Once you've ordered a DNA kit to give to somebody else, you will receive a confirmation of your purchase in your own email. The DNA kit will be shipped to the shipping address you entered during your purchase.
How to provide the kit to the recipient
If the DNA kit was shipped to you, you have two options:
The recipient manages their own kit: Hand the kit to the person. They will create a free MyHeritage account, activate the kit, collect their sample, and ship it back to our lab. They will receive the results directly in their own MyHeritage account.
You act as the DNA manager: You activate the kit yourself under your account. You will be the one to receive and manage the results. This option is often convenient when testing elderly relatives.
Note: A single person can activate multiple DNA kits in one account and will receive the results for all of them in that one location.
Important Information about Activation
No Personal Data Initially: Before activation, the kit doesn’t have any personal information attached to it.
Multiple Kits: If you ordered multiple kits, it doesn’t matter which kit you give to whom. The kit is only associated with a person once it is activated.
Access to Results: The person who activates the kit will be the one who receives the DNA results and has direct access to them going forward.
What happens if I delete my account?
We know plans change! If you bought a kit but decide to delete your MyHeritage account, here is what happens to the kit:
If the kit hasn't been used yet: Since April 2026, if the kit has never been activated (meaning no one has linked it to an account for ancestry or health results yet), it stays "alive." The gift remains valid, and whoever you gave it to can still activate it and use it later.
In case you deleted your account before April 2026, please reach out to us via our Contact Us page.
If the kit is already active: If a kit is already activated and linked to your account, deleting your account will also delete that kit’s data.
How to get started
The box includes full instructions on how to use and activate the kit. You can activate a DNA kit at any time by visiting: www.myheritage.com/dna/activate
For further instructions, please read: