Am I eligible to donate blood?
IMPORTANT COVID-19 UPDATE:
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is important for all travellers to self-isolate, and refrain from blood donation, for 14 days after any travel outside of Canada as stated by public health authorities. For some travel, a longer deferral is already in place. See the Q & A section of our COVID-19 page for more information about COVID-19 and donor eligibility. If you are unsure of your own eligibility, please call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
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Eligibility overview
To ensure the safety of both patients and donors, we have certain requirements donors must meet to be eligible to donate blood based on their donation type such as whole blood or platelets. Each type of donation is used for different medical treatments, and your blood type determines the best possible donation you can make.
Remember: if you do not meet the requirements today, there are many other ways to donate and get involved with Canadian Blood Services. Plus, you can always check in with us again to see if your eligibility has changed.
New to donating blood?
If you are considering donating blood for the first time you must be:
- In good general health
- Able to perform your normal day-to-day activities
- At least 17 years old
- Meet our height and weight requirements if you are between 17 and 23 years old.
Donated before?
On the day of your donation, it is important that you are hydrated, have eaten, had adequate sleep and in good general health.
If you are a frequent donor, remember that the number of donation appointments you can make depends on the type of donation you are making. You can donate:
- Whole blood every 56 days for males, every 84 days for females.
- Plasma every seven days.
- Platelets every 14 days.
Changes to our donation criteria
We have recently updated our eligibility criteria for blood donation. Visit our Recent Changes for Donors page for a summary of our changes. If you did not meet our eligibility criteria in the past, you might now be eligible to donate!
Keep checking our website for up-to-date information on donor eligibility.
Can I donate to Canadian Blood Services if I’m from Quebec?
Residents of Quebec can donate at any Canadian Blood Services donor centre in Canada, though we do not operate centres within the province of Quebec. If you make a blood donation at a Héma-Québec donor centre, your donation will be acknowledged as part of your Canadian Blood Services donation count.