Arrival: First Week
Airport to bed, SIM to HKID, in the right order.
Airport to the city
Hong Kong International Airport sits on reclaimed land at Chek Lap Kok, off Lantau Island, about 35 km from the city centre. Every option below is safe, signposted in English, and runs late.
| Option | Cost | To Central | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Express | HK$120 (US$15) to Hong Kong Station · HK$105 to Kowloon · HK$73 to Tsing Yi | 24 min | Fastest and calmest. Octopus, contactless card or QR fare; paper tickets cost HK$7–10 more. Group tickets for 2–4 people travelling together cost less per head. Trains about every 10 minutes, roughly 05:50 to just before 01:00 |
| Airport bus (A-routes) | HK$33–48 (US$4–6) | 45–75 min | The value pick, and it stops nearer most halls. A11 to HK Island, A21 to Kowloon, A31 to Tsuen Wan, A29 to Tseung Kwan O. Luggage racks by the door |
| Night bus (N-routes) | HK$23–34 | 60–90 min | For 01:00–05:00 arrivals. N11, N21, N26. Runs all night and saves you HK$300 on a taxi |
| Taxi (red urban) | HK$270–400 (US$35–51) | 30–50 min | Worth it with heavy bags or 3+ people splitting. HK$6 per large bag. Metered, honest, and receipts on request |
| University shuttle | Free–HK$200 | Varies | Several universities run arrival pick-ups during orientation week. Check your welcome e-mail, it is easy to miss |
The telecom counters in the arrivals hall (1010, csl, 3HK, China Mobile, SmarTone) sell prepaid data SIMs for HK$50–150. Getting online before you leave the terminal makes every subsequent decision easier: maps, WhatsApp, calling your hall, checking your booking.
Local SIM & phone plan
| Prepaid SIM | Monthly contract | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | HK$50–150 for 5–30 GB, valid 30–180 days | HK$78–158/month for 10–50 GB + unlimited local calls |
| Needs HKID? | No. Passport only, or nothing at all | Yes (or an HKID receipt slip at most shops) |
| Where | Airport counters, 7-Eleven, Circle K, any telecom shop | Telecom shop or online, 12–24 month commitment |
| Best for | Your first 3–6 weeks, before your HKID lands | The rest of your degree. Better value per GB |
The sequence that works: prepaid SIM at the airport → HKID application in week one → switch to a contract once you have your HKID or receipt, keeping your number via portability if you like it. Providers: 3HK, csl/1010, SmarTone, China Mobile HK. All four have solid coverage including inside MTR tunnels. Student promotions are common in August and September, so ask.
Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID)
If you will be in Hong Kong more than 180 days, you are legally required to register for an HKID within 30 days of arrival. Not a formality, an ordinance. Book the appointment in your first week, because slots fill up fast in late August and September.
Your HKID is your primary identity document in Hong Kong. You will need it to open most bank accounts, get a Student Octopus, sign a lease, take a phone contract, use the e-Channel fast gates at the border, and register at a hospital.
- 1Book online
Via the ImmD website. Choose a registration office; the Kowloon and Hong Kong offices are busiest, the New Territories ones often have earlier slots.
- 2Bring your pack
Passport with visa label, entry permit, university admission letter, and proof of Hong Kong address (hall letter, tenancy agreement, or a letter from your university).
- 3Attend the appointment
Around 45–60 minutes: form check, photograph, fingerprints, signature. Free of charge for a first registration.
- 4Keep the receipt slip
You leave with a paper receipt. This is valid temporary ID and banks, telecoms and landlords generally accept it. Photograph it immediately.
- 5Collect the card
Ready in roughly 7–10 working days. You return to the same office to collect it in person.
Octopus card
The Octopus (八達通) is a stored-value contactless card and the closest thing Hong Kong has to a civic ritual. It pays for the MTR, every bus, trams, ferries, minibuses, 7-Eleven, Circle K, supermarkets, vending machines, McDonald's, most campus canteens, photocopiers, library fines, and public swimming pools. You tap it perhaps fifteen times a day and it beeps every time.
| Where to buy | Any MTR Customer Service Centre, or the airport. No ID needed |
| Cost | HK$150 — HK$100 stored value plus a HK$50 refundable deposit |
| Top up | Add-value machines in every MTR station, 7-Eleven, Circle K, or the Octopus app with a linked bank card |
| Negative balance | You can go up to HK$50 overdrawn once, which will save you at a gate one day |
| Student version | Half-price MTR fares. Apply in the MTR Mobile app with your student ID card. Under 26 only. Status lapses on 31 October each year unless renewed |
| On your phone | Octopus works in Apple Pay / Google Wallet, but keep a physical card as backup |
Day-one survival kit
Taxi drivers outside the tourist core often read Chinese far more comfortably than English, and Hong Kong street names transliterate unpredictably. Ask your hall office for the Chinese address, screenshot it, and keep it in your phone's favourites. It will rescue you at 2 a.m. at least once.
See the whole month in order.