Frequently Asked Questions

Muslim women are very welcome to donate. You may keep your headscarf on, covering your hair is not a problem. For safety and medical monitoring, we do need your face and the arm you donate from to remain uncovered. Sanquin staff must always be able to see you clearly, to notice any signs of discomfort or medical reactions right away.

The donation room is a respectful, private environment where only doctors, trained staff and donors with appointments are present.

Blood donors and companies often ask whether they can also contribute to Sanquin’s mission in a different way. With Sanquin Research Fund we ​​can provide this and bind even more people to us. Sanquin Research Fund recruitment activities are primarily aimed at companies, but any donation – no matter how small or large – are more than welcome!

Unfortunately, it is not possible to become a donor if we are unable to communicate with you in either Dutch or English at the blood bank. It is important that you are able to clearly indicate how you are feeling during your donation. For example, if something is wrong while you are donating, we need to be able to help you properly.

You therefore need to be able to express yourself clearly in Dutch or English without the help of an interpreter or translation app.

If reading is difficult, for example due to visual impairment or illiteracy, we will go through the donor information and the health questionnaire with the donor verbally. Donor information and a health questionnaire are also available in English.

Read more about the other requirements for becoming a donor here.

Sanquin warmly welcomes new volunteers! They provide extra care and attention to donors before and after their donation. You can find more information and leave your details on the Dutch page Wil jij vrijwilliger worden bij de bloedbank? As soon as a suitable position becomes available, we’ll get in touch with you.

Unfortunately, you cannot donate while pregnant. You may only donate six months after your pregnancy ends. This six-month period begins after childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion.

If you have been diagnosed with hemochromatosis, there may be opportunities to donate blood at Sanquin.

If the disease is not yet stable, or if you have hemochromatosis as a result of another condition (secondary hemochromatosis), your treating physician can submit a request for therapeutic phlebotomy with us. The blood collected during these procedures is not used for patient treatment.

If you have the hereditary form of the disease (primary hemochromatosis) and the disease is stable, your donated blood may be used for transfusion. Your treating physician must submit an application, including a recent ferritin measurement. After registration, you will undergo an examination by a donor physician and the routine blood tests required to determine whether you are eligible to become a donor.

This is only possible if you meet the following requirements:

• Your blood ferritin level must at some point have been below 100 micrograms per liter. After that, we use the following upper limits: 200 micrograms/L for women and 400 micrograms/L for men.
• You are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements that apply to all other donors.

Women may donate a maximum of three times a year and men a maximum of five times a year. For men, there must be at least two months between consecutive donations, and for women at least four months.

Yes, you can donate blood or plasma while you are menstruating. However, it is important to consider whether you feel well enough. If not, it may be better to wait until your period is over.

Because you lose blood during menstruation, this can affect the Hb level that we measure during donor screening. If you come in to donate during or shortly after your period, your Hb result may be lower than you are normally used to.

Women must have an Hb level of 7.8 mmol/L to donate blood and 7.5 mmol/L to donate plasma.
 

We recommend that you sit down for a while after donating tohave something to eat or drink. You can leave the Sanquin location when you feel well, after 10-15 minutes.

Unfortunately, we do not consider open applications. On this page, you’ll find all our current vacancies and detailed information about working at Sanquin. You can easily select your area of expertise and apply directly. Use the ‘Apply now’ button to upload your CV and cover letter—your application will then be forwarded to the appropriate hiring manager. 
Is there no suitable vacancy at the moment? Set up a job alert to stay informed about new opportunities.

For the position of (senior) donor physician, you’re always welcome to shadow for a day.
Please send your CV to werk@sanquin.nl.

To start working at Sanquin as a blood collection specialist, you first need to apply for a vacancy. If you’re hired, you’ll follow our internal DASIO training program.
Qualifications such as nursing, level 3/4 healthcare assistant with technical nursing skills, or medical assistant are a plus, but not required. A strong motivation is just as important!
The training lasts 6 to 8 weeks, depending on your experience, and you’ll be guided by a qualified trainer.
 

You can sign up as a blood donor if you are between 18 and 65 years old. You can donate blood up to the age of 79.

Donors aged 65 and older have a yearly health check with the donor doctor. During this check, the doctor assesses whether you are fit enough and have no symptoms that indicate heart or blood vessel disease.

There are two main forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), each with a different cause.

Classic CJD

Classic CJD can be contracted in several ways. Most commonly, it occurs spontaneously. It can also run in families, meaning it may be inherited. In rare cases, transmission has occurred through transplants of brain membranes or corneas. Another historic route of transmission was treatment with human growth hormone extracted from brain tissue. The use of such growth hormones has since been discontinued in the Netherlands.

Variant CJD

Variant CJD can be acquired by eating meat from cattle infected with BSE ("mad cow disease"). This was particularly relevant during the BSE outbreak among cows in the United Kingdom in the 1990s.

It is likely that the proteins causing CJD can also be transmitted via blood or plasma. This means that both classic and variant forms of CJD could potentially be transmitted through transfusions, transplants, or the use of contaminated medical instruments.

CJD is extremely rare, so the chance of contracting the disease is exceedingly low.

Read more:  

• What is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob and blood donation

We desperately need the support of the business community for our research. Sanquin Research Fund collaborates with companies in several ways. Would you like more information about what we can do for your company? Please contact us.

With a will, you can decide how your assets and possessions will be distributed after you are no longer here. For example, you can designate your grandchildren, friends, or charitable organizations as legatees or heirs. Would you like to leave a bequest to Sanquin? This is possible through the Sanquin Research Fund. The gift from your estate will support life-saving research conducted by more than 200 researchers in our own laboratory. The details you need for the notary are as follows: Sanquin Research Fund, Plesmanlaan 125, 1066 CX Amsterdam, IBAN: NL80 ABNA 0107132419, RSIN number: 863283056, KVK number: 84616865.

Would you prefer to learn more first? Feel free to contact contact@sanquinresearchfund.nl

Since the MijnSanquin login screen is only available in Dutch, we are happy to guide you through the steps using the Dutch terms shown on the login page.

1. Go to mijn.sanquin.nl.
2. Click on ‘Maak een account aan’ to create an account.
3. Enter your e-mail address (e-mailadres), your donor number (donornummer) and your date of birth (geboortedatum).
4. Click on 'Doorgaan' to continue to the next step.
5. Then choose a password to secure your account.
6. Confirm your registration.

You can then log in to your account. Each time you log in, you first enter your password, followed by a verification code which you will receive by email.

Tips:

• Make sure you use the exact email address we have on record for you. Using a different email address will not work.
• You can find your 7-digit donor number in all email messages we send to you.
• Having trouble? Call or email us and we will be happy to help.

After submitting your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
Your application portal will remain empty until the hiring manager has reviewed your application.
Once there’s an update, you’ll receive a notification by email and can view the response in the portal.

Your visit to the blood bank will take about one hour in total. This includes filling out the questionnaire and undergoing the health check. The actual blood donation takes about ten minutes.

Sanquin has many locations throughout the Netherlands, so there is usually one near you.

Hemoglobin is formed during the development of red blood cells. It takes approximately 6 days for a red blood cell to develop. Every second, your body produces 2–3 million new red blood cells containing hemoglobin.

The portal only works on a computer or laptop. Still having trouble? Request a new password:

1. Go to www.solliciterenbijsanquin.nl
2. Click on ‘Request password’
3. Enter your username (your personal email address)
4. You’ll receive a reset link by email (check your spam folder too)
5. Log in again with your new password

Is your desired role or region not listed? Set up a job alert to automatically stay informed about new vacancies that match your profile.

That would be fantastic! We can imagine that you would like personal contact before making a large donation on behalf of yourself or perhaps on behalf of a foundation or equity fund. You can contact one of our relationship managers for this. Together we will look at which form of donation suits you best.

A low ferritin level does not negatively affect the blood and is not harmful to the patient receiving it. Your blood can still be used. Measuring ferritin is a protective measure for you as a donor. By monitoring your iron stores, we try to prevent your Hb level from decreasing as a result of blood donations.

We do not recommend taking iron supplements in order to donate blood more often. Iron supplements can also cause side effects.

A doctor will only prescribe iron supplements if there is a medical reason to do so, for example if you have symptoms and/or a low Hb level. In that case, your body needs the iron for its own health, and it is advisable to stop donating temporarily.

Long-term iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis, can cause health problems including diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems.

• An infection can cause temporarily elevated ferritin levels.
• Excess weight can also result in elevated levels.
• A genetic predisposition that causes your body to absorb too much iron.
• An inherited condition such as hemochromatosis.
• Liver disease, an autoimmune disease, or multiple blood transfusions.

Do not wear a shirt or sweater with very tight sleeves. It should be easy to roll up your sleeve so we can reach your vein.

The hemoglobin level (Hb level) indicates the amount of hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin is a protein that transports oxygen to your organs. A hemoglobin level that is too low indicates anemia, meaning your blood cannot transport enough oxygen.

The donor doctor will go through the medical questionnaire with you. The doctor ensures that donating blood is safe and not harmful to your health. During the check, we measure your blood pressure, ask your weight, and measure the hemoglobin (iron) level in your blood.

After speaking with the doctor, a donor assistant takes a few small tubes of blood for testing. 
 

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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a rare, incurable neurodegenerative disorder. Initial symptoms often include memory impairment and muscle stiffness, which develop insidiously and progressively worsen over time. In more advanced stages, patients may experience behavioral changes, dementia, and in some cases, loss of vision and speech. Motor disturbances become increasingly pronounced, characterized by involuntary, jerky movements. Ultimately, individuals become entirely dependent on care and succumb to the disease.

CJD is caused by a misfolded form of a naturally occurring protein. The incidence is approximately one case per million people per year.

In 1996, it was discovered that the protein responsible for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, can be transmitted to humans. Due to the clinical and pathological similarities with CJD, this human form was termed variant CJD (vCJD). Since then, the original form has been referred to as classical CJD.

Read more:  

• How can someone get Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob and blood donation

Blood is mainly needed for people who have lost a lot of blood during major surgery or an accident. Some diseases and treatments, such as leukemia and chemotherapy, affect the blood or the body’s ability to make blood cells. In these cases, too, patients need blood products.

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in your body. The level of ferritin in your blood reflects the amount of iron in your body. If your ferritin level is too low, it means you have insufficient iron, which can make it harder for your body to produce hemoglobin. For this reason, we postpone your donation if your ferritin level is too low. Read more about ferritin.

Hb stands for hemoglobin. This is a protein in your red blood cells that transports oxygen through your body. Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin; without iron, your blood cannot bind oxygen. Before every donation, we check your Hb level using a finger-prick test. This ensures your Hb is high enough for safe donation and that you won't experience any adverse effects after the procedure. If your Hb is below the threshold, the donation is postponed.

After a donation, your body needs iron to produce new red blood cells. It draws this from your iron reserves: ferritin. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron. To prevent iron deficiency, we measure your ferritin level during your initial screening appointment. This measurement is repeated regularly for blood donors. If your ferritin level is low, your next donation will be postponed, and we will invite you to donate less frequently in the future.

Measuring your Hb and ferritin levels helps us protect your health.
 

The Sanquin Research Fund is open to all Sanquin researchers with a good idea. An independent scientific council assesses all research proposals and monitors the progress of the research and transparent accountability of the funds spent.

The Sanquin Reasearch Fund is an independent ANBI fund that, together with companies and other partners, collects money for research in the field of blood-related disorders. It finances research that will lead to fewer people becoming ill, and as a result of which fewer people will be dependent on donated blood.

Bring your invitation (on paper or digital) and a valid ID (passport, ID card, or driver’s license). Please note that copies, scans, or photos of your ID on paper or on your phone are not permitted.

There are various types of hemoglobin. Adults primarily have hemoglobin A (HbA), which consists of two alpha chains and two beta chains. Each chain contains a heme group with an iron atom. Oxygen binds to the iron in these heme groups, allowing it to be transported from the lungs to the rest of the body. In addition to HbA, other forms of hemoglobin exist, such as HbA2—levels of which are elevated in the blood disorder beta-thalassemia, and fetal hemoglobin (HbF), which is primarily present before birth.

Your ferritin level is measured during your first donor screening appointment. After that, we check it after every fifth whole blood donation.

Sometimes it is necessary to measure ferritin more frequently, for example if your donation was deferred because your ferritin level was too low. In that case, we check whether your ferritin level has returned to normal.

We do not routinely measure ferritin in plasma donors, because much less iron is lost during plasma donation. However, if you have previously had a low ferritin level, for example because it was identified during blood donations, we check it after every tenth plasma donation.

Sanquin has permanent and mobile donation locations across the Netherlands. You will receive an email invitation for a location as close to you as possible. For some people this may mean a short trip, for others a bit further. You can check the donation locations (in Dutch) to find one near your home or work.

Red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, which is located inside your bones. This occurs primarily in the sternum, ribs, pelvis, and spine. As a red blood cell develops in the bone marrow, it produces hemoglobin, which eventually makes up about one-third of its volume.

Red blood cells have a lifespan of 100 to 120 days. Aging red blood cells are broken down primarily in the spleen and, to a lesser extent, in the liver. During this process, hemoglobin is also broken down. Much of the iron from hemoglobin is recycled to produce new red blood cells.

Sanquin Research Fund has its own board, consisting of;
Coraline Panis – CFO Sanquin Blood Supply
Gerald de Haan – Director of Research, Sanquin Blood Supply
Joyce Veekman – Director of Communications, Sanquin Blood Supply

In accordance with the Articles of Association, the directors do not receive any remuneration.

Some donors need more time between donations to restore their iron stores (ferritin). If ferritin levels decrease significantly after a number of donations, it may be advisable to donate less frequently in the future to prevent this from happening again.

Ferritin levels are measured and assessed regularly. We take into account the number of donations, the time between donations, and your Hb and ferritin levels. Based on this information, individual advice is provided for each donor.

It is possible for your Hb level to be normal while you are still advised to donate less frequently because of a low ferritin level. Your body is accustomed to a certain Hb level. If you are unable to produce new Hb due to low ferritin levels, your Hb level may begin to decrease as a result of donations, and you may eventually develop symptoms.