NBTS
Who Can Donate Blood?
National Blood Transfusion Service – Donor eligibility, travel deferrals & guidelines
Basic Donor Eligibility Criteria
- Aged 18–60 years. (First-time donors: up to 55 years.)
- Minimum 4 months between donations.
- Weight above 50 kg.
- Haemoglobin above 12.5 g/dL.
- Not pregnant; free from serious medical illnesses.
- Free from “Risk Behaviors”
- Bring National Identity Card or valid ID.
Travel-related Deferrals
Malaria-endemic country travel: Donors are deferred for 3 years from the date of return.
Other foreign travel: Donors are deferred for 3 months from the date of return.
Other foreign travel: Donors are deferred for 3 months from the date of return.
If unsure about your travel status, ask NBTS staff or contact us before donation.
Before Donating Blood
- Have a main meal within 4 hours.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Rest at least 6 hours the previous night.
After Donating Blood
- Rest for at least 20 minutes.
- Drink more fluids in the next 4 hours.
- Keep plaster on for about 12 hours.
- Avoid heavy lifting for 24 hours.
Malaria-Endemic Country List — 2024
Travel to any of the following countries results in a 3-year deferral.
Africa
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Djibouti
- DR Congo
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mayotte
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Togo
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Asia & Pacific
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- Georgia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Saudi Arabia (border areas)
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkey
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
- Yemen
The Americas
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- French Guiana
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Peru
- Suriname
- Venezuela
Contact — National Blood Centre
National Blood Centre, 555/5D, Elvitigala Mawatha, Narahenpita, Colombo 05
Tel: 011 236 9931–4 | Fax: 011 236 9937
Email: info@nbts.health.gov.lk
Anti-Malaria Campaign Hotline: 071 284 1767
