HUNGARY · HUNGARIAN STEM CELL DONOR REGISTRY
Become a stem cell donor in Hungary
For people who live in Hungary. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in Hungary, you can join Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry from age 18 to 45. In Hungary you can join the stem cell donor registry only after giving blood: the first step is a successful 450 ml blood donation at a site of the National Blood Transfusion Service. 5 Checked .
| Place | Hungary (Magyarország) 11 |
|---|---|
| Region | Eastern Europe, Europe 9 |
| Population | About 9.7 million (2023) 10 |
| Registry | Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry (Országos Vérellátó Szolgálat) 1 4 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 45, listed until your 60th birthdayThe Hungarian registry asks for three documents, a Hungarian identity document, a TAJ social-insurance document and an official proof of address, and takes donors regardless of sex, religion or nationality. 2 3 5 |
| How you sign up | At the blood donation you book an appointment for HLA typing; then a single 6 ml tube of blood is taken and you sign a declaration saying which way of donating stem cells you agree to. 5 |
| Transplants | OVSZ lists six stem cell transplant departments in Hungary: the adult and children’s units of the Central Hospital of Southern Pest, the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Hospital’s children’s health center, and university clinics in Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs. 8 |
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Stem cell registries are also called bone marrow registries.
Who runs the stem cell donor registry in Hungary?
Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry signs up people who live in Hungary. It is run by Országos Vérellátó Szolgálat, a blood service.
In Hungary you join the registry only after giving blood, aged 18 to 45. 5
How do I join in Hungary?
Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry
Run by Országos Vérellátó Szolgálat, a blood service.
18–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Hungary, aged 18 to 45.
- Languages
- Hungarian and English
Why this one first Hungary’s national registry, run by the National Blood Transfusion Service: join in person after giving blood (18–45).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Hungary?
OVSZ’s information for donors in English welcomes people who intend to stay in Hungary for several years and have a Hungarian home address and a valid official proof of address, asks them to bring an interpreter, and suggests that people living in Hungary only for a while join a registry in their home country. 7
Hungary and the world’s donor search
The Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry was founded in 1991, joined the World Marrow Donor Association in 1992 and has been part of the National Blood Transfusion Service since 2007. 1
The National Blood Transfusion Service said in January 2025 that Hungarian donors number barely 7,000 among more than 42 million worldwide, and says more than 1,400 patients in Hungary have been helped so far. 5 6
Hungary’s National Health Insurance Fund pays for the registry’s cross-border work for Hungarian patients, and the Ministry of Health has funded the registry directly since 2003. 1
OVSZ marked World Marrow Donor Day on Sep 22, 2026, with thank-you letters from patients to their donors, and noted that the day, kept in Hungary since 2015 on the third Saturday of September, now has a fixed date of Sep 22. 4
What happens after I join?
The upper joining age in Hungary is 45, and donors stay active in the registry until they turn 60. 3
Questions about joining in Hungary
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Hungary?
The Hungarian registry asks for three documents, a Hungarian identity document, a TAJ social-insurance document and an official proof of address, and takes donors regardless of sex, religion or nationality. 2 5
How do I sign up in Hungary: online, by kit or in person?
At the blood donation you book an appointment for HLA typing; then a single 6 ml tube of blood is taken and you sign a declaration saying which way of donating stem cells you agree to. 5
How old do you have to be to join Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry?
Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry signs up people aged 18 to 45. It keeps you listed until your 60th birthday. 3
Is Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry part of the international donor search?
Yes. Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Registries
- Országos Vérellátó Szolgálat (OVSZ, Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service). Introduction (Hungarian Stem Cell Donor Registry).
- OVSZ. Őssejt-donoroknak szóló információk.
- OVSZ. Gyakori kérdések.
- OVSZ. Csontvelődonorok Világnapja, 2026. szeptember 22-e. September 2026.
- OVSZ. Az őssejt-donációról. Updated Jan 23, 2025.
- OVSZ. Legyél Te is őssejtdonor.
- Országos Vérellátó Szolgálat (OVSZ, Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service). Information for stem cell donors. Checked
- Országos Vérellátó Szolgálat (OVSZ, Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service). National relations. Checked
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