Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a retinal disorder due to changes in the retinal blood vessels resulting from diabetes mellitus, which is one of the biggest causes of blindness worldwide. Yogyakarta is known to get into the top ranking of diabetics, that is believed that the incidence of diabetic retinopathy will increase. Objective: The aim of this research was to know the relation between long period of diabetes mellitus less and more than 5 years with the severity of diabetic retinopathy especially in PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Hospital and AMC Clinic Yogyakarta. Method: This study was non experimental with analytic observational method with cross sectional study design. The subjects were all patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus at AMC Clinic and RS PKU Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta from 2014 to March 2018. Data retrieval conducted in December 2017 until March 2018. Data were taken from the form of medical record and measured with nominal and ordinal scale. Analysis data were using Univariate and Chi-square test. Results: Fifty-seven patients had examined there eyes. Females were more common than men. Patients with suffering diabetes less than 5 years were 26 patients and more than 5 years were 31 patients. The severity of diabetic retinopathy was significantly significant in patients with diabetes mellitus over five years compared with less than 5 years since the p value of 0.016 is smaller than the significant level (a=0,05). Discussion: The longer a person suffers from diabetes mellitus, the longer the exposure of hyperglycemia occurs in the retina’s blood vessels. It impairs vascular stability and results in damaged vascular endotelial cells in the retina. Conclusion: We conclude that there are enough evidence to suggest an association between long period of Diabetes mellitus and Diabetid Retinopathy severity.