Guide

Turkey – Eye Care

Eye care services in Turkey are delivered through a mix of state hospitals, private clinics, and high street optical shops. The public insurance scheme (SGK) provides limited ophthalmic benefits to qualifying residents, while most expats depend on private health insurance

Taiwan – Eye Care

Taiwan’s eye care landscape is both accessible and cost-effective, underpinned by the country’s universal National Health Insurance (NHI) programme. Eligible residents can consult ophthalmologists and receive treatment for ocular conditions for modest co-payments, while routine vision checks and prescription eyewear

Thailand – Eye Care

Thailand offers a mature and accessible eye care landscape, combining neighbourhood optical shops, dedicated private eye clinics, and ophthalmology departments within major hospitals. Because the country’s Universal Coverage Scheme is not open to the vast majority of foreign residents, expats

Switzerland – Eye Care

Switzerland’s eye care landscape is largely built around out-of-pocket spending. For adults, routine vision tests, prescription glasses, and contact lenses fall outside the scope of mandatory basic health insurance, leaving residents to fund these costs themselves or through voluntary supplementary

South Korea – Eye Care

Eye care in South Korea is provided through a combination of high street optical shops (angyeong-won), dedicated ophthalmology clinics, and hospital-based eye departments. The majority of medically necessary eye treatments are covered by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), which

Spain – Eye Care

In Spain, the majority of eye care costs fall on the individual at the point of service. Standard eye tests and corrective eyewear are not funded by Spain’s public health system, the Sistema Nacional de Salud (SNS), and must generally

Sweden – Eye Care

Routine eye care in Sweden is predominantly self-funded. Optometrists and opticians can be found at high-street chains and independent clinics, while ophthalmologists practise within both the public healthcare system (Regionvård) and private specialist settings. Standard vision checks and prescription eyewear

Slovakia – Eye Care

Eye care services in Slovakia are provided through a combination of public and private channels. Qualifying residents can access routine eye examinations and specialist ophthalmology care through the national public health insurance system, whereas optical products such as glasses and

South Africa – Eye Care

South Africa’s eye care landscape is shaped largely by a private sector that dominates the profession, with the overwhelming majority of optometrists and ophthalmologists working outside government health facilities. For most expats, accessing eye care means visiting a private optometry

Singapore – Eye Care

In Singapore, eye care is largely a private expense. Residents pay directly for routine eye examinations, corrective eyewear, and optometrist appointments. The national health frameworks — MediSave and MediShield Life — extend coverage to surgical interventions such as cataract removal,