Your first visit
A complete ophthalmic consultation lasts 30 to 60 minutes: medical history, visual acuity and refraction, eye pressure, slit-lamp examination and, when needed, dilated retinal examination and imaging (OCT, retinal photography) — all on site.
What to bring
- Your current glasses and/or contact lenses
- Previous prescriptions and eye reports, if any
- List of current medications
- ID; carte Vitale and mutuelle card if French-insured, EHIC/GHIC card if European, travel-insurance details otherwise
Good to know
- Arrive 10 minutes early for the paperwork
- No need to fast
- Pupil dilation is frequent: vision stays blurry and light-sensitive for 3–6 hours — don’t drive to the appointment, bring sunglasses
- Contact-lens wearers before a refractive work-up: soft lenses out 48 h before, rigid lenses 1 week before
Fees & insurance
IPO practises in the French « secteur 2 » system (regulated private fees). No surprises: you know before coming what you will pay.
French-insured patients
- Social security reimburses the base rate; the supplement is usually covered by your mutuelle
- Consultation supplement: 50 €
- Visual field: 60 € · Laser (YAG, SLT, Argon): 80 € · Intravitreal injection: 70 €
- Cataract and other medically indicated surgery is covered by the Assurance Maladie; a detailed quote is always provided
International patients
- You pay the full fee at the visit (card, cash or cheque) and receive an itemised invoice (feuille de soins) for reimbursement by your insurer
- European patients: bring your EHIC / GHIC card
- Travel / private insurance: reports and invoices can be provided in English for your claim
- For surgery, a detailed written quote is issued beforehand — useful for pre-authorisation by your insurer
Eye emergencies
IPO sees eye emergencies the same day, Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am – 6:30 pm — call +33 1 43 27 10 69. Seek urgent care for: sudden loss of vision, sudden flashes or shower of floaters, a dark curtain in your visual field, severe eye pain with a red eye, chemical splash (rinse with water for 15–20 minutes first) or eye trauma.
Outside opening hours
- Quinze-Vingts National Eye Hospital — 28, rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris. Eye emergency department open 24/7. Tel: +33 1 40 02 15 15
- Cochin Hospital eye emergencies — 27, rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris. Tel: +33 1 58 41 22 02
Life-threatening emergency
If eye symptoms come with neurological signs (paralysis, speech difficulty, sudden violent headache), call 15 (SAMU) or 112 (European emergency number).
Directions & opening hours
Institut Parisien d’Ophtalmologie — 2, Villa du Mont Tonnerre, 75015 Paris. Open Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am – 6:30 pm.
- Metro Falguière (line 12) — 3-minute walk
- Metro Montparnasse-Bienvenüe (lines 4, 6, 12, 13) — 5-minute walk
- Bus 28, 39, 82, 89, 91, 96 · Car parks: Montparnasse, Gaîté
- From CDG airport: RER B + metro, about 50 minutes · From Orly: Orlyval/tram + metro, about 40 minutes
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral from a GP?
No — in France you can consult an ophthalmologist directly, without a referral. For French-insured patients, direct access to ophthalmology is explicitly allowed within the « parcours de soins ».
Can I get my prescription for glasses here and buy them abroad?
Of course. You leave with a written spectacle or contact-lens prescription (valid 1 to 5 years in France depending on age) that any optician can dispense, in France or abroad.
How quickly can I get an appointment?
Doctolib shows real-time availability for each doctor — routine appointments are usually available within days, and same-day slots are kept for emergencies Monday to Saturday.
Book your visit
Book online in a few clicks, or call us — we’ll be happy to help in English.