Who Can Donate Blood? Eligibility Requirements
Most healthy adults can give blood. Here are the general requirements — but the final decision is always made by medical staff during a short screening on the day.
General requirements
- Age: usually 18 to 65 years.
- Weight: at least 50 kg (about 110 lb).
- General health: feeling well, with no fever, infection or active illness on the day.
- Haemoglobin: within the healthy range checked by a quick finger‑prick test (low iron is one of the most common reasons donation is postponed).
- Time since your last donation: a rest period is required between whole‑blood donations so your body can rebuild — commonly about 8 to 12 weeks.
When donation may be postponed
You may be asked to wait before donating if you:
- Have a cold, flu, fever or any active infection.
- Are pregnant, or recently gave birth or are breastfeeding.
- Recently had a tattoo, piercing or certain medical procedures.
- Are taking certain medications, or recently travelled to areas with specific disease risk.
- Have low iron / haemoglobin on the day of screening.
A postponement is temporary — it simply protects both you and the person who will receive your blood.
Bring an ID
Bring a valid identity document. On DonateBloodCMR, completing your identity and eligibility verification helps seekers and hospitals trust your profile and respond faster.
This is general information, not medical advice. Eligibility is confirmed by qualified medical staff at the donation site. If you are unsure, sign up and ask — it costs nothing to check.
Register as a donor on DonateBloodCMR →