Vision test for the driver's license: what is required in Switzerland and where you can have it done
Most people encounter the vision test for the driver's license exactly once in their lives: at eighteen, when applying for the learner's permit. A form, a short examination, a stamp. After that, the topic does not come up again for decades. However, vision is not a fixed quantity. At thirty-five, you see differently than at twenty, and at sixty-five, again differently. And it is precisely the visual performance that is crucial for driving that one notices the least, because the brain compensates for a slowly declining image quality over a long time.
The Swiss regulation requires the verification of vision at two clearly defined points: when acquiring the first driver's license and from seventy-five years of age as part of the regular medical check-up. In between, the responsibility lies with the driver themselves. The law is clear on this point: Those who drive must permanently meet the medical minimum requirements, not just on the day of the examination.
This article summarizes what is actually checked during such an examination, what requirements apply, where you can have the vision test done, and what happens if the values are insufficient. Practical experience shows two things: A large part of patients has unnecessary respect for this examination. A smaller part takes it too lightly, even though they have been seeing worse for years than they themselves assume.
In this article
When a vision test is required
When applying for the first driver's license. A vision test certificate must be attached to the application for the learner's permit. This must not be older than twenty-four months at the time of submission. The examination is straightforward, takes only a few minutes, and can be conducted by an optometrist, family doctor, or ophthalmologist.
When upgrading to higher categories. Those who upgrade to truck, coach, or bus or need a license for passenger transport or for driving instructor activities fall under the stricter requirements of the second medical group. The examination is more comprehensive in this case and takes place as part of a traffic medical check-up.
From seventy-five years of age. From this age, a medical check-up by a recognized doctor is required every two years. Vision is an integral part of this examination. Many people discover for the first time during this occasion that their visual acuity no longer meets the usual level, for example, due to the onset of cataracts or macular degeneration.
When complaints or an illness occur. This is the most commonly overlooked case. If vision deteriorates significantly, visual field losses or double vision occur, or if a treatment is pending that temporarily affects vision, the question of driving suitability arises immediately, regardless of when the last official examination took place.
What is actually checked
The common perception reduces the vision test to reading letters. This is only part of it, and not even the most important part.
Visual acuity. Both eyes individually and together, each with correction, that is, with glasses or contact lenses. Visual acuity determines how finely details can be distinguished: the traffic sign, the braking vehicle, the person at the roadside.
Visual field. At least as significant for driving as visual acuity. The cyclist from the side, the pedestrian from the cross street, the swerving vehicle first appear in the peripheral visual field. A narrowing of the visual field develops unnoticed, especially with glaucoma. That is precisely why the ophthalmological visual field examination (perimetry) carries special weight here.
Double vision and eye movements. Safe driving is not possible with double vision. The interplay of eye movements and the position of the eyes relative to each other are examined.
Spatial vision. Especially relevant in the stricter categories, where estimating distances is part of everyday professional life.
Twilight vision, contrast vision, and glare sensitivity. This is the area where even people with formally perfect visual acuity can be significantly impaired. In the early stages of cataracts, visual acuity in daylight is often still good, but the oncoming headlights already create strong glare and light halos. The typical statement is: I have no problems during the day, but I no longer like to drive at night.
Color vision. In the general categories, a color vision deficiency is not a reason for exclusion. It is documented nonetheless, as it is significant for certain professional licenses.
The three decisive areas.
Visual acuity.
Recognizing details.
Measured with correction. It determines when you can read a sign and recognize a braking vehicle.
Visual field
Perceiving the side
The cyclist from the right first appears in the periphery. A narrowing occurs unnoticed.
Twilight
At night and in backlight
Contrast vision and glare sensitivity. Here, early changes become apparent first.
The binding limit values are regulated by the annex of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulation, information is provided by the cantonal road traffic office.
The difference between the first and second medical group
The Swiss regulation distinguishes two medical groups. The first group includes everyday categories, namely passenger cars and motorcycles. The second group includes trucks, buses, and coaches as well as licenses for passenger transport and for driving instructor activities.
For the first group, a corrected visual acuity applies, meaning glasses and contact lenses are explicitly allowed. A minimum value is required in the range of about half of the normal visual acuity in the better eye as well as a sufficiently wide horizontal visual field in the order of one hundred and twenty degrees. In practice, this means: a well-corrected nearsightedness, a moderate astigmatism, or a well-managed condition after cataract surgery pose no obstacle.
For the second group, significantly stricter values apply, both for visual acuity and for the width of the field of vision. Both eyes must be sufficiently functional, and the control examinations take place at shorter intervals. Those who drive professionally are checked more closely accordingly.
The specific numerical values are regulated in the annex of the traffic approval regulation, and binding information is provided by the cantonal road traffic office. In individual cases, these two sources are always decisive and not a summary on the internet, not even this one.
Optometrist, family doctor, or ophthalmologist: where to go?
The proof for the first driver's license can also be issued by an optician. This is the fastest and cheapest way. For young people without complaints and without known eye diseases in the family, this is completely sufficient.
However, there are situations in which the ophthalmological examination provides substantially more.
When vision has changed. Then the actual question is not whether the proof is provided, but what lies behind the change.
From about sixty years old. At this age, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration are realistic possibilities. All three affect driving, and long before the affected person would formulate a complaint themselves.
In the case of diabetes, high blood pressure, or known eye disease. Here, the assessment of the fundus and the visual field examination are not a luxury, but a sober inventory.
With glaucoma in the family. Visual field losses occur in most cases unnoticed. They are only perceived when the loss is already extensive.
When driving at night has become more difficult. This is the most common early sign overall. Many attribute it to age, but often a beginning cataract or an unstable tear film is behind it.
The ophthalmological examination provides not only the formal proof in these cases but also the answer to the question of why it is not as it should be.
Eagle Eye Ophthalmology · Döttingen
The vision test with complete examination
Visual acuity, visual field, intraocular pressure, and fundus in one appointment. About forty-five minutes, with a clear finding at the end.
If the values are insufficient
This is the part that most people respect, and the reality is significantly less dramatic.
The most common case: the existing glasses are outdated. People change their glasses on average much less often than their eyes change. With a new, precisely determined correction, the requirement is immediately met in most cases.
The second case: the visual acuity is not sufficient even with correction. Then the actual cause becomes apparent, such as cataracts, a corneal change, or a macular disease. The good news is that a large part of this is treatable. After cataract surgery, most patients not only reach the required threshold but also see noticeably better than in the years before.
The third case: there is a measurable visual field loss. This requires a more thorough examination, and a traffic medical assessment will then decide on driving suitability.
Important to know: a condition on the driver's license does not automatically mean a driving ban. The most common entry simply states that driving with visual aids is required, meaning with glasses or contact lenses. This is not a sanction but a factual statement.
What is rarely mentioned in the official examination
The legal minimum value is a lower threshold and not the standard for safe driving. Two people with identical values on the vision chart can move completely differently safely in the dark.
A declining contrast sensitivity with the onset of cataracts, fluctuating visual acuity with dry eyes, an unstable tear film: all of this does not appear in the classic visual acuity test but becomes immediately noticeable in rain, at dusk, and in backlight.
The same applies to the visual field. A glaucoma-related loss does not appear as a black spot but as a gap that the brain fills in. The affected person does not see a spot; they simply do not perceive what is there. In road traffic, this is the cyclist from the side.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to view the examination for the driver's license as an opportunity and not as an obligation. Those who are already there lose little time with the complete examination and gain significantly more information.
How to prepare for the appointment
Bring the currently worn glasses with you, and if available, also the previous ones. For contact lenses, it is helpful if both the lens and glasses correction are known.
If you have previous ophthalmological findings or diopter values, bring them with you. The direction of change often says more than the current value alone.
Expect that pupil dilation may be necessary if the eye background is also to be assessed. Near vision will be blurred for a few hours afterward, and light sensitivity will be increased. So do not plan to drive immediately afterward, and bring sunglasses with you.
And feel free to mention if driving at night has become more difficult, if you read signs later than before, or if oncoming light is bothersome. This is not complaining, but exactly the information that makes an examination targeted.
Five points for the appointment
- Bring both glasses. The current one and, if available, the previous one. The change between the two often says more than today's value.
- Bring previous findings. Diopter values, old ophthalmological reports, documents related to an existing diabetes or hypertension treatment.
- Do not drive back yourself. If the pupil is dilated, near vision remains blurred for a few hours. Plan your return trip accordingly.
- Pack sunglasses. After pupil dilation, light sensitivity is significantly increased for a few hours.
- Mention night driving. If oncoming light is bothersome or signs become readable later, say so. This directs the examination in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions
Question
Is a vision test accepted by the optician?
For the first driver's license, the proof can also be issued by an optician. However, if it turns out that the visual acuity is insufficient even with correction or another finding is noted, an ophthalmological examination is necessary.
Question
How long is the vision test proof valid?
When submitting the application for the learner's permit, it must not be older than twenty-four months. The formal requirements in detail are specified by the cantonal road traffic office.
Question
Am I allowed to drive with glasses or contact lenses?
Yes. The requirements refer to corrected visual acuity, glasses and contact lenses are therefore permissible. In this case, it will be noted in the driver's license that driving with visual aids is required.
Question
What applies from seventy-five years?
From this age, a medical check-up is required every two years, during which visual acuity will also be tested. If there is an ophthalmological question, a referral to the specialist will be made.
Question
Am I allowed to drive with only one functioning eye?
In the general categories, this is possible under certain conditions, especially after a sufficient adjustment period and with the good condition of the other eye. In the professional categories of the second group, it is not permitted. The assessment is always made on a case-by-case basis.
Question
Do I need to take a new vision test after cataract surgery?
There is generally no obligation to do so, but it is still professionally sensible. After the operation, visual acuity and often also the glasses values change, so the old glasses usually no longer fit. If a visual aid is noted in the driver's license, it is worth clarifying whether this entry is still necessary.
Question
How long does such an examination take?
The pure vision test takes a few minutes. The complete ophthalmological examination with visual field and assessment of the fundus usually takes thirty to forty-five minutes.
What matters
The vision test for the driver's license rarely comes up in the Swiss system: once at the beginning and then regularly from seventy-five years. In between, there is the tacit assumption that drivers notice themselves when their vision declines. Experience shows the opposite. A gradual deterioration is compensated by the brain, and most people only notice it when it is measured.
If no one has checked your vision in recent years and you drive regularly, the simplest step is to make an appointment. The examination is painless, takes just under an hour, and answers not only the question of whether you meet the requirements but also how well you actually see.
The Adlerblick Eye Medicine in Döttingen, in the canton of Aargau, conducts the complete ophthalmological examination: visual acuity, refraction, visual field examination, intraocular pressure measurement, and assessment of the fundus, with the corresponding proof upon request. If the examination reveals a treatable finding, this can be discussed in the same appointment.
Those who see well drive more safely. Everything else follows from that.
„A gradual deterioration is compensated by the brain. Most people only notice it when it is measured.“
