What age do I need to be to donate?

For your safety, there are minimum and maximum ages for blood donation. The minimum age is 18 and the maximum age is 75 for first-time donors.

Minimum age for blood donation: 18

Giving blood is one of the exciting things you can do when you turn 18. When you give blood, you give a bit of iron from that blood too. Iron is super important when you’re still growing, which is why you can’t donate before you’re 18.   

Not 18 yet? No worries! There are other ways you can help before your 18th birthday. 

Maximum age for blood donation: 75 for first-time donors

The maximum age for blood donation depends on a few things, particularly the kind of donation and if you’ve given blood before in Australia. 

You can become a first-time blood, plasma or platelet donor any time up until your 76th birthday (but you can only give platelets if you’ve given plasma before). If you get your first Australian donation in before 76, then you can keep donating to any age you want, as long as you meet the other eligibility criteria. We’d love you to keep donating as long as you can!