NEW ZEALAND · OCEANIA
Become a bone marrow donor in New Zealand
For people who live in New Zealand. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in New Zealand, you can join New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry from age 18 to 35. The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry became part of New Zealand Blood Service in December 2022 and says it is actively recruiting people of Māori and Pacific Island ancestry. 1 4 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | New Zealand (Aotearoa) |
|---|---|
| Region | Australia and New Zealand, Oceania 19 |
| Population | About 5.2 million (2023) 20 |
| Registry | New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (New Zealand Blood and Organ Service) 1 3 4 16 18 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 35The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry asks that you are 18 to 35, can meet NZ Blood Service’s requirements to give blood and are willing to donate to any patient in the world; its rules don’t mention citizenship. 2 |
| How you sign up | The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry offers two ways to join: order a free cheek-swab kit online, which it can deliver anywhere in New Zealand, or give an extra blood sample, with your consent, when you donate blood with NZ Blood Service. 3 8 |
| Cost | Joining the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry is free, and the registry says it covers the medical, transport and accommodation costs of a stem cell donation if you are selected to donate. 8 10 |
| Public cord blood bank | There is no public cord blood bank in New Zealand, the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry says, but the registry has access to cord blood banks around the world. 11 |
| Transplants | Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry searched for donors for 104 patients, and 54 of them went on to have transplants, New Zealand Blood Service reported. 15 |
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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 New Zealand?
New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry signs up people who live in New Zealand. It is run by New Zealand Blood and Organ Service, a blood service.
The World Marrow Donor Association’s member map lists one organization based in New Zealand, the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry, which says it is part of New Zealand Blood Service. 9 21
New Zealand’s registry says it has only 6,000 Māori and 3,000 Pacific Island donors. 10
How do I join in New Zealand?
The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s printed brochures from 2023, in English and te reo Māori, say you join by giving blood; its website now also offers the free swab kit. 8 13 14
New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Run by New Zealand Blood and Organ Service, a blood service.
18–35years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in New Zealand, aged 18 to 35.
- Language
- English
Why this one first New Zealand’s national registry: request a free cheek-swab kit online or join while giving blood (18–35).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
For patients and families
New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Run by New Zealand Blood and Organ Service, a blood service.
- Language
- English
Who can join in New Zealand?
People who joined a donor registry in another country and are now resident in New Zealand can register with the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry by completing its online update form. 10
- Your health
- Most healthy adults can join. Some conditions rule it out. Read the registry’s health rules (opens in a new tab)
New Zealand and the world’s donor search
New Zealand Blood Service reported that in 2023/24, 19 New Zealand donors gave stem cells, half of them for patients overseas, while 58 products were imported for New Zealand patients from eight countries. 15
By its own undated count, the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry has about 6,000 Māori and 3,000 Pacific Island donors, while more than 40 million donors are on registries worldwide. 10
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
In New Zealand, bone marrow collection is performed in Auckland and Christchurch, and the registry provides transport and accommodation for the donor and a support person if needed. 10
The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s tikanga guidance welcomes a karakia when donating and encourages donors to bring their whānau to the donor medical interview and to the collection at NZ Blood Service. 12
Questions about joining in New Zealand
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of New Zealand?
The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry asks that you are 18 to 35, can meet NZ Blood Service’s requirements to give blood and are willing to donate to any patient in the world; its rules don’t mention citizenship. 2
How do I sign up in New Zealand: online, by kit or in person?
The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry offers two ways to join: order a free cheek-swab kit online, which it can deliver anywhere in New Zealand, or give an extra blood sample, with your consent, when you donate blood with NZ Blood Service. 3 8
Does it cost anything to join in New Zealand?
Joining the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry is free, and the registry says it covers the medical, transport and accommodation costs of a stem cell donation if you are selected to donate. 8 10
How old do you have to be to join New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry?
New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry signs up people aged 18 to 35. 2
Is New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry part of the international donor search?
Yes. New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Can I donate cord blood in New Zealand?
There is no public cord blood bank in New Zealand, the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry says, but the registry has access to cord blood banks around the world. 11
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (home).
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). Who can join.
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). Swab kits.
- New Zealand Blood Service. Briefing for the Incoming Minister (February 2025). February 2025.
- New Zealand Blood Service. nzblood.co.nz (home).Tried ; we couldn’t open it
- New Zealand Blood Service. Am I eligible? (blood donation).Tried ; we couldn’t open it
- New Zealand Blood Service. University of Canterbury students join push to boost bone marrow donor registry numbers. 2026.Tried ; we couldn’t open it
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). How to join.
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). About us.
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). FAQs.Checked
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). How does bone marrow donation work?
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). Tikanga.
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). Bone Marrow Brochure – English (PDF).
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). Bone Marrow Brochure – Māori (PDF).
- New Zealand Blood Service. Annual Report 2023/24 (PDF, 56 pp.).
Government and official registers
- Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission. Central government organisations.
- Parliamentary Counsel Office. Crown Entities Act 2004, Schedule 1.Tried ; we couldn’t open it
The World Marrow Donor Association and other figures
- WMDA. Total number of donors and cord blood units.
- 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).
- World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA). Find your registry.
Research and other sources
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked