, or having an open casket.
See how donation works, step by step
Healthcare professionals
Clinical guidelines and resources for donor hospital staff
ICU and theatre guidelines, referral pathways, family conversation training, and the ODNZ Link programme for link nurses across the 24 donor hospitals in Aotearoa.
Log in to the Link Portal