NORWAY · NORWEGIAN BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY
Become a bone marrow donor in Norway
For people who live in Norway. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in Norway, you can join Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry from age 18 to 40. In Norway only blood donors can join the Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: you first sign up as a blood donor, then register at your blood bank. 2 Checked .
| Place | Norway (Norge, Noreg, Norga) 7 |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Europe, Europe 5 |
| Population | About 5.5 million (2023) 6 |
| Registry | Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (Oslo universitetssykehus HF) 1 2 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 40, listed until your 55th birthdayThe Norwegian registry also registers donors who were already typed by a registry abroad and move to Norway for good, even if they don’t give blood. 2 3 |
| How you sign up | To join in Norway you first sign up as a blood donor at one of the country’s blood banks, through giblod.no or the Oslo blood bank, and then register as a bone marrow donor at the blood bank. 2 |
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Bone marrow registries are also called stem cell registries.
Who runs the bone marrow donor registry in Norway?
Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry signs up people who live in Norway. It is run by Oslo universitetssykehus HF, a public hospital or university service.
In Norway only blood donors aged 18 to 40 can join the registry. 2
How do I join in Norway?
At Sørlandet Hospital’s blood bank in Arendal, a blood donor who wants to join gives one extra 4 mL tube of blood at a regular donation and fills in the consent form that comes with the registry’s brochure, and the sample goes to Rikshospitalet in Oslo. 4
Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Run by Oslo universitetssykehus HF, a public hospital or university service.
18–40years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Norway, aged 18 to 40.
- Language
- Norwegian Bokmål
Why this one first Norway’s only route: blood donors aged 18–40 give an ordinary sample at their blood bank.
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Norway?
Norway and the world’s donor search
The Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, run by Oslo University Hospital, holds Norwegian and Icelandic volunteers and has recruited at Icelandic blood banks since 2004. 1
The Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry started in 1990 with funding from the Norwegian Cancer Society, Kreftforeningen, until Oslo University Hospital took it over on Jan 1, 2014, and it has been certified by the World Marrow Donor Association since 2009. 1
Oslo University Hospital’s Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, which does the tissue typing for Norway’s registry, is accredited by the European Federation for Immunogenetics. 1
What happens after I join?
Sørlandet Hospital’s blood bank procedure, approved in June 2026, says Norwegian donors can give the joining sample throughout the year they turn 40, stay on the registry until they turn 55 and have about a 1% chance of being picked to donate. 4
Questions about joining in Norway
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Norway?
The Norwegian registry also registers donors who were already typed by a registry abroad and move to Norway for good, even if they don’t give blood. 3
How do I sign up in Norway: online, by kit or in person?
To join in Norway you first sign up as a blood donor at one of the country’s blood banks, through giblod.no or the Oslo blood bank, and then register as a bone marrow donor at the blood bank. 2
How old do you have to be to join Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry?
Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry signs up people aged 18 to 40. It keeps you listed until your 55th birthday. 2
Is Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry part of the international donor search?
Yes. Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Registries
- Oslo universitetssykehus HF. Det norske benmargsgiverregisteret.
- Oslo universitetssykehus HF. Bli stamcellegiver - redd liv.
- Oslo universitetssykehus HF. Overføring av benmargsdonor fra et register utenfor Norge.
- Sørlandet sykehus HF. Prøvetaking av nye benmargsgivere/stamcellegivere, Blodbanken SSA. Updated Jun 3, 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