In Montenegro organs of a deceased person can be removed for transplantation if that person, while alive and as an adult with legal capacity, gave written voluntary consent to their chosen doctor. On the basis of that consent the chosen doctor issues a donor card. Consent can be changed or withdrawn at any time, by returning the card. Anyone who does not want to be a donor can give their chosen doctor a written statement of objection. If the deceased gave neither consent nor a statement, a member of the close family decides on donation, and if they do not consent either, no organs are removed. While alive, only an adult can donate an organ, and since 2025 also a person in a special friendship or emotional relationship with the recipient, subject to a decision by the Ministry of Health.
This guide explains how to get a donor card, what it means and how the procedure works.
How do you get a donor card?
- Go to your chosen doctor at the health centre.
- Give written voluntary consent to the removal of organs after death.
- The chosen doctor issues a donor card and makes a record of it.
- The doctor sends the consent to the Ministry of Health by the next working day at the latest, and the Ministry enters it in the register.
- Consent can be given only by an adult with legal capacity who is capable of judgement.
- Bring your identity card or another public document with a photo, because the doctor verifies your identity.
- The Ministry keeps a register of consents, a register of issued and returned donor cards and a register of organ donors.
- Anyone holding a donor card issued before the December 2019 amendments who wants to remain a donor must renew it under the new rules.
What if you change your mind?
| Statement | Where it is given | What it means |
| written consent | with your chosen doctor | organs may be removed after death; you receive a donor card |
| change or withdrawal of consent | with your chosen doctor | you return the donor card; a record is made |
| statement of objection | with your chosen doctor | organs may not be removed after death |
| withdrawal of the statement of objection | with your chosen doctor | the statement ceases to apply |
The doctor sends every statement to the Ministry, so before removing organs the hospital checks the register, not just a card in your wallet.
What happens after death?
| Situation | Who decides |
| there is written consent that has not been withdrawn | organs are removed; the hospital coordinator informs the family |
| there is a statement of objection or withdrawn consent | no organs are removed |
| there is neither consent nor a statement | a member of the close family may give written consent |
| neither the deceased nor the family consented | no organs are removed, and life-support measures for the organs are stopped |
- The close family means the spouse or cohabiting partner, a same-sex life partner, children, parents, brothers and sisters, adopted child, adoptive parent and guardian; the coordinator calls them in that order.
- The family is given a reasonable time to decide, and consent can be withdrawn until preparation for removal begins.
- Death is established by a committee of at least three doctors, based on the cessation of brain function and irreversible brain damage; committee members take no part in removal or transplantation.
- An autopsy is mandatory after organ removal, and the donor's laboratory test results are explained to the family.
- For a deceased minor, consent is given by both parents if living, or by the guardian.
- Organs of a person with no residence or permanent stay in Montenegro can be removed under the same conditions as for Montenegrin citizens, unless an international agreement provides otherwise.
Who can donate an organ while alive?
| Recipient | Condition | Who decides |
| a blood relative in the direct line or collateral line up to the fourth degree, a spouse or partner | written certified consent of the donor | the Ethics Committee of the health facility |
| a person with whom the donor has a special friendship, emotional or similar relationship | written certified consent of the donor | the Ministry of Health, based on the opinion of the Bioethics Committee |
- A living donor must be an adult with legal capacity who is capable of judgement.
- An organ is taken from a living donor only if a suitable organ from a deceased donor cannot be obtained.
- The donor can withdraw consent until the procedure starts, and beforehand a doctor not involved in the procedure explains the risks.
- Donating an organ for money or any other reward, or encouraging such donation, is prohibited.
How to choose and change your chosen doctor is explained in our guide to the family doctor and eZdravlje, and the conditions for giving blood in the guide to blood donation. When the Fund pays for treatment outside Montenegro is covered in the guide to treatment abroad, and what the family does after a death in the guide to registering a death.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you get an organ donor card in Montenegro? From your chosen doctor at the health centre, on the basis of written voluntary consent to the removal of organs after death.
Is everyone in Montenegro an organ donor unless they opt out? No. Since the 2019 amendments organs are removed on the basis of the deceased's written consent or, if there is none, the consent of a close family member. Without one of these two consents no organs are removed.
Can I withdraw my consent to organ donation? Yes, at any time with your chosen doctor, by returning the donor card.
Can the family refuse if I have a donor card? The law provides that the coordinator informs the family that there is consent that has not been withdrawn and that the organs will be removed. The family has the right to consent or refuse when the deceased gave neither consent nor a statement of objection.
Do I have to renew an old donor card? Yes, if the card was issued before the December 2019 amendments and you want to remain a donor.
Can I donate an organ to a friend? Since the 2025 amendments you can, if you are an adult and have given written certified consent; the decision is taken by the Ministry of Health based on the opinion of the Bioethics Committee.
Sources
The conditions for organ removal are set by the Law on the Removal and Transplantation of Human Organs for Treatment (Official Gazette 43/2016), as amended by 67/2019 (donor card, family consent), 69/2025 (donation to a friend, stopping life support) and the 2026 amendments (12/2026 and the March 2026 amendment), which concern organ exchange and quality, not consent. Information checked on 29 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is neither medical nor legal advice.