The Donor Register was introduced in 1998. Anyone over the age of 12 resident in the Netherlands can register their choice regarding organ donation in this register. The amended Donor Act came into force on 1 July 2020. It stipulates that everyone aged 18 and over will be included in the Donor Register. The essence of the amended act is that the Donor Register has changed from a passive donor registration system to an active one. The Donor Act applies to everyone aged 18 and over who is registered with a Dutch municipality. Since the summer of 2021, young people reaching the age of 18 have received a letter asking them to register their choice in the Donor Register. Everyone who has lived in the Netherlands for three years - regardless of their nationality - receives a donor form. If they do not enter a choice, they are registered in the Donor Register as having 'no objection to organ donation'.
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