Organ donation: collection at death
Verified 30 April 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Are you wondering about organ donation at the time of your death? If you are of legal age, you are presumed to have given your consent to the donation of your organs unless you have registered in the national register of refusals. This donation is free, anonymous and made for therapeutic or scientific purposes. We present the regulations to you.
The rules are different if you are major or minor :
Major
Your consent to organ donation is presumed. This means that if you have not made known your refusal during your lifetime, you are considered to be in agreement for your organs to be removed upon your death.
Before any sampling, it is therefore carried out to search for information to find out if you have expressed a disagreement.
Minor of at least 13 years
From 13 years old, a minor wishing to oppose the removal of his organs can register the national register of refusals.
Where the deceased person is a minor who is not registered, the levy may only take place on condition that each of the persons vested with the exercise of parental authority (e.g. parents, guardian) give its consent in writing.
If it is not possible to consult one of the parents, the collection may take place provided that the other parent gives his consent in writing.
Under 13 years of age
Where the deceased person is a minor, the levy may only take place on condition that each of the persons vested with the exercise of parental authority (e.g. parents, guardian) give its consent in writing.
If it is not possible to consult one of the parents, the collection may take place provided that the other parent gives his consent in writing.
If you are over the age of 13 or under, you can refuse to remove all or part of your organs by registering in the National Register of Refusals of Organ Donation or by other means:
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Entry in the national register of refusals
Before organ harvesting, medical teams must systematically consult the national register of organ donation denials.
Refusal to collect may concern thetogether or only some of the organs or tissues.
The entry in the national register of refusals may be made online or by post.
Via a testimony
When you have passed away, a loved one can also claim your manifest refusal expressly during your lifetime.
This relative or the hospital coordination team transcribes this refusal in writing, mentioning precisely the context and circumstances of its expression.
This document is dated and signed by:
- The relative who asserts this refusal
- The hospital sampling coordination team.
Other methods for expressing refusal
The rules differ depending on whether or not you can write:
You can write
You can also express your refusal in writing and entrust this document to a relative.
This document is dated and signed by you. Your surname, first name, date and place of birth are indicated.
You can't write
If you cannot write and sign the document expressing your refusal yourself, you can ask to 2 witnesses to certify that this document that you have not been able to write is the expression of your will.
These witnesses shall indicate their name and capacity and their attestation shall be attached to the document expressing the refusal.
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Amend its entry in the national register of refusal
You can change this registration online or by mail:
By post
You must send a signed letter stating:
- The desired changes
- Your file number (present on the certificate sent by the Registry at the time of your registration)
You must attach a double-sided photocopy of an official identity document (identity card, driver's license, residence permit, passport...) to the Biomedicine Agency.
Who shall I contact
By post
Agency for Biomedicine
National Register of Refusals
1 avenue du Stade de France
93212 Saint-Denis La Plaine Cedex
Cancel its entry in the national register of refusal
By post
You must send a signed letter stating:
- Your request for cancelation
- Your file number (present on the certificate sent by the Registry at the time of your registration)
You must attach a double-sided photocopy of an official identity document (identity card, driver's license, residence permit, passport...) to the Biomedicine Agency.
Who shall I contact
By post
Agency for Biomedicine
National Register of Refusals
1 avenue du Stade de France
93212 Saint-Denis La Plaine Cedex
The levy is anonymous : your family cannot know the identity of the recipient.
The recipient also does not know your identity.
Please note
The transplant recipient can send a letter anonymously, via the hospital collection coordinations, to the donor's family.
However, your family can check with the hospital collection coordinator who followed them at any time:
- Organs and tissues removed
- The result of the transplants performed with the medical team.
The removal of organs from a deceased person is carried out only for the purpose of therapeutic or scientific.
It follows a procedure in several steps.
1Death certificate
Death is recorded by doctors who do not belong to the transplant teams.
2Interview with relatives
The announcement of death is made by the doctor in charge of the deceased in the presence, as far as possible, of the hospital coordination team.
If you were not registered on the national refusal register, an interview takes place with your loved ones after the announcement of your death.
This interview shall be prepared at least by the following persons:
- Doctor in charge of the deceased
- Hospital Organ and Tissue Collection Coordination Team
- Paramedical team responsible for you.
The purpose of this interview is to inform your loved ones of a possible removal of organs and tissues from your person.
During this interview, each participant introduces himself. Your loved ones must be able to identify each caregiver.
These exchanges with your loved ones allow to collect the possible expression of an opposition during your lifetime to the removal of all or part of its organs and tissues.
The intensive care physician and the hospital coordination provide information related to the collection (nature, purpose and procedure).
The information on the collection is communicated after understanding and acceptance of the reality of the death by your relatives.
Your loved ones can see your body one last time before the sample is taken.
In the event of a sample, the hospital coordination team must in particular:
- Stay at the disposal of your loved ones until the return of your body
- And accompany your loved ones in their subsequent steps.
3Preparing the body for sampling
Tests are done to see if the organs can be removed. Medical teams first check the donor's body for transmissible diseases (hepatitis C, AIDS, malaria) using blood samples.
The state of the organs is also examined using images taken by medical imaging (ultrasound, CT scan). Each organ is then subjected to specific examinations.
These tests will help to direct organs to donors-compatible recipients, i.e. people who have morphological and immune characteristics close to their own. The closer the characteristics of the donor and transplant recipient are, the more likely the transplant will be successful.
The healthcare establishment which takes the samples shall bear the costs incurred:
- By the declaration of the death of the donor
- And medical assistance from the body before the sample is taken.
The institution which has taken the direct debit shall bear the costs of:
- Transport of body from the deceased person to a health facility, to take samples for therapeutic purposes
- CBody conservation and restoration after the debiting act
- Rrestitution from body to family.
The doctor who removes organs from a deceased person must ensure the best possible restoration of the body.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Agency of Biomedicine
Online form
To contact the Agency of Biomedicine, you can fill out the form in specifying the object your request (examples: PMA, sperm or egg donation, organ donation).
By phone
Standard: 01 55 93 65 50
By post
Agency for Biomedicine
1 avenue du stade de France
93212 SAINT-DENIS LA PLAINE Cedex
Expression of refusal to collect
Automated National Direct Debit Denial Registry
Agency for Biomedicine