Ophthalmologist or Optician: Who Is Allowed to Conduct the Eye Test?
When you need an eye test for your driving licence, you have a choice: an optician or an ophthalmologist. Both can test your eyes, but they are not the same, and the right choice depends on what you need. The ophthalmologist or optician eye test question comes up again and again, because the two kinds of professional do different things, charge different prices, and are allowed to do different things under German law.
This guide explains who is allowed to conduct the eye test, what an optician can do, what an ophthalmologist can do, when you need an eye doctor instead of an optician, how much each one costs, and how to choose. By the end, you will know which door to walk through.
Ophthalmologist or Optician: The Short Answer
The short answer is that both can carry out the standard driving licence eye test for a car licence, but they are not equally suited to every situation. An optician, in German an Augenoptiker, is a trained specialist who measures vision, fits glasses and contact lenses, and carries out the standard eye test. An ophthalmologist, in German an Augenarzt, is a medical doctor who has specialised in the eye, and who can diagnose and treat eye diseases as well as measuring vision.
For a normal car licence, the optician is the usual choice. The test is quick, the fee is fixed at 6.43 euros, and the certificate is accepted by every licensing authority in Germany. The ophthalmologist is the right choice when your eyes are more complicated, for example if you have a condition such as cataracts or glaucoma, if one eye is much weaker than the other, or if you need a fuller examination for a lorry or bus licence.
There is a third group that can test your eyes: occupational physicians and officially recognised testing organisations. They are less common for a normal car licence, but they do the test for professional licences, for example in companies that employ drivers. The rules are the same: the tester must be officially recognised, and the certificate must be the standard form.
Who Is Allowed to Conduct the Eye Test?
Under the German driving licence regulation, the eye test must be carried out by an officially recognised eye test centre, in German an amtlich anerkannte Sehteststelle. That can be an optician, an ophthalmologist, an occupational physician, or a testing organisation such as the TueV or the Dekra. What matters is not the title on the door, but whether the tester is recognised. A shop that is not recognised cannot issue a valid certificate, whatever its sign says.
Opticians are the most common test centres, and they carry out the majority of driving licence eye tests in Germany. They are trained to use the standard charts, to measure visual acuity, to check the visual field and to screen colour vision. Their training includes the eye test for the driving licence, and they must follow the rules for the test exactly, including the test distance, the lighting, and the certificate form.
Ophthalmologists are also recognised test centres, and they can issue the same certificate. A doctor test is often more thorough, and the doctor can also check for diseases and prescribe treatment. The certificate from an ophthalmologist is accepted in exactly the same way as a certificate from an optician. Neither one is better than the other in the eyes of the licensing authority.
What the Optician Can Do
The optician is the expert on measurement and correction. They measure your visual acuity with the standard chart, they check your visual field and your colour vision, and they work out the prescription for glasses or contact lenses that brings your vision up to the standard. If you need glasses to pass the test, the optician can make them, fit them and adjust them, all in the same shop. That is the main reason most learners choose the optician.
The optician can also tell you whether your eyes are healthy enough for a simple test, or whether you need to see a doctor. If the optician finds something unusual, such as a big difference between your eyes, a cloudy lens, or a result that does not make sense, they will tell you to see an ophthalmologist. They are not allowed to diagnose an eye disease or to prescribe treatment, but they are very good at spotting the signs that a doctor is needed.
Most optician tests take ten to fifteen minutes, and the fee is fixed at 6.43 euros for the standard test. Some large chains offer the test for free. An appointment is rarely needed more than a day or two ahead, and many shops accept walk in customers. For the standard car licence, the optician is the simplest, cheapest and fastest route to a certificate.
What the Ophthalmologist Can Do
The ophthalmologist is a medical doctor, and their training covers the whole eye. They can examine the inside of the eye with an ophthalmoscope, measure the pressure inside the eye, diagnose diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, and treat them. They can also carry out the full eye examination needed for a lorry or bus licence, including a detailed visual field test and a full colour vision test. For a complicated eye, the doctor is the only person who can give you a full answer.
A doctor test is also the right choice when you have failed the optician test. The optician can only tell you the result. The doctor can find out why the result was what it was, and whether treatment is possible. If your acuity is below 0.7 and glasses do not bring it up to the standard, the doctor can look for the cause, which may be a condition that can be treated.
The doctor can also write a report for the licensing authority. If the standard optician test was not passed, the authority will often ask for a doctor report, and the doctor report can set the matter straight. In that sense, the doctor is not just an alternative to the optician. They are the next step when the optician test is not enough.
When You Need the Eye Doctor
There are clear signs that you need an eye doctor rather than an optician. If you have diabetes, and your eyes are being watched for diabetic changes, the doctor should be involved. If you have glaucoma, cataracts, or a family history of these conditions, a doctor examination is sensible. If one eye is much weaker than the other, or if your vision has changed suddenly, see a doctor before you take the test.
For professional licences, classes C, CE, C1, C1E, D, DE, D1 and D1E, the eye examination must be carried out by an ophthalmologist, not by a simple optician test. The same applies to the renewal of a professional licence every five years. The doctor writes a report, and the licensing authority decides on the basis of that report. Our article on the eye test at the ophthalmologist explains the full doctor examination and what to expect at the appointment.
A third situation where the doctor is the right choice: when you are applying for the licence after an eye operation, such as cataract surgery or laser surgery. The doctor can confirm that the eye has healed, measure the result of the operation, and write the report the authority needs. The optician can fit glasses, but they cannot certify the result of an operation.
Costs Compared
The cost difference is one of the reasons most people choose the optician. At the optician, the standard test costs 6.43 euros, or nothing at a large chain. At the ophthalmologist, the test is billed under the medical fee schedule, the GOAe, and the price depends on what the doctor does. A simple eye test at the doctor may cost around 40 to 60 euros, and a full examination with a visual field test and a report may cost more. Health insurance does not normally pay for a driving licence eye test, because it is needed for your licence rather than for a medical problem.
That does not mean the doctor is always expensive, or that the optician is always cheap. If you are a patient of the eye doctor already, because you have a condition, the doctor may include the eye test as part of a normal check-up. If you need glasses after the optician test, the price of the glasses is the main cost, not the test. Compare the total cost, not just the fee, and choose on the basis of what you need, not on price alone.
If the licensing authority asks for a doctor report, the price is worth paying, because the report is the only way the authority will accept your application. Do not try to save money by asking the optician for a second test when the authority has clearly asked for a doctor. It will not be accepted, and you will have to pay for the doctor anyway.
How to Choose: Optician or Ophthalmologist?
Choose the optician when your eyes are healthy, your prescription is up to date, and you simply need the standard test for a car or motorcycle licence. The optician is fast, cheap and convenient, and the certificate is the same. Choose the ophthalmologist when you have a medical condition, when the optician has told you to see a doctor, when you have failed the optician test, or when you need a professional licence or its renewal.
If you are unsure, start with the optician. The test is cheap and quick, and the optician will tell you if a doctor is needed. You lose nothing by trying the simple option first, as long as you listen to the optician when they say you need a doctor. Your optician will also know the doctors in your area and can recommend one, if you need one.
Our guide to the eye test at the optician explains what the optician does in detail, and it can help you to decide whether the optician is the right choice for your situation. Whichever you choose, arrive rested, bring your glasses if you have them, and tell the tester how you feel. The person who tests your eyes is less important than the quality of your preparation.
How to Find a Good Optician or Ophthalmologist Near You
Start with the driving school. Most schools work with an optician or a doctor near them, and they can recommend one who knows the licence test well. That is often the simplest route, because the school has sent hundreds of learners there and knows the routine, and the tester will be used to the questions that learners ask.
Check that the tester is officially recognised. Look for the sign in the shop window or ask directly. A recognised test centre will show the certificate form or the sign that says it is an officially recognised Sehteststelle. If the tester cannot confirm it, choose a different one, because a certificate from an unrecognised tester is not worth the paper it is printed on.
Read reviews, but take them with a pinch of salt. A review that says the shop was friendly and the test was quick is useful. A review that complains about the price of glasses is less relevant if you only need the test. The most useful question to ask is whether the tester is patient with nervous customers, which matters more than the decor of the shop. A patient tester and a clean, bright room are the signs of a good choice.
Conclusion
Both the optician and the ophthalmologist are allowed to conduct the driving licence eye test in Germany, and both issue the same certificate. The optician is the expert on measurement and correction, and the test costs 6.43 euros or nothing. The ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who can diagnose, treat and write the reports that the authority needs for complicated eyes and for professional licences. For a standard car licence, the optician is the usual and the best choice. For a condition, a failed test or a lorry or bus licence, the doctor is the right choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is allowed to conduct the eye test?
An officially recognised eye test centre: an optician, an ophthalmologist, an occupational physician, or a testing organisation such as the TueV or the Dekra. What matters is that the tester is recognised, not the title on the door.
Is a certificate from an optician as valid as one from an ophthalmologist?
Yes. Both issue the same Sehtestbescheinigung, and the licensing authority accepts both in exactly the same way. Neither one is better than the other for a standard car licence.
When do I need an ophthalmologist instead of an optician?
When you have a medical condition such as diabetes, glaucoma or cataracts, when one eye is much weaker than the other, when you have failed the optician test, when you are applying after eye surgery, or when you need a professional lorry or bus licence.
How much does the eye test cost at the ophthalmologist?
It is billed under the medical fee schedule, and it depends on what the doctor does. A simple eye test may cost around 40 to 60 euros, and a full examination with a report may cost more. Health insurance does not normally pay for a driving licence eye test.
Can the optician diagnose an eye disease?
No. An optician can measure your vision and spot the signs that something is wrong, but they cannot diagnose or treat an eye disease. If the optician finds something unusual, they will tell you to see an ophthalmologist.
Should I start with the optician or the doctor?
If your eyes are healthy and you only need the standard test for a car licence, start with the optician. It is cheap, quick, and the optician will tell you if a doctor is needed. If you know you have a condition or you need a professional licence, go straight to the doctor.