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Registering as an organ donor in Qatar

How any adult in Qatar, citizen or resident, can join the national organ donor registry run by Hiba at Hamad Medical Corporation, what the donor card means, what happens after death, and the rules for donating a kidney or part of a liver to a relative.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

Cost: Free. Donation and transplant surgery are also free for Qataris and non-Qataris
Who can register: Any adult with a valid QID, any nationality or religion
How: Signed form plus QID at Hiba (call to book), or at an HMC booth during the Ramadan campaign
Hiba phone: 4439 8559 or 4439 8557

Qatar has one national organ donor registry, run by the Qatar Organ Donation Center, known as Hiba (Arabic for 'gift'), part of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Any adult can join, whatever their nationality or religion: more than 580,000 people from over 130 nationalities had registered by March 2025. Registering is free and takes one short visit: you sign a form that states your wish to donate after death, show your Qatar ID (QID), and get a donor card. This guide goes in order: deciding what to give, talking to your family, registering, carrying the card, changing your mind, what really happens after death (including for expats whose bodies go home), and the separate rules for giving a kidney or part of a liver to a relative while you are alive. Blood donation has its own guide.

Before you start

Your valid Qatar ID (QID); the original is checked when you register
The form 'Acknowledgement of an Organ Donation by Will after Death', downloaded from HMC's organ donation pages, filled in and signed
A decision on what you want to give: all organs and tissue, or only some (the form has tick boxes)
A conversation with your close family, because they will be asked to confirm your wish after your death
Hiba's numbers saved in your phone: 4439 8559 and 4439 8557 (to book a registration appointment)
If you have doubts on religious grounds: a talk with your imam, priest or faith adviser, or a read of the fatwa HMC publishes
For living donation to a relative only: proof of the family relationship and your medical history for the donor clinic

Step by step

Understand the two kinds of donation
Most donors in Qatar register for donation after death: the registry records your wish so doctors can check it quickly if you die in a situation where donation is possible. The second kind is living donation, where a healthy adult gives one kidney or part of the liver, usually to a relative; that is a medical process with its own clinic and is covered in step 10. Signing up for the registry does not commit you to living donation, and it does not affect your treatment if you fall ill. In Qatar, HMC carries out kidney, liver and lung transplants, and performed a heart transplant in 2025, and tissue such as corneas can also help patients.
Decide what you want to give
The registration form lets you tick which organs and tissue you agree to donate, or tick everything. One deceased donor can help save up to eight lives, so many people choose all, but a partial choice is respected. Age is not a barrier in itself, and having a medical condition does not automatically rule you out: doctors decide at the time which organs can be used. Being turned down as a blood donor does not stop you registering as an organ donor.
Talk to your family first
This is the step people skip and the one that matters most. Under Qatar's organ transplant law (Law No. 15 of 2015) and HMC's practice, your family or next of kin is asked after your death to confirm you had not changed your mind, and donation may not go ahead if they object. Tell your spouse, parents or adult children clearly what you want and why, ideally before you register. A family that already knows your wish finds the conversation with doctors much easier at a very hard moment.
Check your faith's view if you are unsure
HMC publishes a Sharia fatwa from Hiba's organ transplant committee: donation after death by bequest is allowed and rewarded, and living donation is allowed with conditions (no harm to the donor, no selling, adults of sound mind only). Most Muslim scholars accept transplantation on the principle of saving life, and HMC notes that none of the major religions in Qatar object. If you still have doubts, speak to your own religious adviser before signing. Organs are never bought or sold in Qatar; that is a crime.
Download and fill in the form
On HMC's 'Becoming a Registrant for Organ Donation after Death' page (hamad.qa, under Your Health > Organ Donation > Donation in Qatar), download the form 'Acknowledgement of an Organ Donation by Will after Death'. It is available in English and Arabic. Fill in your details as they appear on your QID, tick the organs and tissue you agree to give, and sign it. The law asks for a written undertaking with two adult witnesses, so leave the witness lines for Hiba staff to guide you if you are unsure.
Book a slot with Hiba
Call the Qatar Organ Donation Center on 4439 8559 or 4439 8557 during working hours to arrange an appointment. Hiba is based at the Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Center in Hamad Medical City, Doha. Staff speak several languages and can answer questions before you commit. HMC says registration status cannot be confirmed over the phone, so plan to visit or write rather than register by call.
Register in person, or at a campaign booth
Take the signed form and your original QID to Hiba; staff check your ID, enter you in the confidential national registry and answer any last questions. The easier option for many people is the annual Ramadan campaign: HMC and Hiba set up booths at shopping malls (City Center Doha has hosted it in recent years) where you can register on the spot and get your card the same evening. Hiba also runs drives at schools, ministries, community events and workplaces. As of October 2026 we found no official online or Metrash registration, so do not trust links or messages offering one.
Read guide: Ramadan in Qatar: what changes for residents →
Carry your donor card
Once registered you receive a donor card that states your wish to donate after death. Keep it with your QID in your wallet. The registry itself is what doctors check, but the card is a quick signal to your family and to staff. If you lose it, contact Hiba for a replacement.
Make your wish known elsewhere too
Mention your decision in your will or written wishes, and tell a close friend or your emergency contact as well as your family. Expats in particular should make sure someone in Qatar knows, because relatives abroad may be hard to reach quickly. Registering does not change who inherits from you or how your estate is handled. If you want to change your mind, contact Hiba in writing or in person to update or remove your registration, then tell your family; you can do this at any time and do not need to give a reason.
Read guide: Wills and inheritance in Qatar for expats →
Know what happens after death
Doctors must first do everything to save life; donation is considered only after death is confirmed. For brain death, the law requires a written, unanimous decision by three specialist doctors, including a neurologist, none of whom is part of the transplant team. The family is then consulted, and organs are removed in an operating theatre with care; the body is not disfigured and a normal funeral in line with the person's faith is possible, with no extra delay. The donor's family pays nothing, and HMC says an expatriate donor's body is flown home free with a free flight for a family member to accompany it. Families of deceased donors are honoured with the Medal of Altruism at HMC's yearly ceremony.
Read guide: When a family member dies in Qatar: certificates, repatriation and next steps →
If you want to donate to a relative while alive
Living donors give one kidney or part of the liver, normally to a relative up to the fourth degree (for example parents, children, siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins). Giving to a non-relative is only allowed in urgent cases with approval from the hospital's medical ethics committee, and you cannot donate if it would seriously harm your health. Start at Hamad General Hospital: the Donor Clinic for kidney donation (4439 8586) or the Liver Transplant Clinic for liver donation (4439 6726). You will have a full medical, psychological and ethical assessment, receive written information on the risks, and can withdraw at any time before surgery. HMC lists benefits for living donors including lifetime medical insurance, life insurance, priority if you ever need a kidney yourself, and cover for donation-related costs and lost earnings.
Find other ways to help
If you are not ready to register, you can still help. Giving blood or platelets at the Hamad blood donor centre helps transplant and other patients every day, and Hiba's Ramadan booths and awareness events welcome volunteers. Sharing accurate information also matters: much hesitation in Qatar comes from myths about bodies being disfigured, funerals being delayed or organs being sold, all of which HMC addresses directly.
Read guide: Donating blood in Qatar: who can give, where to go and what to expect →

What it costs

Registering as an organ donor and the donor card	Free
Donation and transplant procedures (Qataris and non-Qataris)	Free
Cost to a deceased donor's family	None
Penalty for buying, selling or brokering organs (Law 15 of 2015)	Up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine up to QAR 1,000,000

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

Registering without telling your family, who are then surprised and refuse when doctors ask them
Assuming that carrying the card alone is enough: make sure you are actually entered in Hiba's registry
Believing you are too old or not healthy enough to register; doctors decide what can be used at the time
Thinking registration affects your own treatment: doctors must try to save your life first, and a separate team handles donation
Responding to online offers to buy or sell a kidney: organ trading is a serious crime in Qatar and abroad
Trusting unofficial links that claim to register you online; use HMC's own pages, Hiba's phone numbers or the official campaign booths
Forgetting that the Qatar registry only applies in Qatar: register again in your new country when you leave

Questions people ask

Can expats and non-Muslims register as organ donors in Qatar?

Yes. The registry is open to any adult with a QID, and it already includes donors from more than 130 nationalities. There is one national waiting list for Qataris and non-Qataris, and organs are allocated by medical criteria, not by nationality or religion.

Is organ donation allowed in Islam?

HMC publishes a fatwa from Hiba's organ transplant committee saying that bequeathing organs after death is permissible and rewarded, and that living donation is allowed with conditions, including no harm to the donor and no sale. Most Muslim scholars accept transplantation as a necessity to save life. If you are unsure, ask your own scholar or imam.

Can I register online or through Metrash?

As of October 2026 we could not find any official online, Metrash or app registration. HMC's process is a signed form plus your QID at Hiba after booking by phone, or on-the-spot registration at the HMC booths during the annual Ramadan campaign. Check with Hiba on 4439 8559 in case an online option has been added.

Will my family be asked, and can they stop it?

Yes, they will be asked. After death, the family or next of kin is asked to confirm that you had not changed your mind, and HMC's own pages say donation may not go ahead if they object. That is why telling them in advance is the most important step.

Will donation delay the funeral or the repatriation of my body?

HMC says the operation is done as soon as possible after death and does not delay funeral arrangements. The body is treated with respect and not disfigured, so a normal burial or funeral is possible. For expatriate donors, HMC says the body is flown home free and a family member gets a free flight to accompany it.

Can I donate a kidney to a friend or colleague?

Normally living donation is only between relatives up to the fourth degree. A non-relative can donate only in an urgent case with approval from the hospital's medical ethics committee. Any payment or reward for an organ is illegal, for the donor, the recipient and anyone who arranges it.

Is there an age limit or a health condition that rules me out?

To register you must be an adult with full legal capacity; children cannot donate organs while alive and parents cannot sign for them. After death, age is not a barrier in itself and organs from people in their 70s and 80s have been used. Doctors assess each case at the time, so do not rule yourself out.

What happens to my registration if I leave Qatar?

Qatar's registry is only used by hospitals in Qatar. If you leave, your entry stays on record but will not be seen abroad, so join the donor register in your new country and tell your family there. You can ask Hiba to remove your entry if you prefer.

Official sources

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

Registering as an organ donor in Qatar

Before you start

Step by step

Understand the two kinds of donation

Decide what you want to give

Talk to your family first

Check your faith's view if you are unsure

Download and fill in the form

Book a slot with Hiba

Register in person, or at a campaign booth

Carry your donor card

Make your wish known elsewhere too

Know what happens after death

If you want to donate to a relative while alive

Find other ways to help

What it costs

Common mistakes

Questions people ask

Official sources

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