How long does it take to donate blood?
Whole blood
About an hour from check-in to your post-donation snack, with roughly 10 minutes of actual donating.
Other donation types
Platelet donation can take around 2 to 3 hours. Power Red and plasma typically take a bit longer than whole blood.
Plan your day
Leave a little buffer afterward so you can rest and rehydrate without rushing.
Related
Find a place to donate
Search by city, ZIP, state, or center name, or use your location to see the closest centers.
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BloodBanker does not use affiliate links, paid rankings, or ads on mission pages. We do not sell donor health information. We link to official donation organizations so people can donate safely and locally.
Read the full pledgeSources and review
The guidance on this page reflects published criteria from these organizations. Eligibility and procedures vary by center and country, so confirm specifics with your donation center.
- American Red Cross
- AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Blood Donation
- Canadian Blood Services
- Last reviewed:
- Next review due:
- Reviewed by:
- Reviewed against American Red Cross, AABB, and U.S. FDA donor guidance
- Confidence:
- High confidence