Eye checks at every age
A timeline from birth to later life: which checks happen when, which are free on the NHS, and what changes to watch for at each stage.
Ages and intervals below come from the NHS pages linked at the foot of this guide. Your optometrist or eye clinic may advise something different for you, and their advice comes first.
Newborn to 8 weeks
Eyes are checked within 72 hours of birth and again at six to eight weeks, as part of the routine newborn checks. These look for cataracts and other problems which cannot be seen from the outside.
Babies and toddlers
Health visitors ask about sight at later reviews. An eye which turns in or out after three months of age, a white reflection in the pupil in photographs, or not following faces and objects, needs a check. A child does not need to be able to read letters to have a sight test.
Children's eye care on the NHS4 to 5: school entry
Most children in England are offered a vision screening check at school between four and five, which looks for reduced vision in one or both eyes. Not every area runs it. If your child has not been checked by five, book a free sight test at an opticians. Vision develops until about seven or eight, so amblyopia found now is far easier to treat.
Amblyopia, or lazy eye6 to 15
Free NHS sight tests for every child under 16, and an NHS voucher towards glasses. Short-sightedness often starts between six and 13 and changes as the child grows, so tests may be yearly. Time outdoors may lower the risk. Watch for squinting at the board, sitting close to screens, headaches and tiredness when reading.
Short-sightedness The children's area of this site12 and over, with diabetes
Everyone aged 12 or over with diabetes is invited to NHS diabetic eye screening, separate from a sight test. In England it is every year, or every two years if the last two results were clear and the risk is low.
Diabetic eye screening explained16 to 18
Sight tests and vouchers stay free in England while in full-time education. Contact lenses need a proper fitting and care routine. At 17 you can apply for a provisional licence, and you must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres with glasses or lenses if you need them.
Driving and your eyesightAdults under 40
A sight test every two years for most people, paid for unless you qualify for a free one. Screen work makes eyes dry and tired rather than damaging them, and employers must pay for a test if you use a screen as a regular part of your job and ask for one.
Screens, dry eyes and tired eyes at work Check if your test is free40 to 59
From the mid-40s the lens stiffens and close print gets harder: presbyopia. Reading glasses or varifocals fix it. From 40, a sight test is free if your mother, father, sibling or child has glaucoma, because the optometrist checks eye pressure, the optic nerve and the field of vision. Glaucoma has no symptoms early, which is why the check matters.
Presbyopia Glaucoma60 and over
Sight tests are free from 60. Cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma all become more common, and all are easier to manage when found early. Keep to the interval the optometrist sets, which may be shorter than two years, and do not wait for the next test if sight changes. Most people are offered cataract surgery when the cataract affects daily life.
Your eyes after 60 Check your central vision at home70 and over: driving
A car licence must be renewed at 70 and every three years after, and you must still meet the eyesight standard. If you cannot leave home without help because of illness or disability, you can ask for a sight test at home.
Driving and your eyesight Sight tests at homeAt any age
A sudden change in sight, flashes with new floaters, a curtain or shadow across your view, a painful red eye or an injury needs same-day advice. Do not wait for a routine appointment.
Who to contact and how fastCommon questions
How often should an adult have a sight test?
Every two years for most adults, or more often if the optometrist advises it. People with diabetes, glaucoma or an eye condition under review are often seen every year.
At what age do sight tests become free?
Under 16 across the UK, 16 to 18 in full-time education in England, and 60 or over. Diabetes, glaucoma, a close relative with glaucoma from age 40, registration and certain benefits make them free at any age. In Scotland the NHS eye examination is free for everyone.
Does my child need a sight test if the school checked them?
School screening at four to five looks for reduced vision. A full sight test at an opticians checks more, is free, and can be done at any age, so book one if you have any concern or if your area did not screen.
Sources
- NHS: eye tests for children
- NHS: free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers
- NHS: how often can I have a free NHS sight test
- NHS: diabetic eye screening
- NHS: short-sightedness
- GOV.UK: driving eyesight rules
- GOV.UK: renew your driving licence at 70
Checked 4 October 2026. Official pages change, so follow the NHS page for the current position.
- Written by
- The Omnirx.io team, from the NHS pages above
- Sources checked
- Page updated
- Next review due
- Clinical review
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Glanced (2026) Eye checks at every age. Omnirx.io team for Medstack Ltd. Available at: https://www.glanced.co.uk/nhs/by-age/ (Accessed: ).
Educational information, not medical advice. Your own eye-care team's advice comes first.