The short answer. After a new tattoo or piercing, Sanquin asks you to wait 4 months before donating blood or plasma in the Netherlands. The same applies after a tattoo touch-up or (semi-)permanent make-up. The exception: earlobes shot with Studex, where the earring goes in directly. According to Sanquin, you may then donate the same day.
| Situation | What Sanquin says |
|---|---|
| New tattoo | You can donate blood or plasma after 4 months. |
| Tattoo touch-up | You can donate blood or plasma after 4 months. |
| (Semi-)permanent make-up (PMU) | You can donate blood or plasma after 4 months. |
| Tattoo removed (laser or surgery) | You can donate blood or plasma once the wound has healed. |
| Earlobes shot, with the jewellery going in directly | You can donate blood or plasma the same day. |
| Earlobes or any other piercing where the hole was first made with a needle or another instrument | You must wait 4 months. |
| Blood or plasma | For these situations, Sanquin applies the same waiting period. |
| Tattoo or piercing older than 4 months | You can donate or sign up as a donor as normal. |
Only changing jewellery, or planning stretching or a dermal? Sanquin does not list those situations in this overview. Check through the donation check or the Donor Service Center.
Why 4 months?
It is not about distrust of you or your studio. Sanquin uses this period because of what is called the window phase. When someone picks up an infection that can spread through blood, it does not show up in blood tests straight away. For hepatitis B, Sanquin says this can take up to 4 months, and during that time the blood could still infect a patient. So Sanquin waits after a new tattoo or piercing, including one done in a clean, licensed studio.
Sanquin's rules on this point make no exception for a GGD licence or a clean workplace. Even if you sat in our chair, the 4 months still apply. The overview also does not distinguish by tattoo size: a small tattoo counts the same as a large one.
On top of that, Sanquin tests donated blood for, among other things, HIV, hepatitis B, C and E, syphilis and HTLV-I/II. The waiting period is an extra safety margin. That is how blood donation after a tattoo works in the Netherlands: not because your ink is a problem, but because the tests may need that window.
The exception: shot earlobes
At Piercings Works we shoot earlobes with Studex: a disposable, sterile system where the earring goes in directly. According to Sanquin, you can then donate blood or plasma the same day.
If the hole was first made with another instrument, as with most piercings, the 4 months do apply. A helix, septum, navel or tongue piercing therefore means 4 months, because the hole is made first with another instrument.
How to plan it
Already a donor and craving new ink? Book your tattoo or piercing right after a donation, so much of the wait overlaps with your normal break between donations.
One thing to keep in mind: every time you get a tattoo, or have one touched up, the 4 months start again. That also applies to a later session on a sleeve or a bodysuit: it is again a new tattoo or a touch-up. Count from your most recent session, not the first one.
Already have a donation appointment booked within those 4 months? Sanquin asks you to cancel it, or to pause your donorship so they do not call you up.
Donating plasma after a tattoo
Want to donate plasma after a tattoo or piercing? Sanquin applies the same rule as for blood: wait 4 months after a new tattoo, a touch-up, or a piercing where the hole was first made with another instrument. The exception for earlobes shot with the jewellery going in directly also applies here: according to Sanquin, you may then donate plasma the same day.
Sanquin's website has a donation check, with a separate check for blood donors and for plasma donors. The waiting period after a tattoo or piercing is the same in both cases.
The studio: since 1998, at Reguliersbreestraat 46
A GGD licence does not shorten the wait, but where you get tattooed or pierced still matters for your health. A studio with a GGD licence works to hygiene rules, with sterile, single-use materials. Piercings Works has been around since 1998 and at Reguliersbreestraat 46 since 2004. Visiting or new in town? Read Safe piercing for tourists in Amsterdam. Our team speaks six languages, as you can read in English-speaking tattoo studio in Amsterdam.
Aftercare is a separate clock
The 4 months are about donating blood and plasma, not about healing. A tattoo usually closes on the surface in about 2 weeks but needs up to 6 weeks to heal fully. See Tattoo aftercare step by step. Piercings vary a lot by spot: check Piercing healing times. Nervous about how much it will hurt? Our piercing pain chart helps.
Not sure? Ask Sanquin
Unsure about your own situation, for example because you do not remember exactly how a hole was made? Use the donation check on Sanquin's website, or call the Donor Service Center on 088-730 8686. Sanquin lists these hours: Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 20:00, and Friday from 8:00 to 17:00. They decide whether you can donate, not us.
If you are only changing jewellery, or you want stretching or a dermal, Sanquin does not list those situations in its tattoo and piercing overview. Check with them, and do not invent a rule yourself.
Come by or book your tattoo
For a piercing, just walk in any day at Reguliersbreestraat 46, no appointment needed. For a tattoo, book a session with Ivor via our booking page. And if you are a donor, pencil in your next donation 4 months later.
FAQ
How long do I have to wait after a new piercing?
4 months, for both blood and plasma. At Piercings Works we shoot earlobes with Studex: a disposable, sterile system where the earring goes in directly. According to Sanquin, you can then donate the same day. For other piercings, where the hole is first made with a needle or another instrument, the 4 months do apply.
Can I donate plasma after a tattoo?
Yes, but the rule is the same as for blood. After a new tattoo or a touch-up, Sanquin asks you to wait 4 months before donating plasma. The exception for earlobes shot with the jewellery going in directly also applies to plasma.
Why can't I donate blood after a tattoo? Why 4 months?
Because of the window phase. When someone picks up an infection that can spread through blood, it does not show up in tests straight away. For hepatitis B, Sanquin says this can take up to 4 months, and during that time the blood could still infect a patient. That is why Sanquin waits 4 months after a new tattoo or piercing. On top of that, Sanquin tests donated blood for, among other things, HIV, hepatitis B, C and E, syphilis and HTLV-I/II.
Does a GGD licence or a clean studio shorten the wait?
No. Sanquin's rules on this point make no exception for a GGD licence or a clean studio. Even if your tattoo or piercing was done with us, you still wait 4 months. Where you get it done still matters for your own health.
Does the size of my tattoo matter?
Sanquin's overview does not distinguish by tattoo size. A small tattoo counts the same as a large one: after it is done, you wait 4 months.
Does the 4 months start again after every session?
Yes. According to Sanquin, a new tattoo and a tattoo touch-up each mean another 4 months. A later session on a sleeve or bodysuit is again a new tattoo or a touch-up. Count from your most recent session. If you already have a Sanquin appointment booked, move it.
What is the difference between a shot earring and a piercing?
Sanquin draws this line: if the jewellery is shot in directly, you may donate blood or plasma the same day. If the hole was first made with another instrument, as with most piercings, you must wait 4 months. At our studio, earlobes are shot with Studex, and the earring goes in directly.
Can I become a donor if I already have tattoos?
Yes. According to Sanquin, tattoos are no reason to be refused as a donor. If you have a tattoo older than 4 months, you can donate blood or sign up as normal.
In the Netherlands, is it the Red Cross or Sanquin?
In the Netherlands, blood and plasma donation is arranged with Sanquin. For the rules after a tattoo or piercing, check with them: use the donation check or call the Donor Service Center on 088-730 8686. They decide whether you can donate.
Is the waiting period still 6 months?
No. Since 1 July 2019, Sanquin has used a 4-month period, including after a tattoo or piercing. An older, longer period no longer applies.
I already have a donation appointment booked. What now?
If it falls within the 4 months, Sanquin asks you to cancel it, or to pause your donorship so they do not call you up. If you are unsure, use the donation check or call the Donor Service Center.
What if I have a tattoo removed by laser or surgery?
According to Sanquin, you can donate blood or plasma again once the wound has healed.
What about a jewellery change, stretching or a dermal?
Sanquin does not list these situations in its tattoo and piercing overview. Do not invent a rule for them: check with Sanquin through the donation check or the Donor Service Center. They decide.
Do the rules from the US, the UK, Australia or Belgium apply here?
No. Donation rules differ from country to country. In the Netherlands, only Sanquin's rules count. What applied back home may not apply here. If you are unsure about your situation, use Sanquin's donation check or call the Donor Service Center. One practical point from Sanquin: you need to speak and understand Dutch or English to donate, and interpreters are not allowed.