For Tourist visa, citizens of the U.S, Canada, European countries, and Korea are not required to visit Hong Kong to stay up to 90days.

For Student visa:

a. the applicant:
 i. is admitted to a private school registered under the Education Ordinance (Cap. 279) or Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320) (entry for study in public or aided schools is not permitted except for tertiary education);
ii. takes up studies in a full-time locally-accredited post-secondary program including short-term course, part-time locally-accredited taught postgraduate program, or full-time exchange study program for not more than one year at degree or above level; or
iii. is enrolled in a course on the register of non-local higher education or professional courses as set up under the Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance (Cap. 493);

 

b. the applicant is:
i. from the age of 5 years and 8 months to 11 for primary education; or
ii. below the age of 20 for secondary education;

 

c. the applicant holds a school acceptance letter to confirm that he/she has been accepted for a course of study; and

 

d. The applicant is able to meet the fees for the course, the living expenses for his/her maintenance and accommodation without working and without recourse to public funds.

 

a. Chinese residents of the Mainland and Taiwan;

b. former Mainland Chinese residents settled in Macao who were not settled there by 14 January 1979; and

c. Nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Korea (Democratic Peoples' Republic of), Nepal and Vietnam.

 

a. studies in full-time locally-accredited post-secondary programs;

b. full-time exchange study programs for not more than one year at degree or above level; or

c. short-term studies, subject to the following conditions:
i. the program concerned is offered by Hong Kong higher education institutions with degree-awarding powers (excluding their continuing and professional education arms); and
ii. the cumulative duration of short-term studies taken up by any student should not exceed 180 days within any 12-month period.

In addition:

 

a. Chinese residents of Macao and Taiwan may apply to take up studies in part-time locally-accredited taught post-graduate programs;

b. Chinese residents of the Mainland may apply to take up studies in part-time locally-accredited taught post-graduate programs offered by the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutions; and

c. Chinese residents of the Mainland may also apply to attend secondary school level short-term exchange programs approved by the Education Bureau of not more than 2 weeks, if accompanied by Mainland teachers.

Note 1: The agreement between the Mainland and Hong Kong on mutual recognition of degree awards in higher education is not applicable to sub-degree qualifications (i.e. associate degree, professional diploma and advanced diploma programs). Mainland students may come to attend sub-degree level study programs in Hong Kong since there is no restriction in the Mainland prohibiting them to pursue further studies at educational institutions outside the Mainland on a personal basis.

Note 2: They comprise the eight University Grants Committee-funded institutions, the Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Chu Hai College of Higher Education and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.