AUSTRIA · GEBEN FÜR LEBEN
Become a bone marrow donor in Austria
For people who live in Austria. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
In Austria you can join Geben für Leben (ages 16 to 45) or Austrian Red Cross (ages 16 to 34). You only need to join one. In Austria, new registrations go through three donor centers: MedUni Vienna, the Austrian Red Cross blood center for Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, and Geben für Leben. 9 Checked .
| Place | Austria (Österreich, Austrija, Avstrija, Ausztria) 14 |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Europe, Europe 12 |
| Population | About 9.1 million (2023) 13 |
| Registries | Geben für Leben (Verein "Geben für Leben – Leukämiehilfe Österreich")Austrian Red Cross 1 2 3 5 6 9 |
| Who can join | Geben für Leben: ages 16 to 45Austrian Red Cross: ages 16 to 34, listed until your 55th birthdayIn Austria, Geben für Leben’s form accepts a main residence in Austria or in one of eight neighboring countries, including Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. 1 5 |
| How you sign up | Austria’s health portal says registration takes a blood sample or a cheek swab for tissue typing, and the donor’s data then go to the Austrian Stem Cell Registry anonymously. 8 |
| World donor search | Organizations based in Austria list 383,029 adult donor records in WMDA’s Search & Match (). 11 |
| Checked | |
| Next check |
Bone marrow registries are also called stem cell registries.
Which registry should I join in Austria?
| Registry | Ages to join |
|---|---|
| Geben für Leben | 16 to 45 |
| Austrian Red Cross | 16 to 34 |
Geben für Leben types people aged 16 to 45 and posts its typing kit to your main residence; WMDA’s organization database lists it as a donor center affiliated with Germany’s national registry, ZKRD, that lists its own donors in Search & Match. 1 10
The Austrian Red Cross registers people up to their 35th birthday, with a kit requested online at stammzelle.at or picked up at registration events. 5
In Austria, MedUni Vienna’s donor center registers healthy people aged 18 to 35 and keeps them listed until their 55th birthday. 7
Three donor centers take new stem cell donor registrations in Austria. 9
How do I join in Austria?
Geben für Leben
Run by Verein "Geben für Leben – Leukämiehilfe Österreich", a nonprofit organization.
16–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Austria, aged 16 to 45.
- Language
- German
Why this one first Takes the widest age range in Austria (16–45), online with a typing kit by post; the Austrian Red Cross and MedUni Wien are the other routes.
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Austrian Red Cross
Austrian Red Cross is a blood service.
16–34years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Austria, aged 16 to 34.
- Language
- German
Who this suits People aged 16 to 34. Its center serves Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, and it posts kits anywhere in Austria.
Who can join in Austria?
Austria and the world’s donor search
The Austrian Stem Cell Registry (ÖSZR) is the central point for every unrelated donor search in Austria and abroad, and says over 139,000 potential donors are registered with it. 4
On Oct 15, 2026, Geben für Leben’s counters showed 245,144 typings in total, 35,552 of them in 2026, and 968 donors found. 3
What happens after I join?
Questions about joining in Austria
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Austria?
In Austria, Geben für Leben’s form accepts a main residence in Austria or in one of eight neighboring countries, including Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. 1
How do I sign up in Austria: online, by kit or in person?
Austria’s health portal says registration takes a blood sample or a cheek swab for tissue typing, and the donor’s data then go to the Austrian Stem Cell Registry anonymously. 8
How old do you have to be to join Geben für Leben?
Geben für Leben signs up people aged 16 to 45. 1
Is Geben für Leben part of the international donor search?
Yes. Geben für Leben is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Registries
- Geben für Leben - Leukämiehilfe Österreich. Als Stammzellspender:in registrieren.
- Geben für Leben. Impressum.
- Geben für Leben. Homepage counters.
- Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG). Österreichisches Stammzellregister.
- Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz. FAQs Stammzellspende. Checked
- Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz. Gemeinsam Blutkrebs besiegen! (registration landing). Checked
- Medizinische Universität Wien. Häufige Fragen Stammzellspende.
Official bodies
- Österreichisches Gesundheitsportal (created by ÖSZR). Informationen über Stammzellspende.
- GÖG / ÖBIG-Transplant. Spenderzentren.
Figures and lists
- WMDA. WMDA Share organisation database (public view).
- WMDA. WMDA statistics.
- United Nations Statistics Division. Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49): Overview (English table).
- UN DESA Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Total population by sex (CSV).
Other sources
- Unicode CLDR. By-Type Chart: Locale Display Names:Territories (Europe). Checked