Licensing guide · Alberta

How to Become an Optometrist in Alberta

Last checked 4 sources checkedNOC 31111

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the Alberta College of Optometrists to work as an optometrist in Alberta or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
optometrists
Show the source
“Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf], Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation [pdf], and Optometrists Profession Regulation [pdf], registration with the Alberta College of Optometrists (ACO) is mandatory.”

From alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/optometrist, checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • 4 steps without a listed fee
  • Annual fees: $350 (annual fee for interns)

  1. Complete the Preliminary Registration Form for your category, submit all required documentation to the ACO office, pay the registration fee and complete the statutory declaration.

    Source
    “Complete the Preliminary Registration Form for your appropriate category listed below, submit all required documentation to the ACO office, submit the registration fee and complete the statutory declaration.”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  2. Apply directly to the Optometry Examining Board of Canada to challenge the OEBC exam.

    Source
    “Graduates of accredited Schools of Optometry in North America are allowed to apply directly to Optometry Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) to challenge the OEBC exam.”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  3. Complete and submit the Application for Practice Permit and the required ACO Practice Permit fee.

    Source
    “Complete and submit the Application for Practice Permit and the required ACO Practice Permit fee.”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  4. After completing all registration requirements, the ACO office sends an official notice to the Alberta College of Pharmacists and the Health & Wellness Practitioner Registry, then you contact Alberta Practitioner Registry yourself to set up your billing information.

    Source
    “After you complete all registration requirements, the ACO office sends an official notice to the Alberta College of Pharmacists (for authorization to write pharmaceutical prescriptions) and to Health & Wellness Practitioner Registry (to inform them of your status as a licensed practitioner).”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/registering-with-alberta-h...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with ACO

4 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Annual fees Paid every year, so not part of the one-time total.

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • 3 steps without a listed fee
  • Annual fees: $350 (annual fee for interns)

  1. Complete the application checklist, preliminary registration form and statutory declaration for the existing practitioner from another province category.

    Source
    “If you are a candidate in this category, please complete the application checklist, preliminary registration form and statutory declaration.”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  2. Complete and submit the Application for Practice Permit and the required ACO Practice Permit fee.

    Source
    “Complete and submit the Application for Practice Permit and the required ACO Practice Permit fee.”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  3. After completing all registration requirements, the ACO office notifies the Alberta College of Pharmacists and the Health & Wellness Practitioner Registry, then you contact Alberta Practitioner Registry yourself to set up your billing information.

    Source
    “After you complete all registration requirements, the ACO office sends an official notice to the Alberta College of Pharmacists (for authorization to write pharmaceutical prescriptions) and to Health & Wellness Practitioner Registry (to inform them of your status as a licensed practitioner).”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/registering-with-alberta-h...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with ACO

3 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Annual fees Paid every year, so not part of the one-time total.

Official page for this route

Trained outside Canada

  • 6 steps without a listed fee
  • Annual fees: $350 (annual fee for interns)

  1. Successfully complete a credentialing process at FORAC.

    Source
    “Graduates of non-accredited Schools of Optometry (outside of North America) are required to successfully complete a credentialing process at FORAC”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  2. Successfully complete the Advanced Standing Optometry Preparatory Program at the University of Waterloo.

    Source
    “successfully complete the Advanced Standing Optometry Preparatory Program (ASOPP) at the University of Waterloo before being allowed to challenge the OEBC exam”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  3. Complete the application checklist, preliminary registration form and statutory declaration for the non-accredited school category.

    Source
    “If you are a candidate in this category, please complete the application checklist, preliminary registration form and statutory declaration.”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  4. After completing the credentialing and preparatory program requirements, challenge the OEBC exam.

    Source
    “successfully complete the Advanced Standing Optometry Preparatory Program (ASOPP) at the University of Waterloo before being allowed to challenge the OEBC exam”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  5. Complete and submit the Application for Practice Permit and the required ACO Practice Permit fee.

    Source
    “Complete and submit the Application for Practice Permit and the required ACO Practice Permit fee.”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

  6. After completing all registration requirements, the ACO office notifies the Alberta College of Pharmacists and the Health & Wellness Practitioner Registry, then you contact Alberta Practitioner Registry yourself to set up your billing information.

    Source
    “After you complete all registration requirements, the ACO office sends an official notice to the Alberta College of Pharmacists (for authorization to write pharmaceutical prescriptions) and to Health & Wellness Practitioner Registry (to inform them of your status as a licensed practitioner).”
    collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/registering-with-alberta-h...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with ACO

6 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Annual fees Paid every year, so not part of the one-time total.

Official page for this route

Other listed fees

The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

  • To register as an optometrist in Alberta, you must successfully complete an approved doctor of optometry (O.D.) degree program within the last 3 years.

    Source
    “To register as an optometrist in Alberta, you must successfully complete: An approved doctor of optometry (O.D.) degree program within the last 3 years”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/optometrist

Insurance

Other

Already licensed in another province?

Direct transfer

The Agreement on Internal Trade allows the easy transfer of practitioners in good standing from one province to another.

Source
“All regulatory authorities in Canada are regulated by the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). This agreement allows the easy transfer of practitioners in good standing from one province to another.”
collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with ACO

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with ACO

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with ACO

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with ACO

Supervised practice

Required

All interns must work under the supervision of a Regulated Member.

Source
“All interns must work under the supervision of a Regulated Member.”
collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/optometry-graduate-intern-...

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 31111, Optometrists. Wages for 2021 in Canadian dollars a year; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Alberta and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Alberta $32,867 $84,000 $178,000 Very good (5 of 5)
Canada $32,867 $81,000 $162,000 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Alberta

Wages in every province and territory

Optometrists in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 8 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare optometrist licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Optometrist: Certifications in Alberta - alis alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/optometrist · fetched October 9, 2026
  2. NEW MEMBER REGISTRATION - Alberta College of Optometrists collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/new-member-registration · fetched October 9, 2026
  3. REGISTERING WITH ALBERTA HEALTH - Alberta College of Optometrists collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/registering-with-alberta-h... · fetched October 9, 2026
  4. OPTOMETRY GRADUATE INTERN APPLICATION - Alberta College of Optometrists collegeofoptometrists.ab.ca/registration/optometry-graduate-intern-... · fetched October 9, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as an optometrist in Alberta?

Yes. Registration with the Alberta College of Optometrists is required to practise in Alberta, and to use the title optometrists.

Which exams are required?

ACO Jurisprudence Exam.

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