You can hold an HGV licence after laser eye surgery. The DVLA accepts LASIK, LASEK/PRK and SMILE for Group 2 (lorry and bus) drivers, as long as your eyes have healed, your vision is stable and you meet the standard without disabling glare. The standard itself is stricter than for cars: you need corrected vision of at least 6/7.5 in your better eye and 6/60 in the other, and — the part that catches drivers out — if you rely on glasses, the correction can’t be stronger than +8 dioptres. Laser surgery lowers your prescription, which is often what gets a strong myope back under that limit. Treatment starts from £2,400 per eye (from £2,900 for SMILE), all-inclusive.
Laser eye surgery and the DVLA Group 2 standard
Group 2 entitlement — category C and D lorries and buses — carries a tougher eyesight standard than an ordinary car licence, because a professional driver is at the wheel of a heavy vehicle all day. You have to meet it at your first HGV medical and again at every renewal, and the eyesight section is part of the D4 medical report your doctor or optometrist completes.
The DVLA Group 2 visual acuity standard asks for at least 6/7.5 (0.8) in the better eye and 6/60 (0.1) in the worse eye, measured with glasses or contact lenses if you wear them. On top of that you need a horizontal field of vision of at least 160 degrees, no double vision, and — the sticking point for many drivers — if spectacles are what get you to the standard, their power must not exceed +8 dioptres in any meridian. There’s no such cap on contact lenses, but plenty of people can’t tolerate lenses for a twelve-hour shift.
That +8 dioptre rule is where surgery earns its place. If your glasses are stronger than +8 and you can’t wear contacts reliably, you can be shut out of a Group 2 licence even though your corrected vision is fine. Reducing the underlying prescription with laser treatment brings the correction you still need (if any) comfortably inside the limit. Before booking anything, a proper laser eye surgery suitability check confirms whether your cornea and prescription are right for it. The wording of the standard is reviewed from time to time, so always check the current DVLA requirements before you make a decision.
Who is suitable?
- Stable prescription for at least 12 months
- Healthy corneas of adequate thickness on topography scanning
- No significant dry eye or corneal disease such as keratoconus
- A prescription within range that surgery can bring to the Group 2 standard
- Usually aged 21 or over, once your prescription has settled
HGV medical coming up? A suitability assessment tells you whether laser surgery can get your vision within the Group 2 standard — before you commit to anything.
Book a suitability checkLaser eye surgery options
We offer the full range of corneal laser techniques. There’s no single technique the DVLA prefers — the right one depends on your cornea, how strong your prescription is, and how quickly you need to be back behind the wheel.
Compare the techniques in detail on our LASIK, PRK, LASEK surface ablation and SMILE pages, or read the full laser eye surgery overview. Applying for a different role with its own eye test? We also cover laser surgery for the police eyesight standard and the pilot Class 1 medical.
What happens during laser eye surgery
Laser eye surgery is a day-case procedure under local anaesthetic eye drops and takes around 10–15 minutes per eye. You’re awake the whole time and feel no pain, just a little pressure.
- Numbing drops go in and a soft holder keeps the eyelids gently open.
- For LASIK a femtosecond laser creates a thin corneal flap; for PRK/LASEK the surface layer is eased aside instead.
- An excimer laser reshapes the cornea in seconds to correct your prescription, guided by your wavefront or topography map.
- The flap is smoothed back into place (LASIK) or a protective contact lens is fitted (PRK/LASEK).
- You rest for a short while, then head home the same day — arrange for someone to drive you.
Recovery week-by-week
LASIK and SMILE settle quickly; surface treatments (PRK/LASEK) take a bit longer while the top layer heals. If you drive for a living, plan your time off around this rather than against it — and don’t book your medical until your surgeon confirms the result has stabilised.
Day of surgery
Vision is misty and the eyes may water or feel gritty for a few hours. Rest with them closed. Drops begin. No driving.
Days 1–3
LASIK/SMILE vision is often usable the next day. PRK/LASEK feels sore for 2–4 days under a bandage lens.
Week 1
First review. Many LASIK patients are back to ordinary driving; surface-treatment vision is still sharpening.
Weeks 2–4
Vision stabilises and any night-time halos fade — worth waiting out before long night runs. Keep using lubricating drops.
1–3 months
Vision is settled. A final refractive check confirms your result — the point at which you’re ready for the HGV eye test.
Laser eye surgery cost for HGV drivers
Our laser prices are all-inclusive of your assessment, the treatment and aftercare, plus paperwork confirming the procedure if the DVLA or your medical examiner asks for it:
- Self-pay: from £2,400 per eye for LASIK or PRK/LASEK; from £2,900 per eye for SMILE.
- Typical UK range: around £1,300–£3,000 per eye depending on technology and prescription.
- Finance: 0% options available to spread the cost over 12–24 months.
For the full picture see our laser eye surgery cost guide, our breakdown of how much private laser eye surgery costs, and an honest look at whether it’s worth the cost. There’s also a fixed price for both eyes if you’d rather know the total up front.