How long after a tattoo can I donate blood in Australia?
Lifeblood says you wait one week to give blood or platelets after a tattoo done in a licensed tattoo parlour in Australia, and four months if it was not. Its own page decides.
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- Blood service
- Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
- Waiting period after a tattoo
- 1 week to give blood or platelets (plasma can be given straight away); 4 months if not done in a licensed tattoo parlour in Australia
- Condition stated
- The one-week period applies to tattoos from a licensed tattoo parlour in Australia.
- Waiting period after a piercing
- Ear piercing: plasma only for the first 24 hours, then blood or platelets too. Body piercing: plasma only for 4 months, then blood or platelets too
- Source
- Lifeblood, frequently asked questions: "I have a tattoo or piercing. Can I donate?", read November 5, 2026.
What this page does not cover
It states what the blood service's page says on the date it was read. It does not cover other rules a donation centre may apply, a change made since that date, or any individual case. The blood service's own page and the donation centre decide.
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