Life Planning Information Website - Education Bureau

There are three main channels through which applicants can enrol in overseas institutions of higher education: 

(1) Submit the application directly to the institutions through the Internet or by post; 
(2) Submit the application through a further education consultant or agency; or
(3) Submit the application directly to the institutions at the Education Promotion Exhibition. 

Students may prepare the application form, submit academic qualifications and other relevant documents to the institution for consideration.  Students are advised to stay vigilant while submitting applications for admission, especially when it involves depositing a large amount of down-payment as registration or tuition fees. 

At present, the only organisations authorised to provide immigration facilities to enter places outside Hong Kong are respective immigration services or Consulates in Hong Kong. Even if a visa is granted after making a payment to the travel agencies or other agencies, it does not imply that there is any connection between the two parties. Therefore, one should not get misled to believe that places of overseas education programmes are secured after making payments to such agencies, or there would be risks and loss so incurred to bear. 

Students are advised to search the relevant institutions' courses on the Internet and discuss with their families whether they can afford their courses, including tuition fees and living expenses. Some countries and regions allow overseas students holding student visas to work part-time in their spare time, no more than a certain number of hours per week, then students can reduce part of the financial burden.

Students who wish to apply for scholarship for non-local further studies may refer to Scholarships of this website or contact the Scholarships, Grants & Loans Unit of Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency at 2150 6110.

Overseas students are advised to collect the latest official information and familiarise themselves beforehand with the local weather, time difference, transportation, accommodation, medical treatment, local environment and culture, make adequate preparation, and learn to adapt to the new surroundings.

Recognition of non-local qualifications awarded by granting institutions outside Hong Kong for study, employment or registration in Hong Kong is at the discretion of the relevant education institutions, employers or organisations. The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) offers the only Qualifications Assessment (QA) service in Hong Kong to assess non-local educational qualifications awarded by non-local granting bodies to individuals. The outcome of each assessment is a professional opinion on whether the non-local qualification meets the standard of a particular level of qualification in Hong Kong which the individual can use for employment or further study purposes. Starting from 8 January 2018, you can access our online application platform via the HKCAAVQ website’s quick link QA i-Portal. More details can be found here. Students who wish to further their study outside Hong Kong should take due account of the learning outcomes and quality of delivery of the educational programmes concerned which are key assessment criteria in the qualifications assessment conducted by HKCAAVQ.

1. To conduct information search prior to making decisions on further education outside Hong Kong;
2. To be cautious when making applications, especially if the proceedings involve depositing a large down-payment as registration or tuition fees;
3. To consult respective Consulates or Commissions of the countries concerned and consulting organisations before making application for admission;
4. To find out whether you will be at liberty to move to another institution in the same country should you so wish, and in what circumstances any fees paid would be refundable; and
5. To note that the only organisations authorised to provide immigration facilities for entry to countries outside Hong Kong are the respective immigration services or Consulates in Hong Kong.