Life in Hong Kong

Located on the coast of Mainland China facing the South China Sea, Hong Kong is a vibrant and dynamic city with a colourful history, diverse culture and East-meets-West character, and home to seven million people of different nationalities. 

A Metropolis

  • A Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
  • Total area: 1,106.34 square kilometres
  • Rule of law, freedom of expression and information flow
  • Centre of the world’s one of strongest and fastest growing economy
  • World’s freest economy and international financial hub
  • GDP per capita: US$43,205
  • World class medical care and low tax

Higher education in Hong Kong

  • 18% high school graduate enter public universities
  • 84,000 undergraduates and 5,200 faculty members
  • 7,500 research postgraduates and 3,200 taught postgraduates
  • 60% students from first generation families

Internationalisation in higher education

  • 20% non-local degree undergraduates
  • 10% of international exchange
  • High % with overseas learning experience
  • High % of international faculty

Research landscape

  • All public universities are research-intensive
  • High standing internationally (rankings)
  • Excellent research funding for all disciplines
  • Excellent research facilities
  • A track record of research breakthrough
  • International research environment
  • Unfettered institutional autonomy and academic freedom

Working in Hong Kong 

  • Employment visa 

Any foreign national intending to move to Hong Kong with the purpose of employment must obtain an employment visa issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. In addition, the accompanying family members, defined as spouse and children, must obtain dependent visas. Since 2006, dependent visa holders have been freed to take up employment or study in Hong Kong.

  • Taxation 

-    Chargeable to Salaries Tax on any income arising in or derived from Hong Kong from an office or employment.
-    Salaries Tax is chargeable on the smaller of net chargeable income at progressive rates and net income at standard rate for each year of assessment.

Education for children

  • Kindergartens

-    Provide pre-primary education for children of age 3 to 6 
-    Privately run

  • Primary to secondary levels

-    More than 50 international schools operating curricula of the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Singapore and the International Baccalaureate Organisation.