You need to have perseverance and passion,” says optometrist Sara Maio MCOptom, who moved from Portugal to the UK in 2013. “You need to really want the opportunity and work hard for it.”

Five years after graduating with an optometry degree, Sara decided to apply to practise in the UK because Portugal’s economy was hit by the global financial crisis. She says that the deep economic recession severely affected people’s spending across different sectors, including healthcare. 

Sara is one of many international optometrists who have moved to the UK to work. Between April and September 2024, 105 people applied to the General Optical Council (GOC) to qualify to practise in the UK, and 59 individuals were told they were entitled to do so (GOC, 2024a).