Eligibility: travel and living abroad
Every time you donate, we ask about where you may have lived or travelled. This is because the places you’ve been can sometimes expose you to illnesses or infections, that may be spread through blood transfusions.
You are eligible to donate if you’ve travelled within Canada, the U.S., Antarctica and Europe.
However, after return from travel outside of Canada, the U.S., Europe or Antarctica there is a waiting period of 21 days before donating blood, platelets or plasma.
Other waiting periods include those for malaria.
If you have recently travelled to a region where there is a chance of exposure to malaria, you may need to wait before donating. Your waiting period to donate will depend on where you went and your length of stay.
Waiting periods for travel
Potential donor | Eligibility to donate whole blood, platelets, or plasma for transfusion | Eligibility to donate source plasma |
|---|---|---|
If you have travelled outside of Canada, the U.S., Europe (including St. Pierre and Miquelon and Greenland) or Antarctica and were not in an area with a risk of malaria | Eligible to donate 21 days after the date you left that area | Eligible to donate 21 days after the date you left that area |
If you have spent 24 hours or less in Mexico, Central America, South America or the Caribbean, and were in an area with a risk of malaria | Eligible to donate 21 days after the date you left that area | Eligible to donate 21 days after the date you left that area |
If you have spent six consecutive months or less in an area with a risk of malaria | Eligible to donate three months after the date you left that area | Eligible to donate today |
If you have spent more than six consecutive months in an area with a risk of malaria | Eligible to donate three years after the date you left that area | Eligible to donate today |
If you have any questions about your eligibility to donate based on recent travel, please call us at 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
Countries with no waiting period
If you’ve travelled to one of the countries listed below, you do not have to wait to donate blood, platelets or plasma. Travel to all other countries will require at least a 21-day waiting period.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antarctica (all countries)
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia (formerly Czech Republic)
- Denmark (includes Greenland)
- Estonia
- Finland
- France (Includes St. Pierre and Miquelon)
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland (Republic of Ireland)
- Italy (includes Vatican City)
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands (Holland)
- North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia)
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, The Isle of Man, Channel Islands)
- United States
Next topic: Accessibility
If you have questions or need support, please reach out:
Call 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283), send us an email, or use live chat to reach our team.
It only takes about an hour of your time to change someone’s life.