Admission Procedures and Deadlines
The Faculty of Law welcomes application from exchange and visiting students. Please contact your home university for application details if they have exchange agreement with The University of Hong Kong. Partner universities are required to submit nominations via HKU Incoming Exchange Application System (https://goglobal.hku.hk/incoming/partner/auth/login). Also, to upload official academic transcript and English proficiency proof to the system. Nominees will be informed of the online application procedures by email. They will then require to upload passport copy, personal statement and CV during the online application.
Deadline for September term application: April 30 in the same calendar year
Deadline for January term application: September 30 of the previous calendar year.
Course Enrolment
Incoming exchange students should select courses according to the Faculty’s regulations, procedures and rules. The standard course load for HKU LLB students is 30 credits each semester or 60 credits for one academic year. Acceptance into selected courses will be determined by the Director of Incoming Exchange and also in consultation with the course teacher if necessary. Students who are interested in enroling in courses offered outside the Faculty, approval must be sought from the respective departments. Final approval rests with the offering department. It should be noted students are not permitted to enrol more than 12 credits worth of non-law courses in each semester.
Should you wish to change your intended courses of study on arrival, you are strongly advised to consult the Director of Incoming Exchange and your home institution.
Students are invited to visit our websites (List of undergraduate electives / postgraduate courses) for details of the courses offer in 2025-26. In addition, the corresponding Guidelines for the Selection of Courses for Incoming Exchange students to prepare for their study plans in 2026-27.
Course availability varies from year to year subject to the availability of teaching resources and student enrolment. All students are given a two-week add/drop period at the start of semester which they can attend one or two lectures before finalizing their study plans. Undergraduate courses listed under “Core Courses”, “PCLL Pre-requisites” of undergraduate courses and mandatory courses for specialised LLM programmes are NOT open to incoming exchange students.
Examination
Students should check with individual course convenors to ascertain the means of evaluation and provisional dates of examinations in the beginning of the courses. In case of time clash, it is the responsibility of students to approach the lecturer concerned to arrange a separate examination.
Assessment results for 1st and 2nd semester will normally be released in mid-January and mid-June of the year respectively. Exchange and visiting students who need to make provisions for either early examination or marking, or both, would need to submit a request to sit for early examinations and/or early confirmation of pass/fail. The request must be made in a prescribed form and sent to the Faculty of Law for consideration.
Credit Transfer
Exchange and visiting students should communicate with their home institutions on the courses they intend to study at HKU before their arrival in Hong Kong. It is also the students’ responsibility to keep their home institutions informed of any changes.
For Faculty-level exchange students, we will arrange official transcripts to be sent direct to your home institutions in February (for September semester) and July (for January semester and full-year). Visiting and University-level exchange students will have to apply for official transcripts by themselves. Should you require a copy of transcript yourself, please apply through Academic Service Office (http://www.ase.hku.hk/asoffice/).
Accommodation
Please refer to Housing Information (https://www.cedars.hku.hk/index.php?route=accommodation/accommodation) from Center of Development and Resources for students (CEDARS). Students should make application online with 10-digit exchange application reference number on or before the accommodation application deadline. Information about off-campus housing, self-financed halls and residences can be found on the above link.
Given the increasing number of international students, the University will make every reasonable effort to assist students finding accommodations upon receipt of their applications, but cannot guarantee to secure on-campus accommodation for exchange students.
For accommodation application enquiries, please refer to https://intlaffairs.hku.hk/faq/study-at-hku or contact CEDARS Accommodation at .
Visa Application
All non-local students without the right of abode/right to land in Hong Kong must apply for a student visa for the purpose of education. Please visit HKU Student Visa page (https://www.studentvisa.hku.hk/) for instructions and application procedures.
Students must complete online application after receiving the admission offer letter and mail hard copies of required documents to the designated visa office after receiving instructions. The application will take about 8-10 weeks to process and the fee is non-refundable.
Orientation
The Orientations are usually organised in the last week of August and mid of January respectively. Details can be viewed at the website of the CEDARS (https://wp2.cedars.hku.hk/nonlocal/) nearer the time.
Budget planning
Tuition fees
If your University has exchange agreement with The University of Hong Kong, you are not required to pay tuition fee. However, if there is no agreement established between your University and HKU, in the academic year of 2026-27, you will have to pay the tuition fee of HK$224,000 for full year or HK$112,000 for one semester for non-local student; or HK$47,000 for full year or HK$23,500 for one semester for local student. The fees for taught postgraduate visiting students would be higher.
Accommodation
Lodging fees for students residing in residential halls, residential colleges and student residences. Please find this https://www.cedars.hku.hk/sections/Accommodation/files/hallcharges.pdf for reference. Students who prefer/choose non-hall housing or other privately rented accommodations are expected to pay more. Utilities costs vary greatly by season.
Other reference materials
Exchange programme in 2025-26 academic year
Exchange programme in 2026-27 academic year
Other useful information
- Note on Leave and Exam arrangements for exchange students
- Information for students coming to Hong Kong
- CEDARS website for non-local students
- A Glimpse of Student Life@HKU
- HKU Campus maps
Contact us
Director for Incoming Exchange: Professor Simon Young ()