Student Visa / Entry Permit
It is required by the laws of Hong Kong that any person wishing to come to Hong Kong to study, but who does not have the right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong, must first obtain a student visa or entry permit for study from the Immigration Department. Dependent visa holders and people with Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) DO NOT need to apply for a separate student visa to study in Hong Kong.
To apply for entry into Hong Kong for study, applicants must nominate a local sponsor; this can be either the educational institution where the applicant has been admitted to study, or a person aged 18 or over currently living in Hong Kong.
City University of Hong Kong (“the University”) may act as the applicant's local sponsor if he/she has been accepted by the University to study in a locally-accredited local programme that is:
- A full-time degree programme at bachelor’s degree level or higher
- A part-time taught postgraduate programme
- A full-time exchange study programme for not more than one year at bachelor’s degree level or higher
- A full-time short-term course at bachelor’s degree level or higher (EXCLUDING courses offered by the School of Continuing and Professional Education at City University). The total duration of short-term studies must not exceed 180 days within any 12-month period if the student is a permanent resident of mainland China, Macao or Taiwan.
Applicants who are granted entry into Hong Kong to study will be permitted to stay for the normal duration of their study programme.
Further details can be obtained from the
Hong Kong Immigration Department.
How to Apply for Student Visa / Entry Permit through the University
Students who wish to seek visa sponsorship from the University should complete and submit a Request for Visa Sponsorship form. The forms for each programme of study are available via the links below:
After submitting the request, students should provide the required documents (see “Required Documents” section below for a full list of documents) to the Global Engagement Office (GEO).
Timeline for Student Visa Application
As it can take 8 weeks or more for student visa/entry permit to be processed, students are advised to submit their applications according to the dates listed below:
| Admission Route / Student Type | Semester A
(September Intake) | Semester B
(January Intake) |
|---|
| Inbound Exchange Students / Visiting Students |
1st June | 1st November |
| Undergraduate Programmes | One week after your acceptance fee payment deadline as listed in your Admission Offer.
Example:
Acceptance fee payment deadline: 17th May
Student visa application should reach GEO by 24th May | N/A |
| Taught Postgraduate Programmes, Research Degree Programmes and Others | As soon as possible |
Required Documents
Applicants must send the ORIGINAL VERSIONS of the following documents:
- Application Form ID995A (sample attached) for Entry for Study in Hong Kong with all relevant parts completed and signed by the student applicant. Please read the Guidebook for Entry for Study in Hong Kong carefully before filling in the application form.
- A recent photo of the applicant (to be affixed to page 2 of Form ID995A).
- For applicants aged under 18, a Letter of Consent must be completed and signed by the applicant’s parent authorising a relative, friend, or the visa sponsor to be the applicant’s guardian during their stay in Hong Kong. Note: The guardian is not required to serve as a parent, but simply act as a contact in Hong Kong to facilitate communication between the Hong Kong Immigration Department and the parent.
- A printed "Acknowledgement of the Request for Student Visa / Entry Permit Sponsorship", can be obtained via the online portal where you submitted the request for sponsorship.
- Residents of mainland China must sign a self-declaration on application of Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (EEP) and exit endorsement.
- Applicants who are being financially sponsored by someone else must provide a Declaration by Financial Sponsor completed and signed by the sponsor. The Declaration should state the sponsor's relationship with the applicant and that he/she agrees to cover the applicant’s study and living expenses in Hong Kong.
Applicants must send PHOTOCOPIES ONLY of the following documents:
- Travel document containing personal particulars, date of issue, date of expiry and details of any re-entry visa held (if applicable).
- Letter of admission issued by the University.#
#Current students are not required to provide the letter of admission. Instead, please apply for the letter of certification from the Academic Regulations and Records Office/Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies as a proof of your student status.
- Acknowledgement of accepting the University’s admission offer, which can be printed from the applicant's online application account (not applicable to exchange students and current students).
- For applicants under the age of 18, proof of accommodations in Hong Kong is required. Applicants who are eligible* and have already applied for the University’s Student Residence should write “Student Residence, City University of Hong Kong, Cornwall Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong” in the Form ID995A as their residential address in Hong Kong. Applicants who plan to live off-campus should write their Hong Kong address in the Form ID995A (item 6(ii) on page 3) and provide the proof of address, e.g. copy of the lease agreement.
* Students are eligible to apply for the University's Student Residence if they are (also refer to Housing Eligibility):
a. Full-time Students in Government-funded Bachelor’s Degree Programmes;
b. Full-time Postgraduate Students studying in Government-funded Programmes within the normal study period.
Students who are not in any of the aforementioned categories may contact Student Residence Office or their respective home college/school/department for further enquiry about on-campus housing eligibility.
- Financial documents under the name of applicant, e.g. bank statements, savings account passbooks, scholarship award notification, tax receipts or salary slips. Applicants who are financially sponsored by another party should provide financial statements and passport copy from their sponsor (do not send original documents as they will not be returned after submission).
- Residents of mainland China must enclose a photocopy of their People's Republic of China resident identity card; applicants who also have a valid Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (因私/因公往來港澳通行證) should enclose a photocopy of the permit with their personal particulars.
- Macao residents must enclose a photocopy of their Macao identity card.
- Taiwan residents must enclose a photocopy of their Household Registration Transcript (戶籍謄本) and Taiwan identity card.
*DO NOT staple the documents together when submitting documents
Mailing Address
Global Engagement Office
Room 3210, 3/F, Cheng Yick-chi Building
City University of Hong Kong
Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon
Hong Kong SAR
Administrative Fee for Student Visa / Entry Permit Application
A payment of HK$600 will be charged. Payment can be made by either of the methods below. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
- By bank draft: enclose a bank draft made payable to "City University of Hong Kong" in Hong Kong dollars with the visa application that will be posted to us.
- By online credit card: payments can be made via the online system for Request for Student Visa / Entry permit Sponsorship. Only Visa, MasterCard and UnionPay will be accepted.
What Happens Next
Upon receipt of the applicant’s visa / entry permit application with all required documents, the University will issue the Application Form ID995B for Entry for Study (Sponsor) in Hong Kong and forward the application to the Immigration Department for approval.
When the student visa / entry permit has been granted, the University will collect the visa / entry permit label on the applicant’s behalf from the Immigration Department and send it to the applicant via courier at the address provided in the Request for Student Visa / Entry Permit Sponsorship.
After receiving your visa / permit label, applicants must affix it to their travel document using the self-adhesive backing.
Applicants who are permanent residents of mainland China should also apply for the Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (EEP) and an exit endorsement from the Public Security Bureau after obtaining the Hong Kong entry permit label. They should affix the entry permit label to a blank page in their EEP, or if they have the credit-card sized version, they can bring the entry permit label with them when they enter Hong Kong.
Student Visa / Entry Permit Validation
Student visa / entry permits must be validated upon entry to Hong Kong. Remember to present your student visa / entry permit to the immigration officer at the checkpoint. A landing slip bearing your name, travel document number, arrival date, conditions and limit of stay in Hong Kong will be issued to you upon arrival. Students should not lose the landing slip as it is a proof of their condition of stay in Hong Kong.
Important Notes
- The University will not be able to sponsor a student visa / entry permit application if the application is incomplete.
- The Hong Kong Immigration Department may request additional information and documents while processing the student visa / entry permit application.
- Student visa / entry permit holders are subject to the following conditions of stay:
- Students must attend the educational institution, i.e. City University of Hong Kong, and undertake the programme or course of study as named in the letter of admission issued by the University.
- Students must not take up any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establish or join any business, unless students have secured prior approval from the Immigration Department (see Part-time Work & Internship).
- It is the student's sole responsibility to:
- obtain a valid student visa / entry permit before entering Hong Kong.
- maintain a valid travel document.
- understand and comply with the terms and conditions of your student visa / entry permit while studying in Hong Kong.
- The University reserves the right to withdraw sponsorship and report to the Hong Kong Immigration Department if a student's study and/or enrolment status at the University has changed.
- Applicants are reminded that their student visa / entry permit for studying in the University and their permission to remain in Hong Kong will expire in 4 weeks after the date on the letter of termination, or on the expiry date stated in your student visa / entry permit, whichever is earlier.
