Boots eye test cost UK 2026
Boots Opticians publishes from £29.95 for its Essential Eye Test; from £54.95 for its Advanced Eye Test; from £79.95 for its Ultimate Eye Test (read 26 October 2026). Boots prints each tier as a "from" price and says prices may vary across regional stores. If you qualify for an NHS sight test, it is free.
How much is a Boots eye test in 2026?
Boots Opticians eye-test tiers
As printed on Boots' fee page, read 26 October 2026. Boots prints each tier as a "from" price and says prices may vary across regional stores.
| Tier | Retinal scan | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Eye Test | No OCT scan | from £29.95 |
| Advanced Eye Test | OCT scan included | from £54.95 |
| Ultimate Eye Test | OCT scan included | from £79.95 |
Source: https://www.bootsopticians.com/eye-tests/ (read by machine).
When an eye test is free: the NHS route
England: who gets a free NHS sight test
nhs.uk says you can get a free NHS eye test if you:
- are under 16
- are 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education
- are 60 or over
- are registered as partially sighted or blind
- have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma
- are 40 or over and your mother, father, sibling or child has been diagnosed with glaucoma
- have been advised by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) that you're at risk of glaucoma
- are a prisoner on leave from prison
- are eligible for an NHS complex lens voucher
- are entitled to or named on a valid NHS certificate for full help with health costs (HC2)
You are also entitled if you or your partner receive, or you are under 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit and meet the criteria
People named on an NHS certificate for partial help with health costs (HC3) may also get help with the cost of a private sight test.
Source: nhs.uk: Free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers, read 26 October 2026 (page last reviewed 19 July 2023).
What the NHS sight test is listed at
NHSBSA lists the NHS sight test at £23.53, or £64.33 for a sight test conducted at home. (NHS Business Services Authority: KA-03997: What are the current costs of NHS treatment in England?, read 26 October 2026) If you qualify, you pay nothing for it. If you do not, you pay the optician's own private fee, which is set by each chain.
England: NHS optical voucher values
A voucher goes towards glasses or contact lenses; your optician says which one your prescription entitles you to.
| Voucher | Value |
|---|---|
| Optical voucher A (single vision) | £42.40 |
| Optical voucher B (single vision) | £64.26 |
| Optical voucher C (single vision) | £94.14 |
| Optical voucher D (single vision) | £212.40 |
| Optical voucher E (bifocal or varifocal) | £73.10 |
| Optical voucher F (bifocal or varifocal) | £92.72 |
| Optical voucher G (bifocal or varifocal) | £120.48 |
| Optical voucher H (bifocal or varifocal) | £233.56 |
| Optical voucher I (hospital eye service) | £217.58 |
| Optical voucher J (hospital eye service) | £61.77 per lens |
(NHS Business Services Authority: KA-03997: What are the current costs of NHS treatment in England?, read 26 October 2026)
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- NHS eye examinations are free in Scotland for everyone who usually lives in the UK, and for refugees and asylum seekers. (NHS inform (Scottish Government): NHS community eyecare, read 26 October 2026)
- Wales and Northern Ireland: sight-test eligibility and voucher values not tracked.
What other chains publish now
Full private fees, as each chain publishes them, with the date each was confirmed. Chains are listed alphabetically.
| Optician | Tier | Retinal scan | Fee | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfields Opticians | Advanced Eye Test | Included | £64 | 26 October 2026 |
| Bayfields Opticians | Ultimate Eye Test | Included | £77 | 26 October 2026 |
| Leightons | Leightons private eye test | Not included | £39 | 26 October 2026 |
| Leightons | Leightons enhanced eye test | Included | £69 | 26 October 2026 |
| Leightons | Leightons ultimate eye exam | Included | £99 | 26 October 2026 |
| Optical Express | Essential Eye Test | Not included | £25 | 26 October 2026 |
| Optical Express | Advanced Eye Test | Included | £50 | 26 October 2026 |
| Specsavers | Standard eye test | Not included | £25 | 14 October 2026 |
| Vision Express | Advanced Eye Test | Included | £30 | 26 October 2026 |
See the Specsavers and Vision Express pages, or all UK optician eye-test fees. Boots practices registered with the GOC.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an eye test at Boots Opticians?
Is a Boots eye test free?
What do other chains charge for an eye test?
Do I get a prescription I can use elsewhere?
Book or compare
Check the current fee with Boots Opticians, or compare other chains first.
Sources
- Boots Opticians published eye-test fees. Read 26 October 2026.
- Bayfields Opticians published eye-test fees. Read 26 October 2026.
- Leightons published eye-test fees. Read 26 October 2026.
- Optical Express published eye-test fees. Read 26 October 2026.
- Specsavers published eye-test fees (checked by hand). Read 14 October 2026.
- Vision Express published eye-test fees. Read 26 October 2026.
- nhs.uk: Free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers. Read 26 October 2026. Who qualifies for a free NHS sight test (England).