The perfect match

Eligibility to register

Find out whether you can register to become a potential blood stem cell donor.

Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma.

DKMS provides patients with a second chance at life, working closely with their families from diagnosis to transplant and beyond. The donor journey begins with a swab of the cheek that takes two minutes and can be the action that leads to a lifesaving transplant.

Basic eligibility criteria to join the register

aged between 17 (minimum age) – 55 (maximum age)
in general good health
Body Mass Index (BMI) under 40
not already registered on another bone marrow registry - you only need to be on one:
- Anthony Nolan
- British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR)
- Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry (WBMDR)
UK resident at a permanent address for two years minimum
haven’t recently requested a swab online from DKMS.

Health conditions you can register with

You can register if the following criteria apply to you:

enlarged thyroid or underactive thyroid
thyroid (hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis stable and symptom-free. NOT Graves’ disease
iron-deficiency anaemia, if treatable with iron supplement
hay fever, mild asthma, food allergy
basalioma and cervical carcinoma in situ, if fully removed
unipolar depression, mild depression, without any limitations in daily life; no previous manic episodes
high blood pressure, stable and well-controlled.

Become a donor

Health conditions you cannot register with

You will not be able to register if you have any of the following conditions:

severe heart, lung or kidney diseases
severe illnesses of the central nervous system
severe mental health conditions
severe metabolic diseases
addictions: alcohol, drugs, tablets
severe tropical infectious diseases
infectious diseases like HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C, syphilis
systemic autoimmune diseases or other severe chronic illnesses, e.g. diabetes or rheumatism
cancer, including being cancer-free, but having had cancer in the past
diseases of the haematopoietic system (blood disorders).