New eligibility rules for blood donors as of 1 February 2026

As of 1 February 2026, revised eligibility criteria apply for blood donation in Switzerland: people who have received a blood transfusion, spent longer periods in the United Kingdom or have undergone certain medical procedures are now eligible to donate blood. The change was based on recent scientific findings clearly indicating that the risk of a blood-borne transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is extremely low at this time.

Does this change affect me?

This change affects you if you were previously barred from giving blood due to

• a blood transfusion,
• having spent more than 6 months in the United Kingdom during the period from 1980 to 1996, or
• a dental implant placed in Switzerland after 1993 (one manufactured using tissues or cells of human origin or derivatives thereof) or
• having undergone a neurosurgical procedure in Switzerland.

What specific changes come into effect as of 1 February 2026?

1. Individuals who have received a blood transfusion can donate.

Under the previous rules, people who had received a blood transfusion were not eligible to donate blood. The new rule: blood transfusion recipients become eligible to donate blood 4 months after the transfusion. This is true regardless of the country in which the transfusion occurred.

2. Elimination of time spent in the UK as grounds for ineligibility

Under the old rule, longer periods of time spent in the United Kingdom (UK) in the years from 1980 through 1996 constituted grounds for permanent ineligibility to donate blood. This restriction has been lifted, and people previously barred under this rule can now donate again; no waiting period applies.

3. Donating blood now possible after a neurosurgical procedure in Switzerland 

Previously, neurosurgical procedures requiring the opening of the dura mater (e.g. operations on the brain or spinal cord) were grounds for permanent ineligibility. Under the new rules, persons who have undergone such procedures are eligible to donate blood again after a 12-month waiting period if the procedure was performed in Switzerland.

4. Dental implant after 1993 in Switzerland: 

Individuals who had a dental implant placed in Switzerland after 1993 are now eligible to donate again. Waiting periods of two weeks or longer do apply, depending on the procedure.

Why were the rules changed?

The previous rules were established in response to the risk of blood-borne transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Between 1980 and 1996, there was an elevated risk of infection with prions in the United Kingdom. Blood transfusions and certain other procedures were considered potential risk factors. Since vCJK is always fatal and can have a very long incubation period, a strict exclusion was introduced as a preventive measure back then to protect transfusion recipients. To date, no cases of vCJK have ever been reported in Switzerland. Moreover, it has been many years since any country has reported a transfusion-linked transmission of the disease.

Safety continues to be paramount

An expert group made up of specialists in transfusion medicine and infectious diseases carried out a comprehensive risk assessment based on recent scientific findings, an improved pool of epidemiological data and international developments. The group found that the risk of a transmission via a blood transfusion today can be considered extremely low.