Tattoos and blood donation

Tattoos, piercings and blood donation: a 2-month wait since September 2025

Have you just been tattooed or pierced, and want to give blood? Since 1 September 2025, the Établissement français du sang (EFS, the French blood service) has shortened the waiting period: you must wait 2 months after a tattoo or a piercing, compared with 4 months previously. Many pages still say 4 months: the rule has changed.

Why there is a waiting period after a tattoo or piercing

A tattoo or a piercing goes through the skin. The waiting period allows time to make sure that no blood-borne infection was contracted on that occasion, before the blood is given to a patient. This is an EFS precaution that applies to all tattoo shops, even the most rigorous ones on hygiene.

What changed on 1 September 2025

• Before: a 4-month wait after a tattoo or a piercing.
• Since 1 September 2025: a 2-month wait.
• The source: the EFS page on contraindications to donating, dondesang.efs.sante.fr. If you are unsure about your case, the EFS decides, during the interview before the donation.

Planning your tattoo and your donation

If you give regularly, the simplest thing is to plan your tattoo or piercing just after a donation: you will have regained the right to donate well before the date of your next donation. Remember also to eat normally and sleep well before your tattoo session, as you would before a donation.

At TATTOO ON MOVE

In both of our tattoo shops in the Vaucluse, the equipment is sterile and single-use, the workstation is cleaned and prepared before every client, and the whole team has completed the mandatory hygiene training. The details are on the Health & safety page, and aftercare following the session is on the Aftercare page.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I wait after a tattoo before giving blood?

2 months, since 1 September 2025. Before that date, you had to wait 4 months.

And after a piercing?

The same rule applies: a 2-month wait after a piercing, since 1 September 2025.

Can a tattooed person give blood?

Yes. A tattoo does not stop you giving blood: it only imposes a waiting period after the session.

Who decides whether I can donate?

The Établissement français du sang, during the interview before each donation. Tell them about your tattoo or piercing and its date.