How often should adults have an eye examination?
Adults without symptoms or risk factors are generally advised to have an examination every couple of years, and more often where there is a relevant condition such as diabetes, a family history of glaucoma, or a higher prescription.
- Subject
- Eye health
- Topic
- Examinations & screening
- Kind of question
- How long…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
Your own interval is something an eye care professional can set for you based on what they find, which is more useful than a general rule.
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It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Everyday eye health in Examinations & screening . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
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This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Eye Health Information
Condition-by-condition eye health information from a US government research institute, written for patients rather than for clinicians.
Used for Plain-language explanations of eye conditions and their symptoms; Healthy vision and screening guidance.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026