CYPRUS · KARAISKAKIO FOUNDATION
Become a bone marrow donor in Cyprus
For people who live in Cyprus. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
In Cyprus you can join either of two registries, both from age 18 to 45: Karaiskakio Foundation or Kemal Saraçoğlu Foundation. You only need to join one. The Karaiskakio Foundation, co-founded by Cyprus’s Ministry of Health in 1996, keeps the island’s registry of volunteer donors; you can sign up online for a saliva kit. 2 4 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | Cyprus (Κύπρος, Kıbrıs) |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Asia, Asia 11 |
| Population | About 1.3 million (2023) 12 |
| Registries | Karaiskakio FoundationKemal Saraçoğlu Foundation (Kemal Saraçoğlu Lösemili Çocuklar ve Kanserle Savaş Vakfı) 1 2 3 7 9 10 13 |
| Who can join | Karaiskakio Foundation: ages 18 to 45, listed until your 60th birthdayKemal Saraçoğlu Foundation: ages 18 to 45, listed until your 60th birthdayThe Karaiskakio Foundation’s online sign-up says it is “only for residents of Cyprus”, and its rules ask that you’re 18 to 45 with no serious medical problem; it states no citizenship rule. 4 5 7 |
| How you sign up | Karaiskakio’s sign-up form runs in Greek and English, and you can also register in person in Nicosia, at approved points or at donor drives, giving a saliva sample. 4 6 |
| Cost | The Karaiskakio Foundation says you are neither paid nor charged for registering or donating, that you register only once, and that you can change your mind at any time. 5 |
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A bone marrow donor registry is also called a stem cell or blood stem cell donor registry.
Which registry should I join in Cyprus?
| Registry | Ages to join | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Karaiskakio Foundation | 18 to 45 | People who live in Cyprus |
| Kemal Saraçoğlu Foundation | 18 to 45 | People who live in the northern part of the island |
In the north of the island, the Kemal Saraçoğlu Foundation signs up people aged 18 to 45 who hold a KKTC ID, with a registration form and a saliva sample, into the same Cyprus registry through its collaboration with the Karaiskakio Foundation; you only need to register once. 7 8
Cyprus’s Karaiskakio registry signs up residents aged 18 to 45 online, with a saliva kit. 4
How do I join in Cyprus?
Two services sign up people who live in Cyprus. You only need to join one.
Karaiskakio Foundation
Karaiskakio Foundation is a nonprofit organization.
18–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Cyprus, aged 18 to 45.
- Languages
- Greek and English
Why this one first The registry for residents of Cyprus, run by the Karaiskakio Foundation: an online form, then a saliva kit, or in person (18–45).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Kemal Saraçoğlu Foundation
Run by Kemal Saraçoğlu Lösemili Çocuklar ve Kanserle Savaş Vakfı, a nonprofit organization.
18–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in the northern part of the island, aged 18 to 45.
- Language
- Turkish
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Cyprus?
Karaiskakio Foundation signs up people who live in Cyprus. Its own pages have the full rules, and the registry decides.
- Your health
- Most healthy adults can join. Some conditions rule it out. Read the registry’s health rules (opens in a new tab)
Cyprus and the world’s donor search
The Karaiskakio Foundation said for World Marrow Donor Day 2026, the Cyprus Mail reported on Sep 22, that over 205,400 donors were registered with it and that it had offered more than 1,000 transplants to patients in 36 countries. 13
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, Karaiskakio Foundation contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
Karaiskakio keeps you on the registry until age 60 unless you ask to be removed sooner, and says a transplant from its donors may go to a patient anywhere in the world. 5
Questions about joining in Cyprus
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Cyprus?
The Karaiskakio Foundation’s online sign-up says it is “only for residents of Cyprus”, and its rules ask that you’re 18 to 45 with no serious medical problem; it states no citizenship rule. 4 5
How do I sign up in Cyprus: online, by kit or in person?
Karaiskakio’s sign-up form runs in Greek and English, and you can also register in person in Nicosia, at approved points or at donor drives, giving a saliva sample. 4 6
Does it cost anything to join in Cyprus?
The Karaiskakio Foundation says you are neither paid nor charged for registering or donating, that you register only once, and that you can change your mind at any time. 5
How old do you have to be to join Karaiskakio Foundation?
Karaiskakio Foundation signs up people aged 18 to 45. It keeps you listed until your 60th birthday. 5
Is Karaiskakio Foundation part of the international donor search?
Yes. Karaiskakio Foundation is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- Καραϊσκάκειο Ίδρυμα (Karaiskakio Foundation). Καραϊσκάκειο Ίδρυμα — Επένδυση στη ζωή (home).
- Karaiskakio Foundation. Το Καραϊσκάκειο Ίδρυμα (about).
- Karaiskakio Foundation. Σταθμός εγγραφής εθελοντή δότη (online donor registration).
- Karaiskakio Foundation. Home - Karaiskakio Foundation (English online registration).
- Karaiskakio Foundation. Προϋποθέσεις (Prerequisites).
- Karaiskakio Foundation. Εγγραφή Δότη (Donor registration).
- Kemal Saraçoğlu Lösemili Çocuklar ve Kanserle Savaş Vakfı. DONÖR OLUN.
- Kemal Saraçoğlu Vakfı. KEMİK İLİĞİ DONÖR ARŞİVİ.
- Kemal Saraçoğlu Vakfı. Kemal Saraçoğlu Vakfı’ndan Gönüllü Donörler Onuruna Anlamlı Gece. Updated May 25, 2026.
- Kemal Saraçoğlu Vakfı. VAKIF SENEDİ (foundation deed).
The World Marrow Donor Association and other figures
- 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).
Research and other sources
- Cyprus Mail. Cyprus boasts over 200,000 bone marrow donors. Updated Sep 22, 2026.
- BRT (Bayrak Radio Television). Stem cell and bone marrow donations.Tried ; we couldn’t open it
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked