Can someone explain whether it is actually illegal (e.g. the person who will cut the lenses and fit them to frames will be charged by some kind of practicing without a license), or they just don't do it?
For the record, in the Czech Republic, I have entered strength, cylinder, axis and PD into a website, paid $18 and picked up the glasses a few days later, and I haven't noticed any problems with quality despite the rather high strength (-4D). We also have over-the-counter contact lenses widely available, though I have never used contact lenses.
($18 is a suspiciously cheap online service with basic lenses, glasses with lenses with higher refractive index and some oleophobic and anti-reflex coating usually cost around $150 here, but they will also make them for you without prescription, you just tell them the numbers)
For the record, in the Czech Republic, I have entered strength, cylinder, axis and PD into a website, paid $18 and picked up the glasses a few days later, and I haven't noticed any problems with quality despite the rather high strength (-4D). We also have over-the-counter contact lenses widely available, though I have never used contact lenses.
($18 is a suspiciously cheap online service with basic lenses, glasses with lenses with higher refractive index and some oleophobic and anti-reflex coating usually cost around $150 here, but they will also make them for you without prescription, you just tell them the numbers)