Tips for Parents
It is a common practice in Hong Kong that both Chinese and English are used in all levels of education. In most government-aided schools, Chinese is the primary language of instruction while English is the mandatory second language. In international schools, private independent schools, and English-medium schools, English is usually the primary language of instruction, with Chinese and other languages as the secondary or tertiary languages.
Typically, students in Hong Kong under the local curriculum start their primary education at the age of 6 and secondary education at the age of 12. However, if your children opt for non-local curricula, their starting age in the equivalence of primary and secondary educations might differ slightly because the enrollment age corresponds to the syllabus, needs and modes of the curricula. Your children would sit for different public examinations in Hong Kong to obtain other globally-recognised qualifications to further their study, either locally or overseas with a smooth transition.
If your children have special education needs, many of our schools offer support for students with various degrees and types of special education needs. You should approach individual schools to find out if they have suitable services.
Hong Kong is a small place with a well-connected road network and an efficient public transport system. If the international school closest to your home has no vacancies, do consider those slightly further. A good number of new and quality international schools have been set up in Kowloon and the New Territories. You should make use of our School Search page to find schools by location, education level, curriculum, age, and other variables.
Below you may find some more general but important information related to the international schools in Hong Kong –
Tuition Fee, Scholarships, and Financial Assistance
General Admission Procedures and Contact Points
If you are moving to Hong Kong and wish your children who are under the age of 18 to receive their education here, if they are not permanent residents of Hong Kong, a dependant visa would be suitable for them. With this visa, they are allowed to live and study in Hong Kong freely. For more details –
For students who are not the permanent residents of Hong Kong, and above the age of 18 and completed their secondary education on a dependant visa, if they wish to continue their tertiary education in Hong Kong, they will need to apply for a study visa on their own behalf.