ICELAND · BLÓÐBANKINN
Become a bone marrow donor in Iceland
For people who live in Iceland. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
People who live in Iceland join Blóðbankinn from age 18 to 40. In Iceland, blood donors aged 18 to 40 can join the Icelandic Blood Bank’s stem cell donor register at their next visit, and the Blood Bank works with the Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. 3 Checked .
| Place | Iceland (Ísland) 9 |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Europe, Europe 7 |
| Population | About 388,000 (2023) 8 |
| Registry | Blóðbankinn (Landspítali) 1 2 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 40, listed until your 55th birthdayThe Icelandic Blood Bank’s stem cell register is for blood donors, and giving blood in Iceland takes an Icelandic ID number (kennitala), speaking and understanding Icelandic or English, and a plan to live in Iceland for a year or more. Newcomers from Europe, the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand can start three months after moving, others after six. 3 6 |
| How you sign up | When you sign up at the Icelandic Blood Bank, a blood sample is taken for tissue typing and the result is entered on the register; the Blood Bank’s Reykjavík site is in Kringlan. 3 |
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Bone marrow registries are also called stem cell registries.
Which registry do people in Iceland join?
Blóðbankinn signs up people who live in Iceland. It is run by Landspítali, a public hospital or university service.
In Iceland, blood donors aged 18 to 40 join at the Blood Bank, with Norway’s registry. 3
How do I join in Iceland?
The Icelandic Blood Bank, where blood donors aged 18 to 40 join the stem cell register at their next visit, has sites at Kringlan in Reykjavík and Glerártorg in Akureyri, and its blood bank bus is always on the road. 3 5
Blóðbankinn
Run by Landspítali, a public hospital or university service.
18–40years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Iceland, aged 18 to 40.
- Language
- Icelandic
Who can join in Iceland?
Iceland and the world’s donor search
The Norwegian registry, run by Oslo University Hospital, says it has recruited donors among blood donors at Icelandic blood banks since 2004, and the Icelandic Blood Bank says its register is also recorded with Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide. 3 4
The Icelandic Blood Bank says registries are searched worldwide, but a matching donor is more likely among people of the same origin, so it matters that Icelandic patients can search among Icelanders. 3
The Icelandic Blood Bank says a patient generally has about a 30% chance of finding a suitable stem cell donor in the family, which is why it needs many blood donors in Iceland on its register. 3
Iceland’s Health Service Act, no. 40/2007, makes Landspítali, the country’s main hospital and university hospital, responsible for running a blood bank that serves the whole country, and that Blood Bank keeps Iceland’s stem cell donor register, working with the Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. 2 3
What happens after I join?
Icelandic donors can stay on the register until 55, when they are removed automatically. 3
Questions about joining in Iceland
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Iceland?
The Icelandic Blood Bank’s stem cell register is for blood donors, and giving blood in Iceland takes an Icelandic ID number (kennitala), speaking and understanding Icelandic or English, and a plan to live in Iceland for a year or more. Newcomers from Europe, the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand can start three months after moving, others after six. 3 6
How do I sign up in Iceland: online, by kit or in person?
When you sign up at the Icelandic Blood Bank, a blood sample is taken for tissue typing and the result is entered on the register; the Blood Bank’s Reykjavík site is in Kringlan. 3
How old do you have to be to join Blóðbankinn?
Blóðbankinn signs up people aged 18 to 40. It keeps you listed until your 55th birthday. 3
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Download the card
The link preview says: “You can join through Blóðbankinn. It covers people who live in Iceland.”
Registries
- Blóðbankinn (Icelandic Blood Bank, Landspítali) on island.is. Blóðbankinn uppfærir reglur um hæfi blóðgjafa til að gefa blóð. Updated Aug 31, 2026. Checked
- Blóðbankinn (Icelandic Blood Bank, Landspítali) on island.is. Hlutverk og stefna (role and policy). Checked
- Blodbankinn (Icelandic Blood Bank, Landspitali) on island.is. Stofnfrumugjafaskra (stem cell donor register).
- Oslo universitetssykehus HF. Det norske benmargsgiverregisteret.
- Blóðbankinn (Landspítali) on island.is. Blóðbankinn and Gerast blóðgjafi.
- Blóðbankinn (Icelandic Blood Bank, Landspítali) on island.is. Hvenær má gefa blóð? (when may you give blood). 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