FINLAND · FINNISH STEM CELL REGISTRY
Become a stem cell donor in Finland
For people who live in Finland. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in Finland, you can join Finnish Stem Cell Registry from age 18 to 35. Finland’s Stem Cell Registry, run by the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, takes basically healthy people aged 18 to 35 who live permanently in Finland, and members stay on it until they turn 56. 2 Checked .
| Place | Finland (Suomi) 7 |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Europe, Europe 5 |
| Population | About 5.6 million (2023) 6 |
| Registry | Finnish Stem Cell Registry (Suomen Punaisen Ristin Veripalvelu (Finnish Red Cross Blood Service)) 1 2 3 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 35, listed until your 56th birthdayThe Finnish registry asks for permanent residence in Finland, and its online form starts with strong electronic identification, so people without Finnish online ID can join at a Blood Service site instead. 1 2 3 |
| How you sign up | You can join the Finnish registry at home, by taking an online test and ordering a sample kit for a swab from inside your cheeks, or at a Blood Service site, where the swab is taken on the spot. 1 |
| Cost | In Finland, posting the registry’s cheek samples back is free of charge. 2 |
| Transplants | Up to 75% of patients in Finland receive their transplant from a donor abroad, and grafts from Finnish donors also go to other countries, always carried by a courier and given to the patient within 72 hours of collection. 4 |
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Stem cell registries are also called bone marrow registries.
Who runs the stem cell donor registry in Finland?
Finnish Stem Cell Registry signs up people who live in Finland. It is run by Suomen Punaisen Ristin Veripalvelu (Finnish Red Cross Blood Service), a blood service.
Finland’s registry takes people aged 18 to 35 who live permanently in Finland. 2
How do I join in Finland?
Finnish Stem Cell Registry
Run by Suomen Punaisen Ristin Veripalvelu (Finnish Red Cross Blood Service), a blood service.
18–35years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Finland, aged 18 to 35.
- Languages
- Finnish, Swedish and English
Why this one first Finland’s national registry, run by the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, for people permanently resident in Finland and Åland (18–35).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Finland?
Finland and the world’s donor search
The Finnish Red Cross Blood Service says about 150 patients in Finland need a stem cell transplant each year, about one in six of them a child, and only about 40 to 60 registry members are chosen to donate each year. 4
Finland’s registry says seven in ten of its members are women, while more than 60% of the donors chosen are men, so it is asking more men to join. 4
The Finnish Stem Cell Registry was founded in 1992, and its members have to be ready to help any patient who needs a transplant, anywhere in the world. 2
Finland’s registry wants more Finnish members because some tissue types are common specifically in Finland, and only about 2% of its members ever end up donating. 1
What happens after I join?
The Finnish Red Cross Blood Service pays no fee for donating in Finland, but it covers costs such as travel, accommodation and meals, and it pays a registry donor’s lost earnings during sick leave. 1
About 80% of the grafts from Finland’s registry are collected from the bloodstream and 20% from bone marrow, and the patient’s illness and age decide which way is used. 4
Questions about joining in Finland
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Finland?
The Finnish registry asks for permanent residence in Finland, and its online form starts with strong electronic identification, so people without Finnish online ID can join at a Blood Service site instead. 1 2 3
How do I sign up in Finland: online, by kit or in person?
You can join the Finnish registry at home, by taking an online test and ordering a sample kit for a swab from inside your cheeks, or at a Blood Service site, where the swab is taken on the spot. 1
Does it cost anything to join in Finland?
In Finland, posting the registry’s cheek samples back is free of charge. 2
How old do you have to be to join Finnish Stem Cell Registry?
Finnish Stem Cell Registry signs up people aged 18 to 35. It keeps you listed until your 56th birthday. 1
Is Finnish Stem Cell Registry part of the international donor search?
Yes. Finnish Stem Cell Registry is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Registries
- Suomen Punaisen Ristin Veripalvelu. Liity Kantasolurekisteriin. Checked
- Suomen Punaisen Ristin Veripalvelu. Ennen liittymistä. Checked
- Suomen Punaisen Ristin Veripalvelu. Kantasolurekisterin liittymislomake, Tunnistus.
- Suomen Punaisen Ristin Veripalvelu. Mikä Kantasolurekisteri?
Figures and lists
- 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