HONG KONG · HONG KONG BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY
Become a bone marrow donor in Hong Kong
For people who live in Hong Kong. Live somewhere else? Find your place.
If you live in Hong Kong, you can join Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry from age 18 to 45. The Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry is Hong Kong’s only registry of voluntary unrelated donors, and you sign up in person at any of the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service’s 9 blood donor centers. 1 2 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | Hong Kong (中國香港特別行政區, Hong Kong SAR China) |
|---|---|
| Region | Eastern Asia, Asia 9 |
| Population | About 7.4 million (2023) 10 |
| Registries | Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry (Hong Kong Red Cross)Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service 1–4 6 7 8 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 45, listed until your 60th birthdayThe Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry prints no residence or nationality rule, but its July 2026 leaflet says that when you register it collects your Hong Kong ID number, contact details and health history. 1 3 |
| How you sign up | To join the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry, go to a blood donor center, fill in the marrow donor registration form, have a short health screen and give a blood sample of about 5 ml. The registry says you only need to register once. 1 |
| Cost | The Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s sign-up steps include no fee, and its FAQ says that if you donate, the registry pays the testing, injection and hospital costs and reimburses your out-of-pocket costs. 1 5 |
| Public cord blood bank | Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion ServiceThe Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service set up Hong Kong’s first public cord blood bank in 1998, but cord blood collection has been suspended since January 2022; more than 10,000 units were in storage by December 2021. 6 |
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A bone marrow donor registry is also called a stem cell or blood stem cell donor registry.
Who runs the bone marrow donor registry in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry signs up people who live in Hong Kong. It is run by Hong Kong Red Cross, a blood service.
Hong Kong’s one registry signs people up at 9 blood donor centers, from age 18 to 45. 1
How do I join in Hong Kong?
One service signs up people who live in Hong Kong: Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Run by Hong Kong Red Cross, a blood service.
18–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Hong Kong, aged 18 to 45.
- Languages
- Chinese and English
Why this one first Hong Kong’s registry, run by the Hong Kong Red Cross: register at any of its nine blood donor centres (18–45).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Cord blood donation
Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service
Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service is a public body.
- Languages
- English and Chinese
For patients and families
Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Run by Hong Kong Red Cross, a blood service.
- Languages
- Chinese and English
Who can join in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry signs up people who live in Hong Kong. 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)
Hong Kong and the world’s donor search
The Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry says more than 193,000 people in Hong Kong had registered by the end of 2025, 765 of them have donated, and it has helped arrange unrelated transplants for 1,382 patients in Hong Kong and overseas. 2
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
Once you’re registered, the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry keeps your details until age 60 or until you withdraw, searches for Hong Kong patients and works with overseas registries, and contacts you for more tests if you match. 1
Questions about joining in Hong Kong
Which registry do I join if I live in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry grew out of the 1991 “Save Little Gordon” campaign for a Chinese Canadian toddler; on Sep 1, 2005, the Hong Kong Red Cross took it over and appointed its Blood Transfusion Service to run it. 2 3
Do I have to be a citizen to join if I live in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry prints no residence or nationality rule, but its July 2026 leaflet says that when you register it collects your Hong Kong ID number, contact details and health history. 3
How do I sign up in Hong Kong: online, by kit or in person?
To join the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry, go to a blood donor center, fill in the marrow donor registration form, have a short health screen and give a blood sample of about 5 ml. The registry says you only need to register once. 1
Does it cost anything to join in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s sign-up steps include no fee, and its FAQ says that if you donate, the registry pays the testing, injection and hospital costs and reimburses your out-of-pocket costs. 1 5
How old do you have to be to join Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry?
Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry signs up people aged 18 to 45. It keeps you listed until your 60th birthday. 1
Is Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry part of the international donor search?
Yes. Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Can I donate cord blood in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service set up Hong Kong’s first public cord blood bank in 1998, but cord blood collection has been suspended since January 2022; more than 10,000 units were in storage by December 2021. 6
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (Hospital Authority). Eligibility and Registration (HKBMDR).
- Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (Hospital Authority). Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry (HKBMDR) Background.
- Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (Hospital Authority). Bone marrow donor registration information (bilingual leaflet, version EC-2026 Jul v3). July 2026.
- Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (Hospital Authority). Homepage.
- Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (Hospital Authority). HKBMDR Frequently Asked Questions.
- Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (Hospital Authority). Cord Blood Bank.
Government and official registers
- Hong Kong e-Legislation (Department of Justice). Cap. 1129 Hong Kong Red Cross Ordinance.
- Hong Kong e-Legislation (Department of Justice). Cap. 113 Hospital Authority Ordinance.
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
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked