NHS Eye Tests and Optical Vouchers

In England, a sight test is not free for everyone — but it is free for a large group of people, including children, people over 60, people with diabetes or glaucoma, and people on certain benefits. If you qualify for a free sight test and you need glasses or contact lenses, you may also get an optical voucher towards the cost. This guide explains who qualifies, what the vouchers are worth, and how the system works. It gives no advice about eye health.

Who gets a free NHS sight test

You get a free NHS sight test in England if you are under 16, or aged 16 to 18 and in full-time education; if you are 60 or over; or if you are registered as partially sighted or blind. You also qualify if you have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma; if you are aged 40 or over and your parent, brother, sister, or child has been diagnosed with glaucoma; or if an ophthalmologist has told you that you are at risk of glaucoma.

You also qualify if you are eligible for a complex lens voucher, if you hold an HC2 certificate under the NHS Low Income Scheme, or if you receive a qualifying benefit. The qualifying benefits are Universal Credit within the earnings limits, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, and Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. For Universal Credit, your take-home pay must be £435 or less in the last assessment period — or £935 or less if your award includes a child element or limited capability for work.

What an optical voucher is

If you qualify for a free sight test and you need glasses or contact lenses, the optician may give you an optical voucher. The voucher is worth a set amount towards the cost of a pair of glasses or contact lenses, and the amount depends on your prescription — the stronger the correction you need, the higher the voucher value.

The voucher bands are labelled A to J. Their values per pair are: A £42.40; B £64.26; C £94.14; D £212.40; E £73.10; F £92.72; G £120.48; H £233.56; I (hospital eye service) £217.58; and J (hospital eye service contact lenses) £61.77 per lens. These values have been unchanged since April 2024, and were confirmed in the GOV.UK letter setting the values from 1 April 2025.

The optician decides which band applies to you, based on your prescription. The voucher is the maximum the NHS pays; if you choose frames or lenses that cost more than the voucher, you pay the difference. You can also use the voucher at a different optician from the one that did your sight test.

What the NHS pays the optician

The NHS pays the optician for carrying out the sight test, as well as for the voucher. The NHS sight-test fee is £23.53 per test, or £64.33 for a domiciliary test — a sight test carried out at your home, for example if you cannot leave the house. These are the amounts the NHS pays the optician; they are not amounts you pay.

If you do not qualify for a free sight test, you pay the optician’s own charge for the test. Opticians set their own private prices, which vary, so it is worth asking the price before you book. Some high-street opticians offer free sight tests as a promotion — that is a commercial offer, not an NHS entitlement.

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

The rules are different outside England. In Scotland, a free eye examination is available to every resident — not just the groups listed above. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements, with different eligibility rules and different voucher systems. If you live outside England, check the rules for your own nation.

Within England, the system is the same wherever you live, but the help you get depends on your circumstances. If you are unsure whether you qualify for a free test or a voucher, ask the optician before the test — they check eligibility every day — or use the NHSBSA’s online checker for help with NHS costs.

Sources: NHS website, free sight tests and glasses; NHSBSA leaflets HC11 and HC12 (April 2026); GOV.UK letter setting optical voucher values from 1 April 2025.