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Health Sciences Authority

Donating blood after overseas travel

Donating blood after overseas travel.

Last updated 1 September 2026

Blood Donors who have travelled overseas may be at risk for certain infections (e.g. Malaria, West Nile Virus, Chagas Disease, etc.)  that can be transmitted through blood donation. For this reason, blood donors must provide accurate information (e.g travel dates, name of the place where the donor stayed, etc.) regarding their travel history when filling up the donor questionnaire and during the medical interview.

Malaria

Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. The parasite is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can also spread through transfusion of blood infected with malaria. 

Malaria is found most often in tropical countries. In some countries, the city areas might be free from malaria while it might be common in other parts of the country. The mosquitoes carrying malaria typically bite at night.  That is why we are not able to accept donors who have stayed overnight in malaria-risk areas.

Symptoms of malaria include high fever, chills with shivering, headache, muscle ache, weakness, abdominal pain. These symptoms usually begin within a few weeks after being bitten by the infected mosquito. However, it can also develop as late as a few months after the person leaves the malaria-risk area. Some types of malaria parasites can remain in the body without causing symptoms for many years. Donors who previously lived in a malaria-risk area may have been infected with malaria in the past without having any symptoms and remain asymptomatic and well as they have developed partial immunity.

Donors who travelled to malaria-risk areas are advised to delay blood donation for 4 months after leaving the area. The 4-month waiting period helps mitigate the risk of transmitting malaria through blood donations by allowing time for any potential infection to be detected.

To determine whether the country or area within a country has malaria risk, click the link below to check whether a waiting period applies and when you can resume donating blood.

https://selfhelp.hsa.gov.sg/hsa/blood-donation/v2 (opens in new tab) ↗(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) .

West Nile Virus

The West Nile virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. In rare cases, the virus can be transmitted through the transfusion of blood that is infected with the virus.

Most people infected with West Nile virus don't have symptoms. About 1 in 5 infected people have symptoms like fever, headache, rash and muscle aches (flu like illness). Rarely, West Nile virus can cause serious brain inflammation.

If a donor infected with West Nile virus donates blood during the infectious period, the virus can be transmitted to the recipient, potentially causing serious health issues and even death.

Donors who have travelled to the following countries are advised to wait for 4 weeks from leaving the country or affected area before donating blood. 

  1. Albania

  2. Algeria

  3. Armenia

  4. Austria

  5. Bosnia and Herzegovina

  6. Bulgaria

  7. Canada

  8. Croatia

  9. Cyprus

  10. France

    • Alpes-Maritimes (e.g. Nice, Cannes)

    • Bouches-du-Rhône

    • Charente

    • Charente-Maritime

    • Gironde

    • Haute-Garonne

    • Hautes-Pyrénées

    • Pyrénées-Orientales

    • Var

  1. Germany

  2. Greece

  3. Hungary

  4. Israel

  5. Italy including Holy See (Vatican City)

  6. Kosovo

  7. Monaco

  8. Montenegro

  9. North Macedonia (Previously known as Macedonia)

  10. Romania

  11. Russia

  12. Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)

  13. Serbia

  14. Slovenia

  15. Spain

    • Andalusia is an Autonomous Community(region) in the south of Spain. It includes the cities of Seville, Malaga, Cordoba and Granada.

    • Extremadura is an Autonomous Community (region) comprised of the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz. It includes the cities of Mérida and Badajoz.

  16. Tunisia

  17. Turkey

  18. United States, all regions except Hawaii, Alaska & US Virgin Islands (St. Choix, St. John and St. Thomas in Leeward Islands)

  19. West Bank, Gaza Strip and Palestine Occupied Territories

To check when you can resume donating blood after travel to an area with West Nile virus risk, click the link below.

https://selfhelp.hsa.gov.sg/hsa/blood-donation/v2 (opens in new tab)

Chagas Disease

Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi).  It is lifelong and infected individuals may be asymptomatic. 

Chagas disease is endemic throughout South and Central America where it is mostly transmitted to humans by the faeces of triatomine bugs, known as “kissing bugs”.  Chagas disease can also be transmitted in other ways, including the transfusion of blood from infected donors. 

Donors who travelled and stayed in a rural area for 4 weeks or more in the following countries are advised not to donate blood permanently.  

  1. Mexico

  2. Belize

  3. Costa Rica

  4. El Salvador

  5. Guatemala

  6. Honduras

  7. Nicaragua

  8. Panama

  9. Argentina

  10. Bolivia

  11. Brazil

  12. Chile

  13. Colombia

  14. Ecuador

  15. French Guiana

  16. Guyana

  17. Paraguay

  18. Peru

  19. Suriname

  20. Uruguay

  21. Venezuela