When it comes to organ donation, it is helpful for a personal decision to be known before a difficult situation arises. In Luxembourg, the Passeport de vie is used to record a person’s wishes: it allows them to express consent as well as refusal. Its description as a ‘donor card’ should therefore not obscure the fact that people can choose.
The person’s wishes come before those of their relatives
The Health Mediator notes on its page, updated on 3 March 2026, that in the absence of any known contrary wishes, a person residing in Luxembourg is presumed to be a potential donor. It specifies that the wishes of the deceased take precedence over those of their relatives.
When those wishes have not been expressed in writing, relatives are contacted in an attempt to establish them. Talking about it gives them a point of reference: they can relay a decision rather than having to guess. The Mediator therefore recommends combining a written statement with a conversation.
This point of reference concerns the expression of a choice. It does not mean that a person will actually be able to donate an organ: this article does not replace the medical assessment of an individual situation.
A card to keep, not a central register
According to Guichet.lu, the Passeport de vie is free of charge. It can be obtained, among other places, from a pharmacy, a doctor or a local council office. The information sheet advises people to carry it with them, preferably with their identity document, or to entrust it to someone close to them.
The decision recorded on this card is neither registered nor filed with an official body, Guichet.lu states. The Mediator confirms that there is no centralised register of donors, while noting that a person can record their decision in their shared care record, which the organ donation coordinator will be able to access when the time comes.
These means of recording a decision should not be confused. Obtaining a card, filling it in and making one’s choice accessible are three different actions. To get started, the practical step is to read the official information, make a decision and tell relatives where they can find the written statement. This guide assumes neither consent to donation nor refusal: it helps make a personal wish clear.
Sources
- Health Mediator: personal choice and informing relatives, updated 3 March 2026.
- Guichet.lu: donor card and details of the Passeport de vie.
- Photograph: Petar Milošević via Wikimedia Commons.
- Image licence.
Sources consulted on 2 October 2026.
