Register from overseas

Guidance on how to register with us if you are an optical professional from overseas.

International optometrists

Guidance on how to apply as an optometrist who qualified outside the UK.

International dispensing opticians

Guidance on how to apply to join as a dispensing optician as an international applicant.

Working in the United Kingdom

Information about working as an optical professional in the UK.

Registering from overseas self assessment

The form to apply to join our register as an international applicant.

Latest data on registering from overseas

Between October 2024 and March 2025, 92 individuals applied for entitlement to practise in the UK and 58 individuals gained entitlement to practise in the UK.

Of those 58 granted recognitions, 1 had an EU undergraduate degree and 57 had a postgraduate degree

Of those 58, 27 had between 1-5 years professional experience, 14 had between 6-10 years professional experience, and 17 had 11+ years professional experience.

We will provide statistics on individuals registering from overseas every six months.