An apparatus for ophthalmic laser surgery comprises a contact surface for formative bearing contact of an eye to be treated, components for providing focussed, pulsed treatment laser radiation and for directing the same through the contact surface onto the eye, a measuring device for measuring the position of the contact surface along the direction of propagation of the treatment laser radiation, the measuring device providing position data representing the measured position of the contact surface at least one location of the contact surface, and an electronic process and control unit, which is connected to the measuring device and which is adapted to control the focus position of the treatment laser radiation in dependence on the position data. By measuring the position of the contact surface, the laser-surgery apparatus provides for compensation of unavoidable manufacturing tolerances of a contact element forming the contact surface, and thereby provides for precise referencing of the front surface of the eye in relation to the laser-surgery apparatus.
