Spain’s vision aid reaches more than 450,000 children

More than 450,000 children and teenagers in Spain have gained help paying for glasses or contact lenses through a national vision program launched in December 2025. Plan Veo has processed 454,650 cases, offering up to €100 per young person each year toward essential corrective eyewear.

The support is available regardless of family income and is applied directly at participating opticians. It can cover the full price of products costing up to €100, while families pay any amount above that limit. Prescription glasses were chosen in 89.1% of cases, making them by far the most common purchase.

Access has been widened by a network of 7,803 participating optical stores, representing about three quarters of Spain’s total, with 13,600 opticians involved. Astigmatism was recorded in 75% of cases, while myopia and farsightedness were also common.

The government has now added €23 million for a second phase, supporting continued implementation into 2027. Officials estimate that more than 700,000 children in Spain experience “visual poverty,” meaning financial barriers prevent them from correcting sight problems. They also cite estimates that an undiagnosed vision condition may affect one in three pupils with poor academic results.