Kindergarten in Hong Kong: K1, K2, K3 and Planning Ahead for Primary
Families arriving in Hong Kong with a two- or three-year-old have a good range of choices, from local kindergartens to international preschools and the early years sections of international schools. The choice that matters most, though, is often the one that comes next: which primary school your child will move on to. This post explains how kindergarten works in Hong Kong and how to plan ahead.
How the years are named
Hong Kong’s kindergartens usually run for three years: K1 for children around three, K2 around four and K3 around five, before Primary 1 at six. Some settings also take younger children in pre-nursery or nursery classes.
International schools use their own names for the same ages, such as Nursery, Reception or Pre-K, and many international schools start their primary section at age four, so a child may leave a kindergarten after K1 or K2 to join a primary school. Our post on when to apply to international schools in Hong Kong explains the main entry years.
Three kinds of kindergarten
- Local kindergartens, most of them non-profit and part of the government’s Kindergarten Education Scheme, which subsidizes fees. Many teach in Chinese, and some offer English or bilingual programs.
- Independent and international preschools, including preschool chains, which run their own admissions and charge their own fees.
- The early years sections of international and through-train schools, which can lead on to the primary section of the same school.
The local kindergarten calendar
Local kindergartens follow a set annual cycle. For a K1 place starting in September 2027, parents apply to the Education Bureau for a Registration Certificate between September and November 2026. Kindergartens cannot begin K1 interviews before November, results are announced by mid-December, and families confirm one place on the central registration dates in early January. Children need to be at least two years and eight months old by September of the year they start K1.
Children whose visas carry conditions beyond a limit of stay receive a Kindergarten Admission Pass instead of a Registration Certificate and pay full fees rather than the subsidized rate, so it is worth checking which applies to your child. The Education Bureau’s K1 admission arrangements set out the current dates.
Kindergarten is not a route into primary
Bennett’s Hong Kong consultant Yun Sun finds that direct admission from a standalone kindergarten into a primary school is rare. What matters most is applying for the entry year of the primary school you are aiming for. So the question is less which kindergarten your child joins, and more when they will leave it, and for which school.
The early years sections of through-train international schools are the exception. Each school sets its own policy for moving children from its early years into its primary section, but a place in the early years certainly improves a child’s chances, which is why some of these programs are very hard to enter. For these schools, Yun recommends applying for the first year of the early years program.
Arriving with a two- or three-year-old
Yun’s advice starts with a long view. If you expect to stay in Hong Kong beyond your child’s sixth birthday, decide first what kind of primary school suits your child best, and then choose a preschool that fits that plan. A family aiming for a bilingual primary school might choose a bilingual preschool; a family that expects to move on in two years might value a preschool with flexible entry and a good English program.
- Work out your child’s year group for each school system you are considering.
- List the primary schools you are aiming for, and note their entry years and deadlines.
- Choose a preschool that prepares your child for that move, in the right language.
- Apply early: some early years programs fill well before the main primary rounds.
Yun’s wider advice is in her interview on starting a school search in Hong Kong, and our post on what to expect from assessments explains how schools assess young children.
How a Bennett consultant helps
A Bennett consultant helps you plan from preschool to primary: which primary schools suit your child, when to apply, and which preschools and early years programs will prepare your child for that move, so that no deadline is missed along the way.
Our Hong Kong education consultants work with families of young children every week.
Bennett International Education Consultancy works directly with hundreds of families each year across the globe. We support families by helping them make informed decisions about the best-fit schools for their children; with our guidance, they secure placement in preschools, private day schools, public/state schools, boarding schools, colleges and universities, including schools with particular programs, such as special needs support.
