FRANCE · FRANCE GREFFE DE MOELLE
Become a bone marrow donor in France
For people who live in France. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in France, you can join France Greffe de Moelle from age 18 to 35. France’s registry posts its saliva kit only to a French address, so people living abroad can apply only if they are about to move back to France. 2 Checked .
| Region | Western Europe, Europe 10 |
|---|---|
| Population | About 66.4 million (2023) 11 |
| Registry | France Greffe de Moelle (Agence de la biomédecine) 2 3 4 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 35The Registre France Greffe de Moelle requires a French postal address. People temporarily abroad may apply if they plan to return and live in France. The public FAQ checked does not establish a nationality rule; ask the registry about individual circumstances. 1 2 |
| How you sign up | After an online request in French, you either send back a saliva kit posted to your home or give a blood sample by appointment at the nearest donor center. 2 6 |
| Cost | Donating through France’s registry costs you nothing: French law covers a donor’s medical and non-medical costs, from exams and hospital stays to travel, lodging away from the hospital and lost earnings. 1 2 |
| Public cord blood bank | Mothers who give birth at one of the 16 maternity units of France’s cord blood network, the Réseau Français de Sang Placentaire, can donate their baby’s cord blood anonymously, at no cost and with no payment, for any patient in France or abroad. Keeping it for your own child’s later use isn’t legal in France. 7 |
| Transplants | About 2,000 people in France with a serious blood disease need a stem cell transplant from marrow or cord blood each year, and 2,238 patients received a marrow transplant in 2025, the Agence de la biomédecine says. 5 7 |
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Bone marrow registries are also called stem cell registries.
Who runs the bone marrow donor registry in France?
France Greffe de Moelle signs up people who live in France. It is run by Agence de la biomédecine, a public body.
France’s registry needs a French address for its home saliva kit. 2
How do I join in France?
The French registry’s FAQ gives a general processing interval of one to three months, which varies by regional center and can be longer. It also discusses the wait for paperwork or an appointment after an initial request. Ask your center about your next step; this is not a guaranteed date of completed registration. 2
France Greffe de Moelle
Run by Agence de la biomédecine, a public body.
18–35years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in France, aged 18 to 35.
- Language
- French
Why this one first France’s national registry, run by the Agence de la biomédecine, for France and its overseas departments: pre-register online, then a saliva kit or a centre visit (18–35).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in France?
France and the world’s donor search
France’s registry says about 30% of its donors are men, while men are seven in ten of the donors who actually give, so it asks men to sign up first. 2
The Agence de la biomédecine, a national agency under the health ministry created by France’s 2004 bioethics law, runs the French registry, which in May 2004 became the first registry accredited by the World Marrow Donor Association. 4 8
France’s registry held 421,345 donors at the end of 2025, with a median age of 37, and 34,764 people joined that year against a national goal of at least 20,000 a year, the Agence de la biomédecine’s review of its 2022 to 2026 transplant plan says. 9
Only 32% of the people who joined France’s registry in 2025 were men, down from 40% in 2024, because the year’s large public appeals were answered mostly by women; the median age of new donors was 26. 9
What happens after I join?
A donor on France’s registry is called a median of four years after joining, sometimes after only a few months or many years, and can be asked to donate up to age 60. 2
Before donating in France, a matched donor gives a blood sample within 15 days to confirm the match, has a pre-donation checkup and then files formal consent at the nearest tribunal judiciaire, a French court. 2
Questions about joining in France
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of France?
The Registre France Greffe de Moelle requires a French postal address. People temporarily abroad may apply if they plan to return and live in France. The public FAQ checked does not establish a nationality rule; ask the registry about individual circumstances. 2
How do I sign up in France: online, by kit or in person?
After an online request in French, you either send back a saliva kit posted to your home or give a blood sample by appointment at the nearest donor center. 2 6
Does it cost anything to join in France?
Donating through France’s registry costs you nothing: French law covers a donor’s medical and non-medical costs, from exams and hospital stays to travel, lodging away from the hospital and lost earnings. 1 2
How old do you have to be to join France Greffe de Moelle?
France Greffe de Moelle signs up people aged 18 to 35. 1
Is France Greffe de Moelle part of the international donor search?
Yes. France Greffe de Moelle is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Can I donate cord blood in France?
Mothers who give birth at one of the 16 maternity units of France’s cord blood network, the Réseau Français de Sang Placentaire, can donate their baby’s cord blood anonymously, at no cost and with no payment, for any patient in France or abroad. Keeping it for your own child’s later use isn’t legal in France. 7
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Registries
- Agence de la biomédecine. Tout savoir sur le don. Checked
- Agence de la biomédecine. FAQ - S'inscrire & donner. Checked
- Agence de la biomédecine. Inscrivez-vous en 3 étapes. Checked
- Agence de la biomédecine. FAQ - Comprendre.
- Agence de la biomédecine. Rapport d'activité 2025 — Du don à la vie.
- Agence de la biomédecine. Essential information in English. Checked
- Agence de la biomédecine. Tout savoir sur le don de sang de cordon. Checked
- Agence de la biomédecine. Le registre français des donneurs de moelle osseuse est connecté aux registres du monde. Checked
Official bodies
- Agence de la biomédecine. Bilan du plan greffe de CSH 2022-2026 (PDF, 37 pp.).
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).