Visa Application

A student visa is a must for Non-local students (unless you have right of abode in Hong Kong) who wish to study in Hong Kong and you will need to apply for it before you arrive. A person who enters Hong Kong as a visitor cannot become a student at a school, university or any other educational institutions.

The visa application process normally takes around six to eight weeks at the Immigration Department after all required documents are received. To avoid delays in enrolment, please submit the visa application at your earliest convenience.

For more information on student visa application, please contact Global Affairs Office, or the Immigration Depart at (852) 28246111 or visit Immigration’s webpage.

The information below applies to overseas students. For students from China, Macau and Taiwan, please refer to the Chinese version of this page.

How to apply

1. Complete Part A of the Visa Application Form (ID995A) affixed with a passport-sized photo. Please read through A Guidebook for Entry for Study in Hong Kong prepared  by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. You may refer to our sample.
2. A copy of your passport info page containing your personal details, dates of issue and expiry*.
3. A copy of your financial proof in English. It can be a letter issued by your bank or bank statement, payroll slips, documents for your loan and welfare, income proof of your sponsor, scholarship, etc.
4. If you are under the age of 18, one of your parents should authorize his/her relative/friend in the HKSAR to be your guardian. A consent letter duly signed by the guardian and one of your parents should be produced. If you wish to authorize The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) as your guardian, you will need to submit a consent form signed by one of your parents when you mail the documents to GAO. You may refer to this sample.

* The validity of your student visa is in accordance with the normal duration of your study programme, subject to the validity remaining on your travel document. For example, if your travel document will expire after one year from the day you enter Hong Kong, the limit of stay granted will only be one year. If your duration of study is beyond the validity of your travel document, for convenience, you are strongly advised to renew your travel document before applying for a student visa.

Necessary documents should be sent to Global Affairs Office (GAO) by courier before a specific deadline. GAO will then submit the application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department for approval. It normally takes around six to eight weeks to process a visa application. Once granted, a e-Visa will be sent to your via email.

Visa fee

Please note that once the visa application is being processed by GAO, the visa processing fee, which is HK$ 530, cannot be refunded. Further details will be provided once you are admitted to EdUHK.

E-Visa and Student Visa Activation

The Immigration Department has implemented the “e-Visa” arrangement. Upon receiving the e-Visa, you have to bring it with you when you travel to Hong Kong. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, you need to show the e-Visa to an Immigration Officer to activate your student visa. You will then receive a landing slip showing “Student-Permitted to remain until DD-MM-YYYY”. It bears your name, travel document number, arrival date, conditions and limit of stay in Hong Kong.

Without the landing slip, your student visa is not activated and you will NOT be able to register with The Education University of Hong Kong.

Notes:

• Applicants might be required to submit supplementary information as requested by the Immigration Department for processing their entry applications.
• Non-local students admitted to take up post-secondary programmes will be imposed with a condition of stay to take up a prescribed course in a prescribed education institution. Any change in the condition of stay requires prior approval from the Immigration Department.
• Before taking up any internship, part-time on-campus employment or summer job, non-local students must obtain prior permission from the Director of Immigration; no individual or partnership business shall be conducted. (Students wishing to participate in voluntary work must also seek approval from the Immigration Department in advance.)
• The student is responsible for obtaining and maintaining a valid student visa as well as complying with the relevant visa rules and regulations.
• For non-local students, maintaining full-time studies and maintaining their student status during their studies at the University is mandatory, except for those students who have been approved in advance to study in part-time locally-accredited taught post-graduate local programmes. In the case that students change schools or change their full-time status and mode of study, Hong Kong Immigration Department shall be notified, and the University has the right to revoke the visa guarantee.
• It is not necessary to apply for a separate student visa/entry permit for those who already hold a valid Working Visa, Dependant Visa, or a "Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" (as distinct from a "Hong Kong Identity Card" issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department). Generally speaking, non-locals who come to Hong Kong with a Working visa may only enroll in part-time master's degree programmes. Working visa holders should check with the Immigration Department in advance regarding the applicability of the visa.
• The University will not be able to start processing the application unless all the required documents and information have been received and the postage has been paid. The University bares no responsibility for any loss/defacement and delay of the visa documents.
• For students from Taiwan, the single-entry permit is granted when the visa application was approved. Taiwan students may apply for a "Multiple Entry Permit" (MEP) and transfer the endorsement onto the MEP to facilitate future travel to and from Hong Kong after entering Hong Kong on the first time. The following documents are required: Passport, National Identification Card of Taiwan, student visa, recent passport size photo, ID931 (Application for a Multiple Entry Permit for the HKSAR) and ID405 (Application for an Endorsement to a Travel Document). You may download the application form from the Hong Kong Immigration Department website.
• The information in this web page serves as reference only. Please visit the web page of The Immigration Department of the HKSAR regularly for the latest information.

Visa Extension

Non-local students must have valid travel document and e-Visa during their stay in Hong Kong. It is your responsibility to watch out for the expiry and apply for visa extension on time according to the Immigration rules. Please refer to Registry's Website for the implications of not having a valid student visa.

Generally speaking, the validity of your student visa is in accordance with the normal duration of your study programme, subject to the validity remaining on the travel document on the day of your entry to Hong Kong. If your limit of stay is shorter than the normal duration of your programme, you should apply for a visa extension four weeks before your limit of stay expires with the following documents:

1. Completed Visa Extension Application Form (ID91)
2. Original and photocopy of your Hong Kong ID card, if any
3. Original and photocopy of your passport or travel document; and
4. A Testimonial issued by Registry of EdUHK stating your full-time registered student status (Please visit Registry's Website for further details)

You can apply for the extension of stay online. However, you must be physically in Hong Kong on the date of application submission and on the date of collection of your new e-Visa. Routine applications will normally be finalised within two to three weeks upon receipt of all necessary documents. For enquiries about extension of stay, please contact GAO, or contact the Hong Kong Immigration Department at (852) 2824 6111 or visit its website.

Non-local students who have obtained an undergraduate or higher qualification in a full-time and locally accredited local programme in Hong Kong may apply for staying/returning and working in Hong Kong under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). Details are available here.