# organ donor



## hibiscus123 (Aug 27, 2015)

does anybody know how to register as an organ donor here in spain, back in England I was registered through my drivers licence as a donor of all organs/tissue etc, not sure how to go about it here as I am still using my British/EU licence.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

hibiscus123 said:


> does anybody know how to register as an organ donor here in spain, back in England I was registered through my drivers licence as a donor of all organs/tissue etc, not sure how to go about it here as I am still using my British/EU licence.


I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that you are a donor without choice here in Spain.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

hibiscus123 said:


> does anybody know how to register as an organ donor here in spain, back in England I was registered through my drivers licence as a donor of all organs/tissue etc, not sure how to go about it here as I am still using my British/EU licence.


In Spain, it's an opt-out scheme rather than an opt-in (ISTR) so you are a donor already.

However, I don't think us Brits are allowed to donate in the same way that we can't donate blood if we have lived in the UK for more than 6 months between certain dates. (All to do with "mad cow disease").


[... unless anyone knows different ...]


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Yes, you are correct.

In Spain you have to show that you do not want to be a donor. The default is that you are.

I wish everywhere would adopt this. It takes away that very distressing time when families and loved ones have to decide.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> In Spain, it's an opt-out scheme rather than an opt-in (ISTR) so you are a donor already.
> 
> However, I don't think us Brits are allowed to donate in the same way that we can't donate blood if we have lived in the UK for more than 6 months between certain dates. (All to do with "mad cow disease").
> 
> ...


they will take our organs & even our entire body should we wish to donate it to science

you can get a donor card, although as said, you are considered to be a donor unless you expressly state that you don't wish to be Páginas - Preguntas Frecuentes

It's just our blood they don't want if we lived in the UK for a year or more, between 1980 & 1996

or anyone who had a blood transfusion there between those dates


my daughter, born in the UK in Feb 1996, donates blood


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> they will take our organs & even our entire body should we wish to donate it to science
> 
> you can get a donor card, although as said, you are considered to be a donor unless you expressly state that you don't wish to be Páginas - Preguntas Frecuentes
> 
> ...


Good for her!  High-five to your daughter. 
I tried the last time I was at the hospital in Santander but got bounced for having eaten "too long ago." Golly they are strict here!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I looked into body donation and organ donation when I first moved to Spain. I don't like to go against what everyone is saying here, but I didn't find anywhere - including the link Xabiachica gave - that says that organ donation is automatic. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but everywhere I look says you need to sign an organ donor card. Here is the information for Andalucia on organ donation: C?mo hacerse donante - Servicio Andaluz de Salud

There's also body donation, which is an entirely different process. There are requirements for that, described on this website, and it's done locally. So here's my local place - the university:

Donacion de Cuerpos


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

http://www.ont.es/informacion/Paginas/%C2%BFC%C3%B3mosolicitolatarjetadedonante.aspx


AllHeart said:


> I looked into body donation and organ donation when I first moved to Spain. I don't like to go against what everyone is saying here, but I didn't find anywhere - including the link Xabiachica gave - that says that organ donation is automatic. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but everywhere I look says you need to sign an organ donor card. Here is the information for Andalucia on organ donation: C?mo hacerse donante - Servicio Andaluz de Salud
> 
> There's also body donation, which is an entirely different process. There are requirements for that, described on this website, and it's done locally. So here's my local place - the university:
> 
> Donacion de Cuerpos


I was really surprised to hear that donation is considered automatic, but it's true. Look at this
http://www.ocu.org/salud/corazon/noticias/donacion-organos-espana


> Según las leyes españolas, todo fallecido es un donante potencial salvo que hubiera matizado en vida su deseo de no serlo. No obstante, la práctica habitual es solicitar la autorización expresa y por escrito de la familia del fallecido. Por ello, no bastaría con pedir la tarjeta de donante. Debemos comunicar también a los familiares nuestra voluntad de donar órganos para que éstos no se opongan. En cualquier caso, la tasa de negativas familiares a la donación es muy reducida en España.


[/QUOTE]The thing is, if you have a card it might make things easier when communicating your desires to your family even though a donor's card has no legal value.
So, in reply to the OP, s/he doesn't need to do anything, but t make things run more smoothly s/he may want to ask for a donor's card from this web. It's not national so you have to look for your area
http://www.ont.es/informacion/Paginas/%C2%BFC%C3%B3mosolicitolatarjetadedonante.aspx


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky, thanks for that excellent article.  I'm sooo glad I read this thread! Thanks all.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> they will take our organs & even our entire body should we wish to donate it to science
> 
> you can get a donor card, although as said, you are considered to be a donor unless you expressly state that you don't wish to be Páginas - Preguntas Frecuentes
> 
> ...


I thought it was 6 months but I just found this;



> cumulative time of 3 months or more between January 1st, 1980, through to December 31st, 1996


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

baldilocks said:


> I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that you are a donor without choice here in Spain.


Good and about time it was the same in the UK.


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