French Foreign Legion and eyesight requirements. Being nearsighted/shortsighted, being farsighted/longsighted. Color blindness. Do legionnaires wear glasses or contact lenses or do not? Am I allowed to wear glasses/specs or lenses while enlisting and serving in the Foreign Legion? What are the French Foreign Legion eyesight requirements?

As a part of the French Army, the Foreign Legion uses the same medical profile determination system, known as SIGYCOP. For visual perception evaluation is used the letter Y (yeux – eyes in French). It ranges from 0 to 6. The general eyesight degree required for joining the French Army (and so the Legion) ranges from 1 (the best result) to 5. The 6 signifies you are failed. The letter C is reserved for Color blindness. You have to reach at least the 4 (again, the 1 is the best).

If you are thinking about being a paratrooper or a commando member in GCP (Commando Parachute Group of 2e REP), you have to obtain Y-3 and C-3 (C-2 for GCP) at maximum.

Minimum eyesight requirements for joining the French Foreign Legion

Y-5:
• MYOPIA (being nearsighted or shortsighted): -10 (ten) diopters maximum
• HYPEROPIA (being farsighted, being longsighted): +8 (eight) diopters maximum

 
You may have other vision problems. In this case you have to be able:

• a) with glasses or contact lenses
  – to read the 7th line (see image below) at minimum with one eye
  – to read the 2nd line at minimum with the second eye
• b) with glasses or contact lenses
  – to read the 6th line at minimum with one eye
  – to read the 3rd line at minimum with the second eye
• c) with glasses or contact lenses
  – to read the 5th line at minimum with one eye
  – to read the 4th line at minimum with the second eye

 

Y-3 (airborne forces and commandos):
• MYOPIA (being nearsighted or shortsighted): -3 (three) diopters maximum
• HYPEROPIA (being farsighted, being longsighted): +3 (three) diopters maximum

 
You may have other vision problems. In this case you have to be able:

1. WITHOUT glasses or contact lenses
• a) – to read the 3rd line at minimum with both of eyes
• b) – to read the 4th line at minimum with one eye
  – to read the 2nd line at minimum with the second eye
• c) – to read the 1st line at minimum with one eye
  – to read the 5th line at minimum with the second eye
2. WITH glasses or contact lenses
• a) – to read the 8th line at minimum with both of eyes
• b) – to read the 9th line at minimum with one eye
  – to read the 7th line at minimum with the second eye
• c) – to read the 10th line at minimum with one eye
  – to read the 6th line at minimum with the second eye

 

Color blindness requirements for joining the French Foreign Legion

C-4:
Hesitation between GREEN and RED color, but comply with the TCCP test (Test de Capacité Chromatique Professionnelle)
• – the TCCP test examines in detail your real degree of color blindness
• – that degree has to be in accordance with your qualification required for various specialities of the C4 level

C-3 (airborne forces):

NO hesitation between GREEN and RED color
• – you are allowed to fail the Ishihara Color Vision Test (a color perception test), but you have to recognize RED and GREEN colors surely in the lantern test

C-2 (commandos):

• – you are allowed to fail the Ishihara Color Vision Test, but you have to recognize all the basic colors in the Beyne lantern test

 

Other vision requirements for joining the French Foreign Legion

AMBLYOPIA
– a part of your vision test result (if you have passed the basic vision test, so there is no problem)

NYCTALOPIA (Night Blindness)
– there is no statement about Nyctalopia because of no longer testing it
– on the other hand, the most common cause of Nyctalopia is retinitis pigmentosa (pigmented retina) and this problem is classified in the SIGYCOP medical test as Y-6 (you have failed)

GLAUCOMA
– Primary angle closure glaucoma – Y-6 (you have failed)
– Primary open-angle glaucoma (chronic open-angle glaucoma, chronic simple glaucoma) – Y 3-6 (the final result depends on your basic vision test)

STRABISMUS (Heterotropia)
– both of eyes – Y 3-6 (the final result depends on your basic vision test)
– one eye – Y 2-5 (the final result depends on your basic vision test)

These are the most common problems with your eyes. However, there are tens of other eyesight problems mentioned in the SIGYCOP system. Half of them are classified between 3-6, the rest of them are classified as the 6. As always, the final result is only up to the medics.

Eye surgery. If you had a laser vision-correction surgery (or another eye surgery), you have to wait at least 12 months before you can try to enlist you in the Legion.

 

Information source:
French Ministry of Defence

Photo source:
Légion étrangère, the official website

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Related information:
French Foreign Legion minimum age and maximum age requirements
Height and weight requirements for joining the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion tattoo and tattoo policy

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