Hong Kong

• Deadlines work for IB students. HKU's first round closes 25 November 2026 and it then reviews on a rolling basis until 25 August 2027, after results; HKUST's priority round is also 25 November 2026, with applications open until 30 June 2027.
• IB requirements are published and concrete — CUHK states a minimum of 30 points out of 45 for non-local applicants.
• Everything is taught in English, the degree structure is British-derived, and credit transfer and exchange to Europe are routine.
• The five universities covered here are all in one small territory, all reachable by metro.
• HKU and HKUST run substantial merit scholarships for international entrants — HKUST alone lists an Admissions Scholarship, a Global Learners Scholarship, a Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship and a new Future Leaders Award.

• Fees are the headline risk. 2027/28 non-local tuition: HKU HK$280,000 a year for STEM, HK$250,000 non-STEM, HK$590,000 medicine and dentistry; HKUST HK$260,000; PolyU HK$240,000; CUHK HK$230,000. CityU has not set 2027/28 (HK$190,000 in 2026/27). On top of that, budget HK$60,000–100,000 a year for accommodation and living.
• Four years of tuition alone comes to roughly HK$0.9–1.1 million at 2027/28 fees (medicine and dentistry excepted) — about €101,000 to 123,000 (DKK 755,000 to 922,000) at the ECB rate of 24 September 2026.
• The first rounds close in November: CUHK on 12 November 2026, CityU 15 November, PolyU 17 November, HKU and HKUST 25 November.
• Hong Kong's four-year degree means an extra year compared with a three-year Danish, Dutch or British bachelor's — factor that into the total cost.
• Dates and fees here are for HKU, HKUST, CUHK, PolyU and CityU only. For HKBU, Lingnan, EdUHK, HKAPA and the self-financing universities, check the university's own page.
• Housing on campus is not guaranteed for all four years at every university, and the private rental market in Hong Kong is very expensive.
• If you can claim Danish SU, it works differently for a full degree outside the EU/EEA: check su.dk before budgeting. If you cannot, check your own country's student finance.

Accepted

Yes

Minimum

CUHK: 30 points out of 45 for non-local applicants. HKU and HKUST list the IB as an accepted qualification but publish requirements programme by programme rather than as a single minimum.

Subjects and levels

Programme-specific. Subject preferences vary and CUHK publishes an IB subject guide. Engineering and science programmes normally expect HL Mathematics and a relevant HL science; medicine expects HL Chemistry and Biology.

Score conversion

No conversion — IB points are read directly.

• The route for an IB student applying from Denmark is the 'non-JUPAS' or 'international qualifications' route. JUPAS is the domestic system for Hong Kong DSE students and is not relevant to you.
• HKU states that admission decisions rest on academic performance plus interview performance, personal statement, references and other submitted documents — it is a holistic process, not a points threshold.
• Predicted grades carry the early rounds; final offers are conditional on the July diploma.
• CUHK accepts an IB English grade of 4 as meeting its English requirement. HKUST lists the IB among accepted qualifications but its page does not say whether IB English alone meets its English requirement.

1. In September or October 2026, shortlist programmes and note that Hong Kong applications are to specific programmes, not to a faculty.

2. Get predicted grades from your IB coordinator in good time for the first rounds, which close between 12 and 25 November 2026 — HKU also wants them typed into its system by 1 December. These rounds carry most offers and scholarships.

3. Apply direct through each university's own online system, paying a separate application fee to each.

4. Apply for scholarships where they need a separate application — HKUST's Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship and Future Leaders Award are application-based rather than automatic.

5. Expect an interview, usually online, for the more selective programmes; HKU explicitly weighs interview performance.

6. Accept your offer and apply for a student visa through the university, which acts as your sponsor to the Immigration Department. Allow six to eight weeks.

7. Apply for hall accommodation as soon as you have an offer — it is allocated separately and is much cheaper than renting.

Holistic and competitive. HKU, CUHK and HKUST are highly selective; PolyU and CityU are strong in applied and professional fields and somewhat more accessible.

• 12 November 2026

  CUHK Advance Offer Round closes

  Priority Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  Later applications are considered after these.

  If you miss it, the same application goes into the Regular Round.

  CUHK's Important Dates page is headed "2027 Admissions Exercise" and reads "12 Nov 2026 — Application Deadline for Advance Offer Round". Missing it does not close the door: CUHK states that only one application is required and that "applicants who are not selected for an advance offer will automatically compete on equal footing with all other applicants in the Regular Round". Notifications to successful Advance Offer applicants run from December 2026. Applications open in October 2026 and CUHK holds an Information Day for Undergraduate Admissions on 17 October 2026.

  Source

• 15 November 2026

  CityU Early Round closes

  Priority Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  Later applications are considered after these.

  CityU's International Admission page lists "24 Sep 2026 — Application Opens", "15 Nov 2026 — Early Round Application Deadline" and Early Round results in December 2026. Application fee HK$600 for up to two programme choices.

  Source

• 17 November 2026

  PolyU Early Round closes

  Priority Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  Later applications are considered after these.

  From PolyU's "Ug Admissions 2027/28 — International & Chinese Mainland Non-JEE Applicants" timeline: applications start 23 September 2026, the Early Round application deadline is 17 November 2026, and Early Round admission announcements run from late December 2026 onwards. PolyU states that "applicants without decisions will be considered in subsequent round in competition with other applicants", so this is a priority date rather than a closing one. PolyU publishes the timeline as an image on its key-dates page.

  Source

• 25 November 2026, 12:00 HKT

  HKU first round closes

  Priority Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  Later applications are considered after these.

  Published as "25 Nov (noon) 2026 — Submit your application for first-round evaluation"; applications after that are reviewed on a rolling basis, so missing it costs the first round and not the application. The cycle opened on 23 September 2026. Shortlisted students may be interviewed between November and January. Application fee HK$780 (2027 intake).

  Source

• 25 November 2026

  HKUST priority round closes

  Priority Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  Later applications are considered after these.

  Rolling from 26 November.

  HKUST's online application system opens on 2 October 2026. Its Important Dates list two consecutive rows: "25 Nov 2026 — Deadline for Priority Round Applications" and "26 Nov, 2026 onwards — Application on rolling basis", so there is no gap. The priority round is also the deadline for the application-based scholarships (Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship, Future Leaders Award). Offers are announced from late December 2026. Application fee HKD 600.

  Source

• 1 December 2026

  HKU: enter predicted grades and upload documents

  Hard deadline Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  For first-round applicants. HKU wants results typed into its system, not only uploaded.

  HKU's key dates add "1 Dec 2026 — Input predicted and/or actual grades and submit supporting documents" for first-round applicants. HKU wants the results typed into its application system, not only uploaded, so ask your coordinator for predicted grades before this date.

  Source

• 7 January 2027

  CUHK Regular Round closes

  Hard deadline Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Published as "7 Jan 2027 — Application Deadline for Regular Round". This is CUHK's last date; the first teaching term commences in early September 2027, and registration and course selection run August to September 2027. CUHK's page gives Regular Round notifications "From Feb 2026", which, between a January 2027 deadline and August 2027 registration, is probably a misprint for February 2027. A successful applicant must pay a first instalment of composition fees of HK$10,000 and complete acceptance by a specified date or the offer becomes void.

  Source

• 15 January 2027

  CityU Main Round closes

  Hard deadline Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Results February to May 2027.

  "15 Jan 2027 — Main Round Application Deadline", with Main Round results from February to May 2027 and Semester A starting 30 August 2027 (provisional). CityU admits IB Diploma holders to first-year studies or with Advanced Standing I.

  Source

• 11 February 2027

  PolyU Main Round closes

  Priority Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  Later applications are considered after these.

  Rolling until 14 May 2027 if places remain.

  Published on the same image timeline as "Main Round Application Deadline — 11 Feb 2027", with admission announcements from late February 2027 onwards. The consequence is priority rather than hard because PolyU's own footnote says applications received after the main round deadline "will still be considered on a rolling basis till 14 May 2027, subject to the availability of study places" — so 14 May 2027 is the real end of the cycle, and it still falls before IB results on 6 July 2027. PolyU adds that "if there is no news by mid-July, you should assume that your application is unsuccessful".

  Source

• 30 June 2027

  HKUST applications close

  Hard deadline Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Closes before IB results day on 6 July 2027, so you must apply on predicted grades.

  Source

• 6 July 2027

  IB results released

  Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

• 25 August 2027, 12:00 HKT

  HKU applications close

  Hard deadline Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Well after IB results are published on 6 July 2027, so a late application is possible. HKU also warns non-local applicants to allow four to six weeks for assessment and eight to ten weeks for a visa after an offer, which is the real reason the August date is not as generous as it looks.

  Source

• Set by each institution

  Other universities

  Via Applying direct to a Hong Kong university as a non-local student (non-JUPAS), 2027

  Details

  HKBU, Lingnan, EdUHK, HKAPA and the self-financing universities each set their own dates. Check each one's own page.

English-taught bachelors

Essentially all of them. English is the medium of instruction at HKU, HKUST, PolyU and CityU; CUHK is formally bilingual but teaches most programmes in English.

Proving your English

Set per university. CUHK accepts an IB English grade of 4; HKUST lists the IB among accepted qualifications without saying whether IB English alone meets its English requirement; the others set IELTS or TOEFL alternatives.

Local language needed?

Not for English-taught programmes

• Cantonese is the language of the street and of most student social life. You do not need it to study, but not having it will keep you inside the international bubble.
• CUHK's bilingual policy means a small number of courses are taught in Cantonese or Putonghua — check the medium of instruction for your specific programme.

Tuition, EU/EEA

Hong Kong does not differentiate by EU status. The categories are 'local' and 'non-local'; any applicant from Denmark, whatever their citizenship, is non-local.

Tuition, non-EU

2027/28 non-local tuition: HKU HK$280,000 a year for STEM, HK$250,000 non-STEM, HK$590,000 for MBBS and BDS; HKUST HK$260,000; PolyU HK$240,000; CUHK HK$230,000 (later increases capped at 3%). CityU has not announced 2027/28; its 2026/27 figure was HK$190,000 (HK$392,000 for veterinary medicine), fixed for the whole degree once approved. (2027/28)

Application fee

Per university: HKU HK$780 (2027 intake), HKUST HKD 600, CityU HK$600 for up to two programme choices. Check the others on each university's page.

Living costs

Annual rather than monthly. HKU: residential halls and colleges HK$17,290–37,940 a year (285 days, excluding the summer semester), off-campus housing HK$30,000–50,000 a year, general living expenses up to HK$50,000 a year. HKUST: university accommodation about HK$21,000–51,000 a residential year, personal expenses about HK$60,000 a year. CUHK: on-campus accommodation about HK$17,000 and living expenses about HK$45,000 a year. CityU: student residence about HK$20,800 and living costs HK$50,000–60,000 a year. (2027/28)

• CUHK's own published total, tuition plus on-campus accommodation plus living, is roughly HK$292,000 a year, and its tuition is lower than HKU's and HKUST's. PolyU's tuition is HK$240,000.
• These are 2027/28 figures, for exactly the year a May 2027 IB cohort would start.
• Hong Kong fees have risen sharply in recent years. Budget on the assumption of further increases across a four-year degree, even though some universities fix the entry-year rate.
• Hall accommodation is dramatically cheaper than the private market and is a big lever on your real cost.

Funding you could actually get

• HKU merit scholarships — a broad range of merit-based awards with one-off payments and renewable support for tuition and living expenses, found through HKU's scholarship finder. Most are awarded from the admission application.
• HKUST scholarships — the University Admissions Scholarship for Other Qualifications and the Global Learners Scholarship are merit-based and awarded from the admission; the Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship and the new Future Leaders Award require a separate application. HKUST also notes that need-based financial aid is available through its Scholarship and Financial Aid Office.
• CUHK and the other universities run comparable entrance scholarship schemes; ask each for details.
• The Hong Kong government's Belt and Road Scholarship and HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund exist but are largely targeted at specific partner countries — check current eligibility for EU citizens.
• Danish SU can follow you here if you can claim it (Danish citizens, or EU/EEA citizens with equal status under EU rules) and meet the ties-to-Denmark requirement. A full degree outside the EU/EEA follows separate rules, with its own ties-to-Denmark form: check su.dk before budgeting. If you cannot claim SU, look first at your own country's student finance: several EU/EEA systems fund a full degree in another country.
• Given the fee level, a scholarship is not a nice extra in Hong Kong — for most families it is the difference between viable and not. Apply for everything, and apply in the first round.

Residency

EU citizenship gives no shortcut. Your university sponsors a student visa application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department once you accept an offer; allow six to eight weeks. You must enter Hong Kong on that visa, not as a visitor. On arrival, apply for a Hong Kong Identity Card within 30 days.

Working

Normally a non-local undergraduate may work on campus up to 20 hours a week in term and without limit from 1 June to 31 August. Since 1 November 2024 full-time non-local undergraduates have been temporarily exempted from those restrictions, with no end date published. Check it is still in force before relying on earnings.

Housing

Halls of residence are the standard first-year route and are much cheaper than renting — HK$17,000–38,000 a year at HKU against HK$30,000–50,000 off campus. Places are allocated separately from the admission and are not guaranteed for all four years at every university; some universities allocate later years on a points system tied to hall participation. Apply the day your offer arrives.

Healthcare

Non-local students are normally required to hold medical insurance, often arranged through the university as a compulsory charge. Public healthcare in Hong Kong is available to non-residents at a higher non-eligible-persons rate, which is substantial for anything serious. Your EHIC does not apply. Check what the university's scheme covers and top it up.