PALAU · NMDP
Become a bone marrow donor in Palau
For people who live in Palau. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
People who live in Palau join NMDP, a registry based in the United States, from age 18 to 35. Palau’s Compact of Free Association with the United States came into full effect in 1994, and NMDP accepts residents of freely associated states. 2 20 Checked .
| Region | Micronesia, Oceania 13 |
|---|---|
| Population | About 17,700 (2023) 14 |
| Registry | NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program) 1 15 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 35, listed until your 61st birthdayNMDP asks where you live, not your citizenship: anyone aged 18 to 35 whose home is in Palau, whether a Palauan citizen or not, fits its rule for residents of freely associated states, provided they meet NMDP’s health guidelines and haven’t signed up through another U.S. organization. 2 |
| How you sign up | NMDP signs people up online and mails a free cheek swab kit with a prepaid return envelope. The U.S. Postal Service treats mail between the United States and Palau, ZIP Codes 96939 for Ngerulmud and 96940 for Koror, as domestic mail; NMDP doesn’t say how long a kit takes to reach Palau. 2 4 8 |
| Cost | Joining NMDP is free, and the swab kit comes with a prepaid envelope for a USPS mailbox. For mail sent from Palau, the Postal Service’s manual says prices follow the Compact of Free Association and refers people to Palau’s own postal operator; NMDP doesn’t say whether its envelope works from Palau. 2 4 8 |
| Transplants | Palau’s Medical Referral Program arranges off-island treatment and works with four sites: Taipei in Taiwan, Manila in the Philippines, India, and Honolulu in Hawaii, the Government of Palau says. 12 |
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Bone marrow registries are also called stem cell registries.
Which registry do people in Palau join?
NMDP signs up people who live in Palau. It is run by National Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit organization.
Of the U.S. registries, NMDP is the one whose rules name freely associated states, the group the Department of the Interior puts Palau in. Gift of Life’s FAQ says it typically doesn’t register people from other countries and doesn’t mention Palau. 2 6 10
Palau is a freely associated state, so its residents fit NMDP’s residence rule. 2 9
How do I join in Palau?
NMDP
Run by National Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit organization.
18–35years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Palau, aged 18 to 35.
- Languages
- English and Spanish
Why this one first The U.S. national coordinating registry, open to people living in the U.S., its territories and freely associated states, online with a free swab kit (18–35).
Who can join in Palau?
Are stem cell transplants done in Palau?
Island Times reported that Belau National Hospital and Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital in Taipei signed a memorandum on Aug 19, 2016 allowing Palau patients to be referred to Shin Kong, which said it had treated over 600 Palauan patients by then. 16
Around 2,800 patients from Palau had been treated through Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital’s referral program in Taipei since 2013, mostly for heart and orthopedic surgery, a hospital official told Island Times in July 2019; the hospital’s cooperation with Palau began in 2007. 17
Island Times reported in April 2026 that Shin Kong Hospital takes the most Palauan referral patients under Palau’s national insurance program, the Health Care Fund, whose three staff in Taiwan help dozens of patients and run 14 rooms in two Palau Houses plus six hotel-style rooms. 18
Palau has one hospital, Belau National Hospital in Koror, which ASTHO, the U.S. association of state and territorial health officials, says can be reached from most of the country within two hours; Palau residents aren’t eligible for Medicaid. 20
Questions about joining in Palau
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Palau?
NMDP asks where you live, not your citizenship: anyone aged 18 to 35 whose home is in Palau, whether a Palauan citizen or not, fits its rule for residents of freely associated states, provided they meet NMDP’s health guidelines and haven’t signed up through another U.S. organization. 2
How do I sign up in Palau: online, by kit or in person?
NMDP signs people up online and mails a free cheek swab kit with a prepaid return envelope. The U.S. Postal Service treats mail between the United States and Palau, ZIP Codes 96939 for Ngerulmud and 96940 for Koror, as domestic mail; NMDP doesn’t say how long a kit takes to reach Palau. 2 4 8
Does it cost anything to join in Palau?
Joining NMDP is free, and the swab kit comes with a prepaid envelope for a USPS mailbox. For mail sent from Palau, the Postal Service’s manual says prices follow the Compact of Free Association and refers people to Palau’s own postal operator; NMDP doesn’t say whether its envelope works from Palau. 2 4 8
How old do you have to be to join NMDP?
NMDP signs up people aged 18 to 35. It keeps you listed until your 61st birthday. 2
Is NMDP part of the international donor search?
Yes. NMDP is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Download the card
The link preview says: “You can join through NMDP. It covers people who live in Palau.”
Registries
- NMDP. Join the donor registry | NMDP (my.nmdp.org registration app).
- NMDP. Join the donor registry | NMDP.
- NMDP. Join the donor registry | NMDP.
- NMDP. Complete Your At-Home Swab Kit. Checked
- NMDP. How your unique Hawaiian ancestry can save a life.
- Gift of Life Marrow Registry. FAQ.
Official bodies
- Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services. palauhealth.org. Tried ; we couldn’t open it
- United States Postal Service. Domestic Mail Manual 608: Postal Information and Resources. Updated Jul 12, 2026. Checked
- U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. Islands We Serve.
- U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. Compacts of Free Association.
- Government of Palau. Site search 'bone marrow'.
- Government of Palau. Medical Referral Program.
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
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (mirror of IRS data). National Marrow Donor Program, EIN 84-0865803.
- Island Times. Belau Nat'l Hospital Inks MOU with Shin Kong Memorial. Updated Aug 23, 2016. Checked
- Island Times. 2.8K medical referrals to Taipei since 2013. Updated Jul 2, 2019. Checked
- Island Times. Complaints persist over Palau's Taiwan medical referral program as HCF clarifies services and limits. Updated Apr 8, 2026. Checked
- Island Times. Donating blood saves lives. Updated Apr 14, 2020. Checked
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Republic of Palau. Checked