Vision care and finding an eye doctor in Spain

It’s a good idea to enroll in a fully comprehensive health insurance plan that covers eye care. It can give you peace of mind and clear sight. Knowing how to find an eye doctor in Spain is also useful if you currently wear glasses or contact lenses. It’s also essential if you have ocular problems that require treatment. But it’s also handy if you’re settling in Spain and anticipate seeing an optician or eye doctor in the future.

Let’s dive in:

Finding an English-speaking eye doctor in Spain

The English-speaking abilities of eye care professionals in Spain often depends upon the town or region you live in. Where there are a lot of expats, the greater the chance is of finding an optician who speaks English. However, there are one or two international chains in Spain that have English-speaking staff on hand in the store.

Going to an optician in Spain

You can find optical retailers in practically every city center in Spain. If you can’t find one, try typing the phrase “ópticas en España” into an online search engine to find opticians in your area. All Spanish optical retailers offer free eye exams to customers; bear in mind there’s an expectation that you’ll buy your glasses or contact lenses from them afterwards.

You can just walk in off the street to have an eye exam, you usually don’t need to make an appointment in advance.

Eye tests

Eye tests are basically the same the world over – you read out the numbers, letters, and colors from the charts they show you. But before you begin, make it clear to the optician whether you’ll read the eye charts using Spanish or English pronunciation; that way, there’s no confusion over your ability to read the charts. Even if your optician only speaks Spanish, they’ll usually be familiar enough with English-speaking customers to know if you’re getting it right or not.

However, if you feel more confident with an English-speaking optician or are unsure about being able to get through the eye test in Spanish, try checking out a British optical retailer with a franchise in Spain; they always have at least one member of English-speaking staff on site.

Eye specialists in Spain

If you’re registered to work in Spain, you’re entitled to some eye treatment via the state-run healthcare system. But if you’re not working, retired, or are currently under the three-month NIE (temporary resident status), you’ll need to go to your local INSS office to register for free state-run healthcare.

If the type of eye test you need is more complex than what an optical retailer can provide or you need treatment for an eye condition, the first step is to go to a Spanish GP to get a referral to an ophthalmologist or optometrist. This could be for things such as a cataract tests, prescription drugs or eye surgery.

The consultation with a state-run healthcare GP is free if you’re registered for Spanish healthcare, but how much you’ll pay (and how long you will wait) for any necessary drugs or surgery will depend upon many factors, including if you have a private health insurance plan.

After being referred to an eye specialist in Spain via the state-run healthcare system, you’ll subsequently be given an annual check-up for free.

You can also book an appointment with a GP at a private clinic using your private health insurance. Not all eye clinics in Spain accept private insurance, so always check before booking any appointments or procedures. You also may need to pay everything upfront then apply for a reimbursement. If you’re unsure about the process, call your health insurance company and they’ll explain.

Private insurance for eye care in Spain

If you want to take out private insurance to cover eye care in Spain, these companies offer expat-friendly packages that include eye care:

• Allianz Care
• Cigna Global

If you decide to go private, you can compare different providers on sites such as SaludOnNet.

Prescriptions for glasses and contacts

When you get a free eye test at an optician’s in Spain the prescription is free, too. Some optical stores won’t allow you to take the prescription away in case you attempt to use it to buy glasses or contact lenses from a competitor (or online).

If you don’t need a new prescription, Spanish opticians will accept your current prescription from your home country. If you don’t have it with you, they can use a special tool to read measurements from your current glasses. A prescription from a doctor isn’t required to buy contact lenses and glasses — you can buy them without one.

Buying glasses and contact lenses in Spain

Expect to wait for up to two weeks for your glasses to be ready – some stores are quicker than others. The staff will be able to give you an estimate of how long it should take.

The price of frames at an optical retailer varies from €49 for basic frames up to €200 for designer frames. If designer frames are your thing, you’re in luck! You can often find designer frames in Spain for half the cost you would pay in Britain or the U.S. Varifocals and progressives are often also cheaper in Spain than elsewhere.

Some supermarkets and smaller retailers such as Tiger also sell budget non-prescription reading glasses from as little as €4.

The average price is around €80 for a six-month supply of daily contact lenses from a Spanish optician.

As you would expect, Spanish optical retailers sell a range of contact lenses. However, if you need special lenses they may be harder to track down. Luckily, if they don’t have what you need you can probably order them online through a Spanish eyecare company. Many companies will deliver contact lenses direct to your home in Spain within just two working days.

Contact lens solution is available from Spanish pharmacies but it’s often cheaper in the larger supermarkets.

Now you’re in the know, eye care in Spain should be as easy as A-B-C. Or should that be E-F-P-T-O-Z-L-P-T…