Applying to Hong Kong universities as a non-local student

Non-local students — mainland Gaokao applicants, international-qualification holders and transfer students — are admitted to every Hong Kong university, through each institution's own schemes rather than JUPAS. This page puts the whole route in one place: how to apply, what it costs, the visa, and what life here actually involves.

Who counts as non-local

The determining factor is immigration status, not where you studied: you need a student visa sponsored by your university to study in Hong Kong. If you hold HKDSE results but require a visa, you apply through the same non-JUPAS / mainland schemes (JUPAS is for applicants who do not need a student visa).

Three routes in

• International qualifications — IB, GCE A-Levels, US/Canadian/Australian systems and most national matriculations. Apply direct to each university's non-JUPAS portal; applications typically open around September and are assessed on a rolling basis. Details: the international qualifications guide.
• Mainland Gaokao — each university runs a mainland admission scheme combining Gaokao scores, interviews and English. Details: the mainland students' guide, or send us your profile via the assessment form.
• Sub-degree to degree (senior-year entry) — holders of associate degrees / higher diplomas can enter year 3 of many bachelor's programmes; non-local sub-degree graduates follow the same direct route.

What it costs

Non-local tuition is set by each institution and is substantially higher than the local rate. Current figures where published:

Fees are official figures for 2027/28 or the year the institution publishes; self-financing institutions set fees per programme, some with different non-local rates.

Beyond tuition, budget for accommodation and living costs. Housing is the dominant cost: on-campus hall places are limited and competitive at every institution (apply the moment you accept an offer), so most non-local students rent in the private market, usually shared. Textbooks, transport (an Octopus card does everything), food and phone together are modest by big-city standards — but add them honestly when comparing offers.

The student visa

After accepting an offer, your university sponsors your student visa application to the Immigration Department (ImmD); you submit documents through the institution, not personally. Processing typically takes several weeks — accept offers promptly and respond to document requests fast. Once the e-Visa is issued, mainland applicants arrange their exit-entry permit endorsement; others check their passport/permit requirements. Registration days in August are unforgiving of missing paperwork — build a document checklist early (our Journey page generates one for your route).

Working while studying and after

Work permission attaches to your visa conditions, not to general policy rumour: internships and part-time work are allowed only within the conditions on your student visa — verify your own conditions with the Immigration Department before taking any job. After graduation, the IANG arrangement lets non-local graduates of locally-accredited full-time programmes apply to stay and work — check current terms on official pages, as immigration rules adjust.

Scholarships

Most universities run entrance scholarships for strong non-local applicants, some covering a large share of tuition. They are mostly offered automatically from your admission application — but confirm the mechanism (separate application vs automatic consideration) on each university's admissions pages, listed in the fee table above.

Your checklist

• Shortlist programmes in the programme database (bachelor's level), then verify each entry requirement on the official page
• Book an English test early if your schooling was not English-medium
• Prepare predicted grades, personal statement and references for direct applications
• Track each portal's deadline — they differ by university and sometimes by faculty
• After the offer: visa documents → accommodation → arrival and registration