Am I eligible to donate blood?
New to donating blood?
If you are considering donating blood for the first time you must be:
- In good general health
- Able to perform your normal day-to-day activities
- At least 17 years old
- Meet our height and weight requirements if you are between 17 and 23 years old.
Donated before?
On the day of your donation, it is important that you are hydrated, have eaten, had adequate sleep and in good general health.
If you are a frequent donor, remember that the number of donation appointments you can make depends on the type of donation you are making. You can donate:
- Whole blood every 56 days for males, every 84 days for females.
- Plasma every 6–14 days, depending on the donor program
- Platelets every 14 days.
Changes to our donation criteria
We have recently updated our eligibility criteria for blood donation. Visit our Recent Changes for Donors page for a summary of our changes. If you did not meet our eligibility criteria in the past, you might now be eligible to donate!
Keep checking our website for up-to-date information on donor eligibility.
Can I donate to Canadian Blood Services if I’m from Quebec?
Residents of Quebec can donate at any Canadian Blood Services donor centre in Canada, though we do not operate centres within the province of Quebec. If you make a blood donation at a Héma-Québec donor centre, your donation will be acknowledged as part of your Canadian Blood Services donation count.