Updated 13 October 2026 · LocalKey consultant team
Yes, foreign visitors can buy prescription glasses at mainland optical shops. Choose shops with posted lawful credentials and in-date "force-verification passed" stickers; decorative coloured plano contact lenses are Class III medical devices that need a registered product and a licensed seller.
Can foreigners buy prescription glasses in China?
Yes, foreign visitors can buy prescription glasses at mainland optical shops, and the shops that sell, refract and fit them fall under the spectacle-fitting measurement rules of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). Those rules cover spectacle lenses, contact lenses, finished spectacles (including assembled spectacles and sunglasses) and businesses doing refraction, custom spectacle fitting and contact-lens fitting.
Under the same rules, operators must not use unverified, overdue or failed measuring instruments for force-verified items, and they must use legal units. Operators that sell, refract or fit must equip suitable refraction, pupil-distance, vertex-power, transmittance and thickness measuring equipment as applicable. Contact-lens fitters also need suitable ophthalmic measuring equipment, and the metrological data must be accurate and reliable.
For a visitor, this means a regulated shop is one that can show its equipment and credentials, not just a sign in the window. We suggest treating the shop check as part of the purchase. Staff should be able to explain the prescription and the order in plain terms, and you should be able to see what they measure with.
We suggest choosing your optical shop before you need it. If you are reading this before departure, note one or two shops near your hotel or along your route. If you want a spare pair, we suggest ordering it early in the trip rather than on your last day, so there is time to go back if something does not match your order.
What should you check in an optical shop?
SAMR's 2026 consumer tip advises choosing shops with posted lawful credentials and trained staff, and checking that refractometers, focimeters and trial-lens sets carry a valid, in-date "force-verification passed" sticker. If a sticker is missing or expired, SAMR advises calling 12315 and choosing another shop.
These instruments are force-verified, which is why the sticker matters. When you collect your glasses, check the appearance, how the lenses sit in the frame, and that the brand, lens index and coating match your order. SAMR also notes that you may ask the shop to measure the finished pair on a focimeter against national assembled-spectacle requirements. Keep your refraction prescription, your order and the invoice or receipt.
The recommended national standard GB/T 13511.1-2025, "Assembled spectacles, Part 1: Single-vision and multifocal prescription assembled spectacles," was issued on 28 February 2025 and took effect on 1 March 2026. It fully replaces the compulsory GB 13511.1-2011, which has been abolished. Its scope is assembled single-vision and multifocal prescription spectacles.
We suggest using a short checklist at the counter:
- Look for the posted credentials, and ask who will do the refraction and the fitting.
- Find the refractometer, focimeter and trial-lens set, and look for an in-date force-verification sticker on each.
- Read the order before you pay, and match the brand, lens index and coating line by line.
- At pickup, look over the frame and lenses, and ask for a focimeter measurement of the finished pair.
We suggest asking which standard the finished glasses are checked against, and keeping the answer with your receipt. For clinical questions about your eyes, see a qualified eye-care professional rather than relying on a shop; our Seeing a Doctor in China 2026 article is a good starting point.
How are contact lenses regulated differently from spectacles?
Decorative coloured plano contact lenses are Class III medical devices in China, so they need a medical-device registration certificate before production, sale or use. Manufacturers need a Medical Device Production Licence, and sellers need a Medical Device Operating Licence.
This comes from a tip issued by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on 10 June 2022. NMPA advises buying only from licensed medical-device operators and checking the packaging for the registration number, the manufacturer and the production date. Imported products need Chinese labels and instructions. Do not buy unregistered products from informal or unlicensed online sellers, and report any problems to local drug regulators.
Spectacles and contact lenses both fall under the SAMR fitting measures; decorative coloured plano lenses also sit under NMPA Class III device rules. The table below sets out the main points.
Spectacles vs contact lenses in mainland China
| Topic | Spectacles / finished glasses | Contact lenses | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope of rules | Covers finished spectacles, assembled spectacles and sunglasses, plus refraction and custom fitting | Covers contact lenses and contact-lens fitting under the same SAMR measures | SAMR — Measures for the Metrological Supervision and Administration of Spectacle Fitting |
| Instrument checks | Refractometers, focimeters and trial-lens sets need a valid in-date "force-verification passed" sticker | Contact-lens fitters need suitable ophthalmic measuring equipment (SAMR measures) | Stickers: SAMR 2026 consumer tip; ophthalmic kit: SAMR Measures |
| Product standard / packaging | GB/T 13511.1-2025 for assembled single-vision and multifocal prescription spectacles, in force from 1 March 2026 | For decorative coloured plano lenses, check registration number, manufacturer and production date on the packaging | Standard: GB/T 13511.1-2025; packaging: NMPA tip 10 Jun 2022 |
| Decorative coloured plano lenses | Ordinary spectacles stay under the SAMR fitting measures and GB/T 13511.1-2025 | Class III medical devices: registration certificate, Medical Device Production Licence (makers) and Medical Device Operating Licence (sellers) | NMPA — Tip on decorative coloured plano contact lenses (10 Jun 2022) |
We suggest asking to see the box before you pay for decorative coloured plano lenses, and photographing the registration number, manufacturer and production date together with the receipt. If the only seller is an informal online one, we suggest following NMPA's advice and choosing a licensed medical-device operator instead.
What should you pack and take home?
Keep your refraction prescription, your order and the invoice or receipt, as SAMR advises, and for decorative coloured plano lenses also keep the packaging that shows the registration number, manufacturer and production date. We suggest packing a spare pair of glasses in your hand luggage as well.
If you wear contact lenses, we suggest bringing enough for your full trip plus a spare, since a shop may not stock your exact product. Pack your written prescription and keep receipts and order paperwork in one folder, so everything is easy to find when you unpack at home.
For how goods and personal items are assessed when you bring them home, read our Customs Allowance Bringing Goods Home from China 2026 article. For a wider packing checklist, see What to Pack for China.
How does LocalKey help with shopping days?
LocalKey can arrange the trip, including shopping stops as part of your itinerary, and we can plan the timing around your other plans.
We suggest leaving the optical visit for a daytime slot with nothing booked straight after it, so you have time to check the shop and read the order before you pay. If you are travelling on your own with the LocalKey app, we suggest messaging your specialist if a shop will not show its credentials or stickers, and the 24/7 backup can help you choose another shop. On a Private Guided trip, we suggest telling your guide early that an optical stop is wanted, so the day can be shaped around it.
For a broader view of paying and shopping on the road, see China Travel Shopping and Payment 2026, and for common pitfalls, read China Shopping Scams to Avoid 2026.
Plan your trip with LocalKey
LocalKey can arrange the trip through private China tours. Your trip is planned, booked and backed by a 1:1 specialist and 7×24 WeChat/WhatsApp support. Two options are available. Independent (details): you travel on your own with the LocalKey app and 24/7 backup. There is no full-time guide on any day, and a local guide, airport pickup or a private car and driver are optional add-ons on demand. Private Guided (details): an English-speaking private guide and a private car throughout the trip.
Sources
- SAMR — Measures for the Metrological Supervision and Administration of Spectacle Fitting — verified_on 2026-10-13
- SAMR — Optometry and spectacle-fitting metrology consumer tip (2026) — verified_on 2026-10-13
- National standards platform — GB/T 13511.1-2025 Assembled spectacles Part 1 — verified_on 2026-10-13
- NMPA — Tip on selecting and using decorative coloured plano contact lenses (10 Jun 2022) — verified_on 2026-10-13
