NETHERLANDS · MATCHIS
Become a bone marrow donor in the Netherlands
For people who live in the Netherlands. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in the Netherlands, you can join Matchis from age 18 to 55. Joining Matchis in the Netherlands costs nothing from 18 to 35, and people aged 36 to 55 can still join for a one-off contribution of 35 euros. 1 Checked .
| Place | Netherlands (Nederland, Nederlân) 9 |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Europe, Europe 7 |
| Population | About 18.1 million (2023) 8 |
| Registry | Matchis (Stichting Matchis) 2 3 4 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 55, listed until your 56th birthdayMatchis requires residence in the Netherlands and its age and health conditions. Ask Matchis if you are unsure whether your individual circumstances meet its requirements; this guide does not establish a nationality waiver. 1 |
| How you sign up | You register with Matchis through an online form, then receive a kit with three cotton swabs to wipe the inside of your cheek and post back. 5 |
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Bone marrow registries are also called stem cell registries.
Who runs the bone marrow donor registry in the Netherlands?
Matchis signs up people who live in the Netherlands. It is run by Stichting Matchis, a nonprofit organization.
Matchis charges nothing to join from 18 to 35; from 36 to 55 it asks 35 euros once. 1
How do I join in the Netherlands?
A laboratory uses the cheek swabs to determine tissue type, blood group and CMV test result. The registration kit is assigned a code that Matchis can link to the donor’s details; this does not mean the data are anonymous. 5
Matchis
Run by Stichting Matchis, a nonprofit organization.
18–55years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in the Netherlands, aged 18 to 55.
- Languages
- Dutch and English
Why this one first The Dutch national registry for people living in the Netherlands: register online and a cheek-swab kit comes by post (free from 18 to 35).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in the Netherlands?
Matchis says Dutch law sets 18 as the minimum age for a stem cell donor, that you can register whatever your sexual orientation or gender, and that there is no body mass index limit when you register. 1
The Netherlands and the world’s donor search
Stichting Matchis, a nonprofit foundation recognized as a Dutch public-benefit institution (ANBI) since 2008, builds and maintains the Netherlands’ stem cell donor registry. 2
Matchis says 2,400 people signed up as stem cell donors during the Netherlands’ Week of the Stem Cell Donor, Sep 21 to 27, 2026. 4
Matchis says just over 17,000 new donors joined in 2025, bringing the Netherlands’ registry to 430,000, short of its goal of 435,000 registered donors by the end of that year. 6
In 2025, 300 unrelated donors from the Netherlands gave stem cells for a patient, out of 535 donation requests that Matchis received, its annual report for 2025 says. 6
Of the donor stem cell products Matchis received in 2025, 54.9% came from Germany, followed by Poland, the United States and the United Kingdom, while 4.9% came from donors in the Netherlands. 6
What happens after I join?
Questions about joining in the Netherlands
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of the Netherlands?
Matchis requires residence in the Netherlands and its age and health conditions. Ask Matchis if you are unsure whether your individual circumstances meet its requirements; this guide does not establish a nationality waiver. 1
How do I sign up in the Netherlands: online, by kit or in person?
You register with Matchis through an online form, then receive a kit with three cotton swabs to wipe the inside of your cheek and post back. 5
How old do you have to be to join Matchis?
Matchis signs up people aged 18 to 55. It keeps you listed until your 56th birthday. 1
Is Matchis part of the international donor search?
Yes. Matchis is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Registries
- Stichting Matchis. Wie kan stamceldonor worden?
- Stichting Matchis. Onze organisatie.
- Stichting Matchis. Aanmelden als stamceldonor.
- Stichting Matchis. Home.
- Stichting Matchis. Hoe werkt het aanmelden als stamceldonor?
- Stichting Matchis. Jaarverslag 2025. June 2026. 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