Travel to foreign countries may temporarily prevent you from donating blood. See our list of countries for more information about infection risks.  

To help you learn more about giving blood you can also take our eligibility quiz.

If you have any further queries about your eligibility to donate please call our low-call number on 1800 731 137.

You cannot give blood if you ever had Chagas disease even if you are fully recovered.

You cannot give blood if you stayed or worked in a rural subsistence farming community in South America, Central America or Southern Mexico for a continuous period of 4 weeks or more.  (NB: rainforests are not considered to be rural subsistence farming communities)

You cannot give blood if you or your mother was born in a Chagas risk area; this includes South America, Central America and Southern Mexico.

See list of countries for Chagas risk areas.

You must wait 28 days from the day you leave a county or area affected by Chik V.

You must wait for 6 months if you were diagnosed with Chik V or had symptoms suggestive of it

The most common symptoms of Chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.

Chik V can be transmitted by blood transfusions.

See list of countries for Chik V risk areas

You must contact the IBTS if you were diagnosed with Covid-19 or had symptoms suggestive of it.

You can donate 7 days after having Covid-19 once you are fully recovered and asymptomatic. You can now attend even if you have a mild residual cough. You will be asked questions on clinic to ensure you are fully recovered and fit to donate. Please call our donor helpline if you were seriously ill or hospitalized.

You can donate 48 hours after having a HPRA approved Covid-19 vaccine once you are well and asymptomatic

You can donate if you are a health care worker, even if you are in contact with covid-19 once you are well.

You can donate if you are in contact with Covid-19 once you are well and asymptomatic.

The main clinical symptoms are fever, difficulty breathing, cough, fatigue, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, shortness of breath or other respiratory symptoms which may lead to viral pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome.

You must wait 28 days from the day you leave a county or area affected by Dengue Fever.

You must wait for 6 months if you were diagnosed with Dengue Fever or had symptoms suggestive of it.

The most common symptoms are sudden high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin rash which appears two to five days after the onset of fever, mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums or easy bruising).

See list of countries for Dengue risk areas

If the country you visited is not listed please contact the IBTS on for further information as countries where Dengue only affects certain parts are not listed here.

Travelling, particularly by plane, can be dehydrating and this may increase the risk of developing a thrombosis.

You must wait for 48 hours before and after a long haul flight (i.e. a flight that will last at least 5 hours).

You must wait for 2 weeks prior to travel if you are likely to be exercising in conditions where the amount of oxygen available is low (e.g. at high altitude).

Malaria is spread by the bite of a mosquito.Typically, the time between being infected and when symptoms start (incubation period) is 7 to 18 days, depending on the specific type of mosquito. It can sometimes take up to one year for symptoms to develop. The initial symptoms are flu-like and include a high temperature (fever),headache, sweats, chills and vomiting. Other symptoms can include muscle pains, diarrhoea and generally feeling unwell. Malaria can be transmitted by blood transfusions.

All donors whether new / regular or returning should be assessed for malaria risk factors to establish the correct management to ensure a malarial antibody test is carried out ( when the risk is first identified) and subsequently on all donations thereafter. The risks are associated with

 Travel to an endemic area ( travel as visitor only no other risks no malarial test required )

 Resident of an endemic malarial area ( test is required)

 Hx. of malaria ( test is required once 3 years fully recovered)

 Unexplained fever associated with travel to a malarial endemic area ( test is required once 6 months fully recovered)

Malaria Risk Factors and Testing

You cannot donate blood or platelets for 365 days (1 year) from the date you leave a country / region that has a malarial endemic risk . This applies to  a visitor only e.g. following a holiday / business trip of less than 6 months in duration. Please review Travel (by Country) for an alphabetical listing.

 The IBTS commenced Malaria antibody testing on May 22nd 2023 and testing is carried out where the risk factors below apply:

 

• You lived at any time in any malarial endemic area for a continuous period of 6 months or more ( Resident of a malarial area)
• You ever had malaria
• You ever had an unexplained fever associated with any malarial endemic area 

Samples can be taken (but not a donation) to include a malaria antibody test once the following criteria are met:

• If a minimum of 6 months have elapsed since you left any malaria area
• You are fully recovered from malaria for at least 3 years (where applicable)
• You are fully recovered from the unexplained fever for at least 6 months and it is 6 months since you left the malarial area

You will be able to attend a clinic 42 days later if the malaria test is negative ( the IBTS will contact you if the  test result is positive) .Once all other criteria are met on future visits a test for malaria will be carried out in our labs every time you donate.

See the list of countries for further information on a malaria risk ( and all other travel related risk factors)

Malaria risk can be all year round or within certain specified periods of time. In some countries a previous malarial risk has been identified. Please take note of this information when reviewing your eligibility to donate. This is important to note for a person who fulfills the criteria of a resident of a malarial area.

There is no requirement to have a malaria antibody test if you are in contact with a person that has malaria  as it is not contagious.

Please contact us on our Donor Infoline 1800 731 137 for advice.

 

You must wait 28 days from the day you leave a country or area affected by MERS-CoV.

You must contact the IBTS if you were diagnosed with MERS-CoV or had symptoms suggestive of it.

The main clinical symptoms are fever and respiratory symptoms (cough and shortness of breath) which may lead to viral pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome.

A stopover is defined as being outside the airport, even briefly. (e.g. to smoke).

Walking from the aeroplane to the terminal building on tarmac is a stopover.

Walking from the aeroplane to the terminal via closed walkway is not a stopover.

If you had an airport stopover in a country at risk of MERS CoV or SARS, even if you remained within the airport, you ARE considered to have visited the country and you cannot donate for 28 days.

Contact the IBTS if you have questions.

If your sunburn is causing pain or you require medication (painkillers) do not donate until it has resolved.

You must wait 90 days from the day you leave a county or area between the tropic of cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

See list of countries for Tropical risk areas

VACCINE	DEFERRAL TIME
Anthrax	48 hours if well
BCG	8 weeks and until area is healed
Botulism	48 hours if well
Cholera	48 hours if well
Diphtheria	48 hours if well
Gardisil (Cervical Cancer Vaccine)	48 hours if well
Influenza (Flu)	48 hours if well
Hepatitis A	48 hours if well and if no exposure
Hepatitis B	4 WEEKS 4 months if vaccine was received post exposure, e.g. human bite, blood splash or needlestick injury
HPV (Human Papillomavirus)	48 hours if well
Japanese Encephalitis	48 hours if well
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)	8 WEEKS
Pneumococcal	48 hours if well
Polio	8 weeks
Rabies	48 hours 1 year if post exposure i.e. animal bite
Rubella	8 weeks
Smallpox	8 weeks
Tetanus	48 hours if well
Tick-borne Encephalitis	48 hours if well Post exposure: REFER
Tuberculin (TB)	Await test results
Typhoid (oral)	8 weeks
Typhoid (injection)	48 hours if well
Varicella (Chickenpox)	8 weeks
Yellow Fever	8 weeks

WEST NILE VIRUS RISK IS FROM 01 MAY TO 30 NOVEMBER IN WHOLE COUNTRY - UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN COUNTRY LIST

You must wait 28 days from the day you leave a county or area affected by West Nile Virus

You must wait for 6 months if you were diagnosed with West Nile Virus or had symptoms suggestive of it

Symptoms include malaise, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, headache, myalgia, rash, lymphadenopathy and eye pain.

The IBTS tests blood donations for WNV during the most at risk seasons each year. While we are testing, you may be eligible to donate. Please contact us on our Donor Infoline 1800 731 137 for advice. 

See list of countries for WNV risk areas.

You must wait 28 days from the day you leave a county or area affected by Zika virus

There may be other risks e.g. Tropical           

You must wait for 6 months if you were diagnosed with Zika virus or had symptoms suggestive of it

Symptoms include: mild fever, muscle or joint pains, headache, itchy rash and conjunctivitis (sore eye).

There is also a risk related to sexual activity with a person diagnosed with or with symptoms suggestive of Zika Virus. Please contact the IBTS if you have any concerns

See list of countries for Zika risk areas