Practical guidance for international students and newcomers, from visa preparation and airport arrival to housing, transport, banking, healthcare and daily life.
Tell us when you land and who you are. We'll turn the sixteen stations into a dated checklist.
Each station is one job to get done. Mark it complete when you're through.
Understand what is ahead
What you are walking into, in numbers and in feeling.
Warning: Rules and fees change every year. Use the dates on each station, not old forum posts.
Prepare your documents and visa
Visa, documents, budget, and the packing list that saves you HK$2,000.
Warning: Never travel before your visa is approved. You cannot switch from visitor to student status in Hong Kong.
Passport (6+ months valid) · Student visa / entry permit label +2 more
Claim the benefits you already pay for
Everything you are already paying for and probably will not use.
Warning: Some benefits need registration in your first weeks. Late sign-ups can miss a whole semester.
Student ID card
Land, connect and get your HKID booked
Airport to bed, SIM to HKID, in the right order.
Warning: If you stay over 180 days, registering for an HKID within 30 days of arrival is a legal requirement.
Passport + landing slip · Accommodation address in Chinese
Arrange long-term housing safely
The biggest line in your budget and the easiest to get wrong.
Warning: Never pay a deposit for a flat you have not seen, or to an agent whose licence you have not checked.
Passport / HKID · Proof of enrolment +1 more
Learn public transport and get Student Octopus
The best public transport system in the world. Learn it in a week.
Warning: Student Octopus status lapses each year on 31 October. Renew it in the MTR Mobile app.
Student ID card · Personalised Octopus (photo)
Set up banking and payments
Open an account in week one. Everything else gets easier after that.
Warning: Never lend or sell your bank account. Money-mule 'jobs' are a criminal offence.
Passport · Visa label +2 more
Complete registration and settle into classes
How class actually works, and what your professors expect.
Warning: Your visa depends on staying enrolled full-time. Talk to your university before you drop courses.
Admission letter · Passport + visa
Eat well on a student budget
One of the great eating cities on earth, and you can do it on HK$100 a day.
Warning: Check allergens carefully: English menus often leave out sauces and oils.
Build your routine and look after your wellbeing
Hikes, beaches, nights out, and how to look after your head.
Warning: Typhoon and rainstorm signals close campuses and transport. Follow the Observatory.
Know where to go for healthcare
Public, private, campus clinic, and what each one costs.
Warning: Until your HKID is issued, public hospital fees are far higher. Keep your insurance active.
Insurance policy + claims number · HKID or passport
Stay legal and avoid scams
Visa conditions, local law, scams, and what to do when documents vanish.
Warning: Working outside your visa conditions can lead to removal. Check your NOL first.
Visa conditions · NOL (if issued)
Learn essential customs and Cantonese
How much Cantonese you need, and the etiquette that makes life smoother.
Warning: Some gestures and topics are sensitive. When unsure, ask a local friend first.
Understand work rules before you take a job
What you can legally do, what pays, and how to stay after graduation.
Warning: Exchange students may not take part-time work. Check your own visa conditions.
No Objection Letter (NOL) · Student visa
Complete your first 30 days
The whole thing, in order, with the deadlines that actually bite.
Warning: Key deadlines: HKID within 30 days, address changes reported promptly, Student Octopus by 31 Oct.
HKID appointment slip · Tenancy agreement
Save the official links and numbers
Every link and number in one place. Bookmark this station.
Warning: In an emergency, call 999. For suspected scams, call 18222.
Every rule, fee and deadline links to the government or institutional page it comes from.
Each station and guide shows when it was last checked. Time-sensitive pages are reviewed each term.
Guides are written independently. No provider can pay to change what a guide says.
Any paid placement carries a clear Sponsored label. Rankings are never for sale.
Every listing states whether we have a commercial or affiliate relationship. Today: none.
Independent providers for the jobs that are easier with help. Every listing shows its source, verification date and our relationship.
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Printable checklist →