Last updated on October 25, 2025
Yes, it is allowed. Iran has enacted specific laws and executive regulations that permit compensated kidney donation from living individuals, making it the only country with a formal legal framework for such practice.
In the global landscape of organ transplantation, Iran stands alone. While most countries strictly prohibit the sale of human organs, Iran has developed a legal and regulated system that permits living individuals to donate a kidney in exchange for financial compensation. This policy is not a loophole or informal practice—it is codified in national law and supported by executive regulations.
Legal Confirmation from Iranian Law
The legality of compensated kidney donation in Iran is confirmed by a comprehensive legal review published in the Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, affiliated with the University of Tehran. The article, titled Examination and Analysis of Laws and Regulations Related to Organ Transplantation in Iran, outlines the legal framework governing organ donation, including kidney transplants from living donors.
According to the review, Iran passed the Act of Renal Transplantation and Donation from Living Donors on October 20, 2008, which explicitly permits kidney donation from living individuals. This act is further supported by Executive Regulation 13101, approved on April 29, 2006, which governs the conditions and procedures for such donations. These laws are part of a broader set of medical and sanitary regulations designed to ensure ethical standards and protect both donors and recipients[1].
Government Oversight and Ethical Safeguards
The Iranian system is overseen by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, which ensures that all kidney transplants are conducted in accredited hospitals under strict medical supervision. Donors undergo comprehensive medical and psychological evaluations, and the compensation process is monitored to prevent exploitation.
Importantly, the executive regulation prohibits kidney transplants from living donors to foreign citizens, reinforcing the system’s focus on domestic medical needs and ethical boundaries. The Charter of Patient’s Rights, ratified in 2009, also plays a role in safeguarding the dignity and autonomy of both donors and recipients.
Why Iran’s Model Matters
Iran’s legal framework has effectively eliminated the kidney transplant waiting list—a feat unmatched by any other country. While the system has faced criticism for potential socioeconomic pressures on donors, it remains the only example of a state-regulated, compensated organ donation program that is both legal and institutionalized.
Internationally, Iran’s model is often cited in academic and policy discussions as a case study in alternative approaches to organ scarcity. The country’s success in increasing transplant rates and reducing dialysis dependency has led some experts to consider whether similar systems could be adapted elsewhere, albeit with careful ethical oversight.
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Sources
Examination and analysis of laws and regulations related to organ transplantation in Iran
https://ijme.tums.ac.ir/browse.php?aid=5185&sid=1&slclang=en
Published October 9, 2013