Membership in the Manitoba Association of Optometrists (MAO) is a mandatory requirement to practise optometry in Manitoba.
To apply for registration as an Optometrist in Manitoba, all applicants either must be previously registered in another Canadian province or must have successfully completed the OEBC national exam, which is the entry-to-practice exam for optometry in Canada. For more information and to apply to write the exam, please visit the Optometry Examining Board of Canada's website.
If you are an optometrist who is registered in another Canadian province, see requirements below but note that original OD transcripts and OEBC exam results are not required. For more information on interprovincial Labour Mobility, contact the MAO office.
If you are an internationally-trained optometrist who has not previously registered in Canada and has not completed the OEBC national exam, please visit our Internationally Educated Optometrists page.
Optometric students completing an externship in Manitoba must also register with MAO prior to beginning their externship. For more information, please visit our Student Externship Requirements page.
How to Apply for Registration as an Optometrist in Manitoba
Optometrists educated at an ACOE-accredited school of optometry in North America, and/or optometrists currently registered in another Canadian province, are eligible to apply for registration as set out below.
Depending on your circumstances, you will need to provide some or all of the following in order to complete your registration in Manitoba:
- Completed application form, which must include a notarized photograph.
- Application and exam fees of $420 (this amount includes your application fee of $200 plus GST and your jurisprudence exam fee of $200 plus GST).
- Original transcript with respect to your OD degree. This must be sent directly to MAO by your university.
- Original transcripts with respect to any undergraduate degrees, if you wish to have these reflected in MAO records. Again, these must be sent directly to MAO by your university.
- Evidence of Good Standing from licensing bodies in jurisdictions where you have been registered as an optometrist during the past seven years.
- Criminal record check including Vulnerable Sector Search. If you have resided outside of Canada during the past five years, you must also obtain a criminal record check from the jurisdiction(s) of residence. Criminal record checks must be dated within 6 months prior to registration date.
- OEBC national exam results.
- Proof of liability insurance.
If you have questions about which requirements apply to you, contact the MAO office.
When you are having documents sent to MAO by a third party (i.e. transcripts sent by your university), be sure to contact the MAO office to confirm that your documents have been received.
You will be required to successfully complete the MAO Jurisprudence examination. When the MAO office receives your application form and fees, we will email the Jurisprudence study materials to you. The exam takes one hour and can generally be scheduled at your convenience during our regular office hours. It is possible to arrange to write the exam elsewhere by contacting the MAO office.
The Board of Examiners will meet to review your application after it is received. It may be a month or more between the date of receipt of your application and the date of review by the Board of Examiners, so you should complete your application as early as possible. You should plan to have your application to MAO at least a month prior to the date you hope to begin practice.
Once your documents are complete and your application has been approved by the Board of Examiners, you will come to the MAO office to complete your registration. At this time, you will provide some general information to MAO, pay for your registration certificates and first installment of Membership Dues, and go through a short orientation that will provide information you need to begin practice.
To request the MAO Application Form, or if you have any questions, please contact the MAO office at 204-943-9811 ext. 1 or mao@optometrists.mb.ca.