FAQs (International Qualifications)

For each entry year, there is only one intake in September.

Your applicant status (local vs. non-local) and tuition fee eligibility are determined by the identity documents and visas issued to you by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR: 

1.    Local Applicants (Eligible for Subsidised Tuition Fees)

You are considered a local applicant eligible for subsidised fees if you hold any of the following:

• A Permanent Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID)
• HKSAR Immigration documents showing Right of Abode or Right to Land in Hong Kong
• A HKID + One-way Permit for entry to Hong Kong
• A HKID + Visa label for unconditional stay
• A HKID + Dependant visa / Entry permit (if issued when you were under 18 years old AND you meet the 1-year residency requirement)*

*1-Year Residency Requirement:

To meet this requirement, you must:

• Be enrolled as a full-time student in an EDB-recognised formal curriculum in Hong Kong for at least one year ending on 31 May 2027 (enrolled no later than 15 September 2026); OR
• Provide an official Statement of Travel Records showing you were not absent from Hong Kong for more than 90 days during that 1-year period.

2.    Local Applicants (Non-Subsidised Tuition Fees)

You are considered a local applicant subject to non-subsidised tuition fees if you hold a HKID along with any of the following:

• A Dependant visa / Entry permit issued when you were under 18 years old, but you do not meet the 1-year residency requirement above
• A Visa / Entry permit under various admission schemes (e.g., Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, or Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents)
• A full-time employment visa / work permit

3.    Non-Local Applicants

You are considered a non-local applicant if you hold any of the following:

• A Student visa / Entry permit
• A Visa / Entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
• A HKID + Dependant visa / Entry permit (if you were aged 18 or above when it was first issued)

Important Reminders:

• You will be required to upload valid identity documents during the application process to verify your status.
• If your visa or residential status changes at any point during the admissions process, please notify us immediately.

Senior year programmes are only for applicants who have successfully graduated from a recognised full-time Associate Degree (AD) / Higher Diploma (HD) programme with a duration of at least two years offered by a post-secondary institution in Hong Kong, or equivalent. If you do not hold such qualification(s), you should apply for first year programmes.

We may issue firm or conditional admission offer to qualified applicants on a rolling basis. Successful applicants who do not have the final examination results could be given academic conditions to fulfil in order to be admitted. Since competition for an admission entry is usually strong, you are advised to submit your application early.

Admissions to Lingnan University are on merit-based and often very competitive. Applicants are encouraged to showcase your best self through your application (and admission interview if conducted) to our admission panel. Nonetheless, from experience, the following is a list of common supporting documents that are usually provided by our best applicants:

• Personal Statement
• Curriculum Vitae
• Reference Letter(s)
• School Reports
• Any Relevant Attained Examination Results
• Predicted / Mock Examination Results
• Extra-curricular Activities

Yes! Please prepare English-translated version of your documents which are officially certified. Depending on the type of documents, successful applicants will be required to bring your certified true copies before you complete all your student registration process in person.

No. Please consider your programme choices carefully before submitting your application.

No. The Online Admission System is easy-to-use and provides step-by-step guidance from creating to submitting your application. You only need to read all the relevant information and instructions on our undergraduate admission website and System to make a successful application. No worries! 

Admission interview is a common way for us to know more about you as an applicant. If you are invited to an interview, we will inform you by email. Be sure to check your email regularly!

Generally, you must upload your official results via the Online Admission System and send them to our email account [email protected] (if you are a first-year applicant).

If you are pursuing the International Baccalaureate (IB) or have already completed the IB, you must request the IBO (or invite your school’s IB coordinator/career counsellors to request IBO on your behalf) to share your official results with Lingnan University.

If you have taken AP/SAT/ACT, in addition to uploading the grade report, you must also request the respective examination board portal to include Lingnan University as recipient of your score report. Our institution codes are as follows:

If you have taken the IELTS or TOEFL, our institution codes are:

Once you have shared your final examination results with us, we will verify your results and check if you have met our set academic conditions. If yes, we will notify you and proceed to arrange the student registration process for you. You will be guided throughout the process and only be considered as our full-time undergraduate student if you have completed the whole student registration process.

The deposit will ONLY be refunded if you have accepted a conditional admission offer but unable to fulfil the stipulated admission condition(s).

If you fail to fulfil the stipulated condition(s) and wish to have a refund of the down payment, you are required to apply in writing to the Undergraduate Admissions Office, Registry with documentary proof (i.e. any academic results / recognised English Language Test/Exam) issued and received after the date of the conditional offer. Refund application must be submitted latest by 30 September 2027.  Applications after this date will not be considered.

The down payment is non-refundable in any of the following scenarios:

• if your offer is a firm admission offer; or

• if you fulfil the stipulated offer condition(s); or

• if you fail to provide proof of not meeting the stipulated offer condition(s) by 30 September 2027; or

• if you fail to apply/obtain your Student Visa (for non-local students only) by the deadline stipulated by the University; or

• if you fail to comply with any steps on this Offer Acceptance Procedures by the deadline stipulated by the University.

All applicants will automatically be considered for our merit-based entrance scholarships once an application is successfully submitted. A scholarship offer will usually be awarded together with the admission offer. Applicants would then be asked to pay a deposit to accept both offers at the same time.

All new students admitted by our UGC-funded programmes can apply for a student hostel. You will be invited to apply for the hostel around July/August, a few weeks before the academic term starts in early September. Hostel application results will be announced to you as soon as possible to help you plan your arrival. For new students admitted by our self-financed programmes, you should consult your admitted programme regarding the hostel availability.

If you wish to be admitted by us at a later year, you are advised to submit your application when application is open for that target admission year.