Coming to study? Validate your visa on entry

Study normally requires an appropriate visa/entry permit for people without right of abode/land. If you hold another immigration status, confirm whether it permits your studies.

If CityUHK sponsorship is needed, use the route below. A request relates to the admitted programme; notify the Student Visa Team about programme, enrolment or application changes.

1. 1

   Accept the offer first

   Log in to the admission system above and select Visa Sponsorship Application. Submission is unavailable before offer acceptance.

   New admittees: open sponsorship application (opens in a new tab)
2. 2

   Complete and upload

   Read Dashboard notes, fill personal details and every required * field, select Next, upload the listed documents and select Next.

3. 3

   Review and pay

   Review the request and payment terms, submit to the payment page and settle HK$600. Save the result and return to Dashboard for case status.

4. 4

   Respond to follow-up

   Check inbox and junk mail regularly and upload requested documents to the same system. A Dashboard case is not approval; the university emails a separate approval notification.

Use the checklist below, based on the university’s 22 September 2026 version. Each file must be no larger than 2MB; the recent photograph must be JPEG and other documents PDF. Documents in other languages need official English translations. Upload through the sponsorship system; postal or emailed applications are not accepted. Only complete applications are forwarded, and processing can take eight weeks or longer.

The university’s non-refundable, non-transferable administration fee is HK$600 per application, paid through CityUHK Pay within the request. The request enters the system after payment. The current Immigration Department fee for an ordinary student visa / single-entry permit is HK$330, paid separately after approval. Check a special permit against the fee item in your approval notice; talent-scheme charges do not apply automatically to a student application.

Use the current University sample and your own facts. There is no universal HK$150,000/250,000 bank-balance requirement. Provide reasonable tuition, accommodation and living-cost estimates even if you have a scholarship, and state its amount.

The sample permits a blank travel-document number if you do not yet hold a travel document. Mainland students with an EEP enter that document’s details, not their Mainland resident identity-card number. Applicants under 18 need the parent/guardian-signed consent appointing a Hong Kong contact guardian.

After approval, pay the ImmD fee and download the e-Visa. Chinese Mainland permanent residents also need the Exit-entry Permit for Hong Kong and Macao and the relevant exit endorsement before travelling.

Present the e-Visa to the immigration officer to validate it on entry. Check the landing slip’s personal details, arrival date, conditions and limit of stay, and retain it for enrolment.

1. 1

   Collect the e-Visa through the approval notice

   After the formal approval email, use its Immigration Department link to pay the applicable fee and download the e-Visa. Check name, travel-document number, entry-validity period and course details; keep a usable PDF and backup. A pending Dashboard record is not approval.

2. 2

   Mainland students: arrange EEP and exit endorsement

   Mainland permanent residents use the e-Visa to arrange the Exit-entry Permit and relevant Hong Kong exit endorsement under local exit-entry requirements. Confirm both and the e-Visa are usable for this journey; documentary details depend on the issuing authority.

3. 3

   Present student status at Hong Kong immigration

   Carry the travel document, applicable endorsement, e-Visa and admission/enrolment details. Present the e-Visa on first entry under it. Check the landing slip immediately for name, document number, student conditions and permitted stay; retain the original for enrolment. Follow the after-entry section if incorrect.

   Resolve an incorrect landing record

Once a valid e-Visa has been collected, it can be downloaded or printed again through GovHK or the Immigration Department App. Find the approval email and use its collection link or the official e-Visa page below, with your case/travel-document details ready. Save a readable PDF. This replaces a missing copy; a lost travel document or incorrect visa particulars requires separate handling.

Visa/entry validity and the limit of stay after arrival are different fields. Use your own e-Visa and landing slip. Follow the appropriate University and ImmD procedures for extension or changes.

For submission problems or an individual case, contact admovisa@cityu.edu.hk with your name, admitted programme and application/student reference. Seek correction promptly if admitted under visitor status by mistake.

If the landing slip shows visitor conditions or incorrect personal/document details, retain your e-Visa, travel document and slip. Contact the Student Visa Team (3442 5652 / admovisa@cityu.edu.hk) and ImmD (2824 6111 / enquiry@immd.gov.hk) immediately with arrival date, control point, incorrect field and enrolment deadline, asking for the correction procedure for your case. Re-crossing the border is not a universal remedy.