Eye care and glasses

Affordable eye care and visual aids are available for the disadvantaged in our community.

The Victorian Eyecare Service (VES) is a statewide service managed by the Australian College of Optometry for people experiencing disadvantage or barriers to accessing eye care services. 

VES is available for the following people who live in Victoria:

  • holder of a current Health Care Card for at least 6 months, or are listed on the Health Care Card as a dependent
  • holder of a current Pensioner Concession Card
  • holder of a current Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) Gold Card
  • children with Child Protection involvement for their care, such as Out of Home Care
  • people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds (a further subsidy combines with the VES for the Victorian Aboriginal Spectacles Subsidy Scheme)
  • Refugees and/or Asylum Seekers

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people may be eligible for further subsidies through the Victorian Aboriginal Spectacle subsidy Scheme.

VES focuses on people who experience difficulty accessing services, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, people in financial difficulty, people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, people living in rural and remote areas, people living in public sector care, accommodation or youth justice facilities, and people with low levels of health literacy.

There is no restriction on access to VES based on residency status or visa type.

For more information and to apply