Blood donation: criteria change as of June 15, 2026

To donate blood, you must be between 18 and 70 years old, be healthy and weigh at least 50 kg. You can give up to 6 times a year for men and up to 4 times for women. The decree of 20 March 2026 amends in depth the decree of 17 December 2019 relating to the selection criteria for blood donors. The bill clarifies and updates the time periods during which a person cannot donate blood when he or she has a disease, infection, fever or has just undergone certain medical procedures, to ensure that the donation does not pose a risk to the recipient.

Infections and fever

Any infection with a fever above 38°C requires waiting 2 weeks after the symptoms disappear before donating blood.

Sexual life and communicable infections

Some situations related to sexual relations require a delay before donation.

• After a STI, we have to wait 4 months, and 1 year for syphilis.
• After having more than one partner in the last 4 months, a period of 4 months is necessary.
• After reports for remuneration, the time limit shall be 12 months.
• If a partner has a communicable infection (HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV), a delay of 12 months is required, except in special cases.

Preventive HIV treatments also lead to delays:

• 4 months after the last dose of oral PrEP or PEP
• 24 months after an injection of PrEP.

Travel and infectious diseases

• After infection with the West Nile virus, we have to wait 120 days, or 28 days after a stay in an affected area, unless the test is negative.
• For the malaria, the time limit varies from 4 months to 3 years depending on the stay, duration, symptoms and tests.
• For the Chagas diseaseHowever, donation is forbidden in case of a history. In other situations relating to origin or residence, a period of 4 months and a test is needed.

Medical, dental and recent procedures

• After a minor intervention, a period of at least 1 week is required.
• After a major intervention, we have to wait 4 months.
• After a simple dental care, just wait 1 day ; after a more important treatment, you have to wait 1 week, until healing.
• After a tattoo, piercing, acupuncture or mesotherapy, a period of 2 months is necessary, unless the material was strictly for single use.
• As regards the medicines, we have to wait 1 day after takingnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 5 days after taking alcoholaspirin.