Glossary term · Law & regulation
Living organ donor (also: Living donor, Live related donor): A living organ donor is a person who gives an organ, such as a kidney or part of the liver, while alive.
A living organ donor gives an organ while alive, most often a kidney or part of the liver. For foreign patients in India the rules are strict. Under the THO Rules 2014, a living donor for a foreign national must be a near relative. A senior official of the embassy must certify the relationship on Form 21. The hospital authorisation committee then decides.
Which organs can a living donor give?
The US Health Resources and Services Administration says a person can donate a kidney, a piece of the liver and certain other organs and tissues while alive. It describes living donation as typically safe for the donor, though recovery takes time.
Who may donate to a foreign national?
- Near relatives listed in the Rules: grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and grandchildren.
- Spousal donation is covered separately in the Rules.
- The Rules state that Indian living donors wanting to donate to a foreigner other than a near relative shall not be considered.
What proof is needed?
- Form 21: an embassy certificate of relationship between donor and recipient.
- Documents such as birth and marriage certificates, identity and residence proof.
- DNA profiling in an accredited laboratory if the relationship is not conclusively established.
Who approves?
The hospital’s authorisation committee interviews the donor and recipient, records the interview on video and decides in writing. The Rules say there must be no payment or commercial transaction.
IndiaMedica never sources donors
Patients must travel with their own related donor and the required documents. Any offer of an unrelated or paid donor is illegal. Report it.
Questions people ask
Can a friend donate a kidney to me in India?
Not if you are a foreign national. The THO Rules 2014 do not allow Indian living donors to give to a foreigner other than a near relative, and foreign cases need embassy certification of the relationship. Speak to the transplant team about your family options.
Does the donor need a visa?
Yes. The donor travels on their own visa. Ask the transplant hospital which visa it supports for the donor and what letters it will issue. Prepare the donor’s documents at the same time as the patient’s.
Sources
- Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules 2014 (text via LegitQuest)
- HRSA organdonor.gov: Living organ donation
- MOHAN Foundation: forms under the THO Rules 2014
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.