Which bone marrow registry should you join?
The one for where you live. In most countries there is one way to join. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and India you have a real choice, and this page compares it. Every registry named here lists its donors in the same worldwide search.
Points you to the official registry for where you live • Confirm its current enrollment details there
Last updated
The short answer: join where you live
The registries on this page share matches globally. Through the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA), every donor on a participating national registry is searchable by transplant centers worldwide, and every registry named here takes part. So whichever of them you join, your match could go to a patient on the other side of the planet.
Registries sign people up by where they live. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and India more than one registry recruits the people who live there, and the sections below compare them. In most other countries there is one way to join, and where you live decides it.
Why this matters: the registry where you live handles your sample, your follow-up, and your travel logistics if you are matched. Registering there keeps everything simpler.
Every country and territory, A to Z, with how joining works there.
The United States
Several registries recruit people who live in the US, and they share one searchable pool: DKMS’s US donor center recruits into the NMDP Registry, and Gift of Life is a separate registry that NMDP’s search also reaches.
NMDP
formerly Be The Match
- Founded:
- 1986
- Size:
- the largest registry in the United States, with more than 9 million registered donors
- Coverage:
- runs the federal C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program under HRSA contract
- Who can join:
- people aged 18 to 35 who live in the U.S., its territories or the freely associated states
Gift of Life
- Founded:
- 1991
- Size:
- more than 500,000 registered donors (as of January 2025)
- Coverage:
- began with a focus on Jewish and Hispanic communities; recruits broadly today
- Who can join:
- people aged 18 to 35 who usually live in the US; Americans living abroad may join
Who can join: checked at each registry’s own pages, October 11, 2026.
The United Kingdom
Four registries recruit in the UK and share one UK search, so you only need one of them.
Anthony Nolan
United Kingdom
- Founded:
- 1974 — the oldest bone marrow register in the world
- Size:
- more than 900,000 UK donors (as of March 2024)
- Who can join:
- people aged 16 to 30 who live in the UK
DKMS UK
United Kingdom
- Part of:
- DKMS, founded in 1991 in Germany
- Who can join:
- people aged 16 to 55 who have lived at a permanent address in the UK for at least two years; its form also covers the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
- Wales: the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry (Welsh Blood Service) signs up people aged 16 to 30, or up to 45 for Black, Asian, mixed heritage and minority ethnic applicants.
- Blood donors in England: the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry adds people aged 17 to 40 when they give blood.
Who can join: checked at each registry’s own pages, October 11, 2026.
Germany
Germany has 26 donor centers, and all of them feed one national register, the ZKRD. One registration is enough, whichever center you join through.
DKMS
Germany, US, UK, and more
- Founded:
- 1991, in Germany
- Size:
- more than 12.5 million registered donors (as of the end of 2024) — the largest single registry organization in the world
- Coverage:
- Germany (largest), plus the US, UK, Chile, India, Poland, and South Africa
- Who can join in Germany:
- people aged 17 to 55 with a permanent home in Germany
Stefan-Morsch-Stiftung
Germany and Luxembourg
- Part of:
- the German donor centers that feed the ZKRD
- Who can join:
- people aged 16 (with a guardian’s consent) to 60 who live in Germany or Luxembourg, or are citizens of either
Who can join: checked at each registry’s own pages, October 11, 2026.
India
Two national nonprofit registries take online sign-ups from people who live in India. Both list their donors in WMDA’s search.
- DKMS Foundation India: people aged 18 to 55 who are permanent residents of India — dkms-india.org
- DATRI: people aged 18 to 50 who live in India.
A few smaller registries recruit in person, at drives and blood banks.
Who can join: checked at each registry’s own pages, October 11, 2026.
Everywhere else
In most countries and territories there is one way to join, and where you live decides it. Two that people often ask about:
- Canada: Héma-Québec if you live in Québec; Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry anywhere else in Canada — blood.caSee how joining works in Canada
- Australia: Stem Cell Donors Australia — stemcelldonors.org.auOur guide to joining in Australia
Every other country and territory, with how joining works there.
How registries share matches globally
The World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) is a network of donor registries and cord blood banks from more than 57 countries (WMDA's figure, checked October 11, 2026). Its international search lists more than 43 million adult donor records and, separately, about 725,000 cord blood units (read October 14, 2026).
When a transplant center searches for a match, it searches this shared database, which includes everyone registered on a participating national registry. The search does not stop at borders.
Listing there is up to each registry. WMDA's count of donors by registry includes every registry and donor center named on this page, directly or through a national registry (checked October 11, 2026), so joining any of them adds you to that global search. Your match could be a patient in your own city or one in a country you have never visited.
How to choose your registry
- Where do you live? That determines which national registry to join. It is the single most important factor.
- Register through a drive or online? Some registries offer drives or online enrollment. Check the official registry serving you for its current enrollment options and any drive materials.
- Do you have a community affiliation that matters to you? Some registries, such as Gift of Life in the US, run community-specific recruitment efforts you may want to support.
- Are you eligible to join? Each registry sets its own age and health criteria, which vary slightly by country. If you are unsure whether you qualify, the eligibility overview linked below walks through the general criteria before you sign up.
For most people the simplest path is the button below. Where JBF can tell which place your internet connection is in, the button names that place’s registry and says which place it is for; if you live somewhere else, choose where you live. The official registry serving your country sets its enrollment method, timing, cost, kit, mailing, and eligibility requirements.
What happens after you register depends on that registry’s current process. It explains its sample collection, typing, and follow-up steps before you enroll. For U.S. NMDP registrants, NMDP explains its current enrollment and swab-kit process.
Frequently asked questions
Which bone marrow registry should I join?
The one for the country where you live. Every registry named on this page lists its donors in the World Marrow Donor Association's international search, so joining at home still lets you be matched with a patient in another country. Joining locally keeps your sample handling, follow-up, and travel logistics simple.
What’s the difference between NMDP and DKMS?
NMDP is the largest US-based registry and runs the federal donor program under HRSA contract. DKMS is a multi-country organization headquartered in Germany that also operates in the US, UK, and several other countries. Both make you searchable to transplant centers worldwide, so the practical difference is mostly which country runs your registration.
Which registry is the biggest?
By global donor count, DKMS is the largest single organization, with more than 12.5 million registered donors as of the end of 2024. NMDP operates the largest registry in the United States. The World Marrow Donor Association’s international search lists more than 43 million adult donor records from registries around the world (read October 14, 2026).
Can I join multiple registries?
Technically yes, but it is not necessary. If your registry lists its donors in the World Marrow Donor Association's international search, as every registry named on this page does, you can already be matched with patients in other countries. One registration, with the registry where you live, is enough.
What’s the difference between Be The Match and NMDP?
They are the same organization. Be The Match was a public-facing name; the organization changed its name to NMDP in early 2024, and most of its communication now uses NMDP. Your registration and donor record are unaffected by the name change.
Is Anthony Nolan only for UK donors?
Anthony Nolan focuses on recruiting UK residents, but its donors are part of the global pool through the World Marrow Donor Association. A donor registered with Anthony Nolan can be matched to a patient anywhere in the world.
Is Gift of Life only for the Jewish community?
No. Gift of Life began with a focus on the Jewish community and has historically also recruited within Hispanic communities, but it registers donors from every background today. Anyone eligible can join.
What’s WMDA?
The World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) is a network of donor registries and cord blood banks from more than 57 countries (WMDA's figure, checked October 11, 2026). Its international search lets transplant centers look for donors across borders, which is how a donor on a registry that lists there can be matched to a patient in another country.
How do I know which registry serves my country?
Many countries have one or more national registries that recruit people who live there. In the US it is NMDP or Gift of Life; in the UK, Anthony Nolan or DKMS UK; in Germany, DKMS; in Canada, Canadian Blood Services, or Héma-Québec if you live in Québec; in Australia, Stem Cell Donors Australia; in India, DKMS Foundation India or DATRI. You may have seen Australia's registry called the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) or Strength to Give; since November 2024 it has used the name Stem Cell Donors Australia. You do not need to memorize the list: JBF's A–Z of every country and territory shows how joining works where you live. JBF's registry button names the registry for the place your internet connection appears to be in, and says which place that is; if you live somewhere else, choose where you live.
Are all these registries free to join?
Enrollment costs and any tissue-typing fee vary by registry and country. Check the official registry serving you for its current enrollment and donor-cost policy before you sign up.
Does it cost anything to donate once I'm matched?
The registry and transplant program coordinating a donation explain current donor-cost, travel, lodging, and reimbursement arrangements if you are contacted. Confirm those details with that official program; they vary by country and registry.
Can I switch registries later?
Usually there is no need to. If your registry lists its donors in the World Marrow Donor Association's international search, as every registry named on this page does, you can already be matched with patients in other countries. If you move to another country, contact your registry to update your details, and ask whether you should stay on its list or join the registry where you now live.
Ready to join?
Every registry named on this page lists its donors in the same global search. Where JBF can tell which place you are in, the button below names that place’s registry and says which place it is for, so you can check it before you go.
Points you to the official registry for where you live • Confirm its current enrollment details there
