TAIWAN · BUDDHIST TZU CHI STEM CELLS CENTER
Become a stem cell donor in Taiwan
For people who live in Taiwan. Live somewhere else? Find your place.
If you live in Taiwan, you can join Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center from age 18 to 55. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center, Taiwan’s adult donor registry since October 1993, signs people up at blood-test events that need no appointment, or through an online form after which a Tzu Chi volunteer helps you register. 2 3 5 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | Taiwan (台灣) |
|---|---|
| Region | Eastern Asia, Asia |
| Population | About 23.3 million (2023) 6 |
| Registry | Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center, once known as Tzu Chi Marrow Donor Registry (TCMDR) 1–4 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 55Tzu Chi asks that you’re 18 to 55 (under 56), weigh at least 40 kg (women) or 45 kg (men) and have a BMI under 40, and that you give your home address and four other contacts. Tzu Chi’s joining information states no residence or nationality rule. 3 5 |
| How you sign up | Tzu Chi lists its upcoming blood-test registration events in Taiwan, such as Taipei’s Expo Park on Oct 24, 2026 and a Yunlin university campus on Dec 16, 2026; at an event you give your details, consent and a blood sample for HLA typing. 1 5 |
| Cost | Tzu Chi says donating stem cells costs the donor nothing, and asks you to get your family’s consent and support before you register. 3 5 |
| Checked | |
| Next check |
A stem cell donor registry is also called a bone marrow or blood stem cell donor registry.
Who runs the stem cell donor registry in Taiwan?
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center signs up people who live in Taiwan. It is a nonprofit organization.
Taiwan’s Tzu Chi registry signs up people aged 18 to 55 at blood-test events. 5
How do I join in Taiwan?
One service signs up people who live in Taiwan: Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center.
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center is a nonprofit organization.
18–55years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Taiwan, aged 18 to 55.
- Languages
- Chinese and English
Why this one first Taiwan’s stem cell donor registry: register at a blood-test event, or book online and a volunteer helps you finish (18–55).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
For patients and families
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center is a nonprofit organization.
- Languages
- Chinese and English
Who can join in Taiwan?
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center signs up people who live in Taiwan. Its own pages have the full rules, and the registry decides.
- Your health
- Most healthy adults can join. Some conditions rule it out. Read the registry’s health rules (opens in a new tab)
Taiwan and the world’s donor search
Tzu Chi says it has recruited 498,521 donors since it began, and that in 2026, to Aug 31, 1,327 patients applied for matching and 199 received a transplant. 2
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
If you match, a Tzu Chi volunteer contacts you, explains the process in person and arranges retesting and your consent; Tzu Chi follows up donors’ health for ten years after donating. 3 5
Questions about joining in Taiwan
Which registry do I join if I live in Taiwan?
Tzu Chi built Taiwan’s registry after a May 1993 law change ended the rule that marrow could be given only to close relatives; the Department of Health then asked Tzu Chi to set up and run the registry, which opened in October 1993. 2
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Taiwan?
Tzu Chi asks that you’re 18 to 55 (under 56), weigh at least 40 kg (women) or 45 kg (men) and have a BMI under 40, and that you give your home address and four other contacts. Tzu Chi’s joining information states no residence or nationality rule. 5
How do I sign up in Taiwan: online, by kit or in person?
Tzu Chi lists its upcoming blood-test registration events in Taiwan, such as Taipei’s Expo Park on Oct 24, 2026 and a Yunlin university campus on Dec 16, 2026; at an event you give your details, consent and a blood sample for HLA typing. 1 5
Does it cost anything to join in Taiwan?
Tzu Chi says donating stem cells costs the donor nothing, and asks you to get your family’s consent and support before you register. 3 5
How old do you have to be to join Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center?
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center signs up people aged 18 to 55. 3
Is Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center part of the international donor search?
Yes. Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center (慈濟骨髓幹細胞中心). 慈濟骨髓幹細胞中心 homepage.
- Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center. 關於我們 (About us).
- Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center. 我要捐贈 (I want to donate).
- Tzu Chi Foundation (慈濟基金會). 骨髓捐贈 - 慈濟基金會.
- Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center. For Donors (English).
The World Marrow Donor Association and other figures
- UN DESA Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Total population by sex (CSV).
Research and other sources
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked