Hong Kong International School Waiting Lists: Where There Is Room
Families planning a move to Hong Kong often hear two things that seem to contradict each other: that international school places are almost impossible to find, and that there are spare places across the sector. Both are true. This post explains how Hong Kong’s international school market has changed over the past few years, where the pressure really is, and what a family arriving for the 2027/28 school year can do.
The numbers
In the 2025/26 school year, Hong Kong had 53 international schools with about 48,400 places and about 44,700 students, according to the Education Bureau. That leaves roughly 3,700 places unfilled across the sector, or about 92% of places taken. Those spare places are not spread evenly, though, and the most sought-after schools and entry years run waiting lists.
How the market has changed
Hong Kong’s international schools have been through several waves of change. Many expatriate families left during and after the pandemic, and schools took in more local students: the share of non-local students fell from about 75% in 2018/19 to about 66% in 2022/23. Since then, new arrivals have come largely through the city’s talent and investment schemes. The Top Talent Pass Scheme opened in December 2022, and across all its talent schemes Hong Kong had approved more than 410,000 applications by early 2026, with more than 280,000 people already arrived, many of them with school-age children.
Bennett’s Hong Kong consultant Yun Sun sees three effects on the schools:
- Demand is concentrated on a small number of schools, whose reputations are amplified by rankings and social media.
- Families move on less often than they used to. Many of the families who have filled school places in recent years plan to stay in Hong Kong, so fewer places open up during the year.
- Fewer students leave Hong Kong for boarding schools abroad in the middle and high school years, so places that once opened at those ages now often stay filled.
Together, these put record pressure on a handful of the most sought-after schools, in every year group, even though there are enough places across the sector as a whole.
Who counts as non-local
International schools are generally expected to keep most of their places for non-local students. Schools set up on sites allocated by the government must reserve at least 70% of places for them, and each school’s target is set individually. For these purposes, a local student is a Hong Kong permanent resident who holds no passport other than a Hong Kong one. Most relocating families are therefore non-local, which is one of the reasons it is worth applying to the right schools in good time.
Transitional schools
Because places open up less often, Yun finds that children may now need to stay longer at a transitional school, a school with space now, attended while the family waits for a place at a school that was full. A family with priority at the school they are waiting for, through a sibling, a debenture or a nomination right, may wait one or two semesters. Without any priority, the wait can be long term.
Yun is quick to add that the general quality of Hong Kong’s international schools is high. Many schools are less in demand for reasons such as a short track record, a less convenient location or fewer facilities, not the quality of their teaching. After a year or so, many families find their transitional school suits their child well and decide to stay.
New schools and new capacity
Capacity is growing, if slowly. The government allocated two school sites in 2025, one on Hong Kong Island and one in Kowloon Tong, to provide about 1,000 places, a new English and Mandarin bilingual school opened in Kowloon in September 2026, and further sites have been reserved in the Northern Metropolis. Existing schools are also expanding. Yun’s advice is to give newer schools a fair hearing: they need time to build a reputation, and some will suit your child very well.
What a family arriving in 2027 can do
- Start early, and have applications in by September of the year before entry wherever you can.
- Assess your child honestly first: their needs, strengths and languages, and the kind of school where they will thrive.
- Keep an open mind, and look beyond the schools that dominate social media and friends’ recommendations.
- Visit schools, or speak to teachers and admissions staff, and judge each school on its fit for your child.
- If you are starting late or applying for a year that is not a main entry point, widen the search to give yourself more options.
Our post on when to apply to international schools in Hong Kong explains the calendar, and our guide to school debentures in Hong Kong explains how priority works.
How a Bennett consultant helps
A Bennett consultant knows where places are tight and where there is room, recommends a balanced list of schools that fit your child and are realistic for your year group, and, if a transitional school is the right first step, helps you choose one your child will be happy in.
Our Hong Kong education consultants follow the market closely, and Yun’s interview on starting a school search in Hong Kong is a good place to begin.
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.
