1
Application for “Registration Certificate for Kindergarten Admission” / “Kindergarten Admission Pass” in the 2022/23 School Year
Frequently Asked Questions
(A) Who Needs to Apply for Registration Document for Admission to Kindergartens?
1. Q: If my child is going to enrol in nursery (K1) class in a kindergarten (KG) in September 2022, do I need to apply for a valid registration document for admission to KGs, i.e. “Registration Certificate for KG Admission” (hereafter referred to as “RC”) or “KG Admission Pass” (hereafter referred to as “AP”)?
A: The Education Bureau (EDB) will continue to implement the Admission Arrangements for nursery (K1) Classes in KGs for the 2022/23 school year (hereafter referred to as “2022/23 K1 Admission Arrangements”). The “RC” / “AP” will be used for K1 registration in that school year. As such, parents who wish to enrol their children to K1 classes in KGs in the 2022/23 school year are required to apply to the EDB for the “RC” / “AP” from September to November 2021. Upon receipt of the application with all necessary information and documents provided, EDB will generally take six to eight weeks to complete processing of the application and issue the “RC” to applicants who are eligible for receiving subsidy under the kindergarten education scheme (hereafter referred to as “Scheme”) by post. If a student is not eligible for receiving subsidy under the Scheme but he/she can receive education in Hong Kong, EDB will then issue an “AP” to the student concerned for registration and admission purposes.
2. Q: If parents wish to enrol in a KG not joining the Scheme but having joined “Not More Than One Place for Each Child” measure under the “2022/23 K1 Admission Arrangements”, should they submit “RC” / “AP” for registration of K1 place?
A: KG not joining the Scheme but having joined “Not More Than One Place for Each Child” measure under the “2022/23 K1 Admission Arrangements” will also collect the “RC” / “AP” from the parents for registration of K1 Place. The list of the KGs
concerned has been uploaded to the EDB’s website
(https:www.edb.gov.hk/k1-admission_e) and may be updated as required.
2
3. Q: Do parents need to apply for a registration document for admission to KG (i.e.
“RC” / “AP”) on a yearly basis?
A: Under normal circumstances, EDB will issue to each eligible child a registration document with a suitable validity period that will tie in with the period of study of the child to complete the pre-primary education. Those already issued with a registration document need NOT re-apply within the validity period as specified in the registration document. In any case, the validity period of the registration document will not exceed three years.
(B) Eligibility of Application for “RC”
4. Q: Who will be eligible to be issued with an “RC”?
A: Eligible students must be Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other than limit of stay) in Hong Kong.
The students who will be attending KG classes in the 2022/23 school year must be born on or before 31 December 2019.
5. Q: Are children who are born in Hong Kong with father and/or mother holding student visa or visitor visa eligible to be issued with an “RC”?
A: Children who are Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other than limit of stay) in Hong Kong are eligible to be issued with an “RC”. Those who are born in Hong Kong, in possession of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate with the word “Established” shown in the “Status of Permanent Resident” column or bear the identity of Hong Kong Permanent Residents are eligible to be issued with an “RC”, regardless of whether their parents are permanent residents of Hong Kong or not (e.g. residents of the Mainland). In other words, children with established Hong Kong permanent residency status are all eligible to be issued with an “RC”.
Children holding the Hong Kong Birth Certificates which bear the words “Not Established” in the “Status of Permanent Resident” column are usually those who are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for a limited period of time. Their permitted period of stay normally coincides with the permitted period of stay of their parents. In such circumstances, the parents of the children must be holding valid travel documents with the visa issued by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR Government not
3
falling into the category of student visa or visitor visa for the children to be eligible to be issued with an “RC”. For enquiries about individual applications, please call EDB at 3540 6808 / 3540 6811 (Working hours: Mondays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays) or the 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system at 2891 0088.
Parents of non-Chinese speaking children may call the EDB Hotline at 2892 6676 for enquiry on admission to KGs.
6. Q: The student was born in Hong Kong but his/her parents are holding identity documents issued by the Mainland, is he/she eligible to be issued with an “RC”?
A: If the student born in Hong Kong has a Hong Kong Birth Certificate with the word
“Established” shown in the “Status of Permanent Resident” column and meets the age requirement, he/she is still eligible to be issued with an “RC” even when their parents are holding identity documents issued by the Mainland. For those students holding Two-way Exit Permit, they are not eligible to be issued with an “RC”.
7. Q: Are children of diverse race eligible to be issued with an “RC”?
A: Children who are Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land, or valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other than the limit of stay) in Hong Kong and meets the age requirement, are eligible to be issued with an “RC”, regardless of the ethnicity.
(C) School Fees of Scheme-KGs
8. Q: If my child is eligible to receive subsidy from the Scheme and admitted to a Scheme-KG with an “RC”, how much do I need to pay for the school fee?
A: If a KG is approved to collect a tuition fee upon receipt of Government subsidies, parents should pay the tuition fee by monthly instalments. The amount of tuition fee per instalment (if applicable) and the number of instalments are shown on the “Fees Certificate” issued by EDB to the KG. The “Fees Certificate” should be exhibited conspicuously at a prominent position in the KG.
If a KG is not approved to collect a tuition fee upon receipt of Government subsidies, parents are not required to pay any tuition fee.
4
9. Q: If my child is not eligible to receive subsidy from the Scheme and admitted to a Scheme-KG with an “AP”, how much do I need to pay for the school fee?
10.
A:
Q:
A:
Parents are required to pay full school fees before deduction of subsidy under the Scheme as shown on the Fees Certificate of the KG to which the child is admitted.
If my child has been absent from school for an entire month, do I need to pay school fee? If yes, how much do I need to pay?
For a Scheme-KG to be disbursed with subsidy for a month, an eligible student studying in that KG must have attended classes in that month.
In general, if students have been absent from school for an entire month (i.e. absent for all school days of a specific month), subsidy in respect of the student for that month would not be disbursed to the KG concerned; parents are required to pay full school fees before deduction of subsidy under the Scheme as shown on the“Fees Certificate”of the KG to which the child is admitted.
If there are any special circumstances (e.g. absence due to illness for the entire month), upon receipt of justifications and documentary proof (covering all school days of the absent month) from parents, schools may apply to the EDB for subsidy.
Each case would be considered on its individual merits. However, if the whole-month absence of students involves touring, disbursement of subsidy for these cases would not be considered.
(D) Distribution of Application Forms
11. Q: Where can parents obtain the application forms for “RC” / “AP”?
A: Regardless of eligibility of receiving subsidy under the Scheme, parents are only required to fill out the application forms for “RC” and return them to EDB with all necessary information and documents. EDB will issue an “RC” / “AP” to applicants, depending on eligibility of the students.
Information leaflets, application forms and guidance notes for the “RC” are available at District Offices, Post Offices or Regional Education Offices of EDB. Application forms and related documents may also be downloaded from the EDB’s website (https:www.edb.gov.hk/k1-admission_e) or obtained by fax via EDB 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system at 2891 0088. Parents may also submit application online (https://eform.one.gov.hk/form/edb005/en/).
5
12. Q: How can I differentiate the application form for “RC”?
A: Please note that the latest application form for “RC” will be printed in pink paper for easy identification.
(E) Points to Note Regarding Filling in Application Form
13. Q: Can I fill out the Chinese application form for “RC” by using Simplified Chinese?
A: In general, Chinese version of the application form should be filled out by using Traditional Chinese characters. This is to enable data capture into the computer system for application processing. However, if parents encounter great difficulty in filling out the form, we are ready to offer assistance. As the name of student will be printed on the “RC” / “AP”, when filling in the application form, applicants must provide the student name as shown on the valid identity document. Or else this may result in inability to complete registration.
14. Q: As I do not live in Hong Kong, can I provide a home address in the Mainland as my correspondence address?
A: Correspondence address must be an address within the territory of Hong Kong. If the applicant does not live in Hong Kong, please provide an address in Hong Kong for correspondence use as far as possible. Or else this may result in delay in mailing of the result to the applicant.
(F) Application Submission
15. Q: When should parents return the application forms?
A: Application for the “RC” is open starting from 1 September 2021. The related application form and details will be uploaded to the EDB’s website in a timely manner. As the “RC” will be used for K1 registration in the 2022/23 school year, parents who wish to enrol their children to K1 classes in KGs in the 2022/23 school year are required to apply to EDB for the “RC” from September to November 2021.
Upon receipt of the application with all necessary information and documents provided, EDB will generally take six to eight weeks to complete processing of the applications and issue the “RC” / “AP” to applicants by post, depending on eligibility
6
of the student.
16. Q: What kind of documents should be submitted in applying for “RC”?
A: Applicant has to provide copies of his/her Hong Kong identity card in applying for
“RC”. If this is not available, applicant should provide copies of other valid identity documents, e.g. copies of his/her valid travel document or identity document issued by other authorities.
As for the child, if he/she was born in Hong Kong, the applicant should submit a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child. If the word “Established” is shown in the “Status of Permanent Resident” column of the Birth Certificate, the applicant needs not provide other documentary proof.
However, if the “Status of Permanent Resident” is “Not Established”, apart from providing a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child (if applicable), the applicant should provide one of the following valid identity documents of the child:
1. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Re-entry Permit;
2. HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (pages 1 to 3);
3. HKSAR Passport;
4. Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card;
5. One-way Exit Permit and HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes;
6. Permit to Remain in the HKSAR (ID235B); or
7. Entry Permit issued by the HKSAR Government or travel documents issued by other countries/territories bearing a valid permission to remain without any condition of stay (other than the limit of stay) in Hong Kong.
If the identity document of the child belongs to category (6) or (7) above, the applicant and the child have to provide their own valid travel documents (pages showing the bearer’s particulars, the latest visa label issued by the Immigration Department of HKSAR Government and the latest “Permission to remain” stamp issued by the Immigration Department indicating the latest period of lawful stay of the applicant and the child) to EDB as well. Under this scenario, the applicant must also be the sponsor of the child.
17. Q: How should parents return the application forms for “RC”?
A: Parents may send the duly completed application form together with copies of necessary identity documents by post to “P.O. Box 23179, Wan Chai Post Office,
7
Hong Kong”. Besides, parents may submit the application form together with all relevant documents and enclosed them in a sealed envelope marked “Application for Registration Certificate for Kindergarten Admission” and drop it into the drop-in box of the EDB on 14/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Working hours: Mondays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays). Alternatively, parents may submit application online (https://eform.one.gov.hk/form/edb005/en/).
18. Q: How do parents know whether their applications have been received by the EDB?
A: The EDB will issue acknowledgement to applicants by either one of the following methods:
– if the applicant has filled out the local mobile phone number in the application form, the EDB will send an “Acknowledgement of Application” SMS to the applicants within 10 working days after receipt of the application; or
– if local mobile phone number is not provided, the EDB will issue acknowledgement by post to the applicant within 10 working days after receipt of the application; or
– if the applicant has filled out the email address during online application, the applicant will receive an acknowledgment email.
If applicants do not receive any acknowledgement from the EDB three weeks after submitting their application forms, please call the EDB at 3540 6808 / 3540 6811 (Working hours: Mondays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays). Parents of non-Chinese speaking children may call the EDB Hotline at 2892 6676.
19. Q: I wish to apply for the “RC” for my children. May I know if my application will not be accepted after 30 November 2021?
A: EDB will still accept application beyond this date. However, as it takes time for EDB to process the applications, parents wishing to receive the “RC” / “AP” for their children before the “centralised registration dates” (i.e. between 6 and 8 January 2022) for K1 registration, are advised to submit their application forms from September to November 2021. Upon receipt of the application with all necessary information and documents provided, the EDB will generally take six to eight weeks to complete processing of the applications and issue the“RC” / “AP” to applicants by post, depending on eligibility of the student. If parents cannot obtain the “RC” /
“AP” before the “centralised registration dates”, the KG concerned may not be able to
8
complete registration for their child.
(G) Issuance of “RC” / “AP”
20. Q: When will parents receive the “RC” / “AP”?
A: Upon receipt of the application with all necessary information and documents provided, EDB will generally take six to eight weeks to complete processing of the applications and issue the “RC” / “AP” to applicants by post, depending on eligibility of the student. Applicants who are required to provide supplementary information will be notified of the result later pending their response on the provision of supplementary information. For enquiries about individual applications, please call EDB at 3540 6808 / 3540 6811 (Working hours: Mondays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays).
Parents of non-Chinese speaking children may call the EDB Hotline at 2892 6676.
21. Q: How will EDB issue the “RC” / “AP” to the applicant? Can I collect the “RC” /
“AP” from EDB in person?
A: EDB will inform applicant of the result by post and issue an “RC” / “AP” to applicant, depending on eligibility of the student. The “RC” / “AP” will be mailed to the Hong Kong correspondence address/ residential address of the applicant. The applicant must therefore ensure that Hong Kong correspondence address/ residential address is accurately provided in the application form. In case the applicant changes the Hong Kong correspondence address/ residential address in the course of the application, such change must be made known to the EDB in the first instance.
Otherwise, the “RC” / “AP” may not be mailed to the applicant and the applicant would have to bear any possible consequence. As the “RC” / “AP” will be issued to the successful applicant by post directly, it is not necessary for the parents to collect the “RC” / “AP” from EDB in person.
(H) Use of Registration Documents for Admission to KGs
22. Q: If a child is applying for the “RC” / “AP” for the first time and he/she will start to attend K1 class in KG in the 2022/23 school year, what will be the validity period of his/her “RC” / “AP”?
A: In general, the validity period of “RC” / “AP” is three years. As long as the child can meet all eligibility criteria to apply for the “RC” / “AP”, and he/she will start to
9
attend K1 class in the 2022/23 school year, he/she will be issued with an “RC” / “AP”
with validity period of three years from the 2022/23 school year to the 2024/25 school year.
23. Q: Should the original copy of the “RC” / “AP” be kept by the KG the student enrols? If yes, will the KG return the original copy of the “RC” / “AP” to the student concerned upon transfer?
A: The “RC” / “AP” will be kept by the KG the student enrols and KGs will issue a receipt to the parents. Upon students’ graduation or transfer/termination of studies in the middle of a school year, the KGs should return the original copy of the “RC” /
“AP” to the parents.
If a student changes to another KG under the Scheme during the validity period, his/her parent should get back the “RC” / “AP” from the KG registered with and submit it to the KG that the student is being transferred to.
(I) Changing School
24. Q: If parents wish to change to another KG after completing the registration procedure at a KG, can they get back the “RC” / “AP” from the last KG?
A: If parents wish to change to another KG after registering with a KG, they should obtain the “RC” / “AP” from the KG they have already registered with. Upon applicant’s request, the KGs should return the “RC” / “AP” to the parents. Parents should note that upon obtaining the “RC” / “AP” from the last KG, the KG concerned will no longer keep the school place for that student.
(J) Deferment of Study
25. Q: If my child has applied for the “RC” / “AP” but eventually cannot get a K1 place in a KG in the 2022/23 school year, what should I do?
A: If parents get the “RC” / “AP” but subsequently find that development of the student is not fit for enrolment in a KG in 2022/23 school year and decide to defer K1 study to the next school year, they should return the original copy of the “RC” / “AP” to the EDB stating that the “RC” / “AP” should be voided.
(K) Repeat Study
10
26. Q: If children, without proven special needs, repeat their study in the same level during the validity period and require more than 3 years’ time to complete the KG programme, what should their parents do?
A: In general, the validity period of “RC” is 3 years. Due to personal consideration (e.g. individual conditions of the children, family factors, changing schools, etc), the parents arrange for their children to repeat their study in certain level so that the KG education required is more than 3 years, then the parents have to pay the school fee before deduction of government subsidy. In special circumstances, parents may apply for the extension of the validity period of the “RC”. The special circumstances generally refer to the children with special needs which are proven by the assessment reports issued by relevant registered medical practitioners or other professionals (e.g. paediatricians, psychiatrists, educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, etc) so that the children have to pursue KG education for a period longer than the normal three years.
(L) Loss or Damage of “RC” / “AP”
27. Q: If the “RC” / “AP” is lost or damaged, what should be done? Will EDB reissue the “RC” / “AP”?
A: The “RC” / “AP” is an important document. It should be properly kept by the applicant for registration of school place. All loss or damage of the “RC” / “AP”
must be reported to EDB immediately [EDB hotline at 3540 6808 / 3540 6811 (Working hours: Mondays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays) or the 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system at 2891 0088, parents of non-Chinese speaking children may call the EDB Hotline at 2892 6676] so that EDB can void the “RC” / “AP”.
Invalidated “RC” / “AP”, even when recovered, would not be used as a KG registration document. Applicant can apply for reissue of the “RC” / “AP” from EDB at cost.
(M) Extension of Validity of “RC”
28. Q: What should be done if a parent intends to apply for the extension of “RC”
validity for one additional school year (i.e. 2022/23 school year or after) in the 2021/22 school year?
A: If a parent intends to apply for extension of “RC” validity in the 2021/22 school year,
11
he/she should submit the application to the EDB in writing.
Application for extension of “RC” validity will only be considered by the EDB under very special circumstances of individual children with proven special needs. In the event of such application, the applicant must provide strong and solid proof, for example, an assessment report issued by the relevant registered medical practitioner or professional (e.g. paediatrician, psychiatrist, educational psychologist, clinical psychologist, etc), confirming special needs of the child that warrant the need for the child to pursue pre-primary education for a period longer than the normal three years.
For enquiries about individual applications, please call EDB at 3540 6808 / 3540 6811 (Working hours: Mondays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays). Parents of non-Chinese speaking children may call the EDB Hotline at 2892 6676.
(31 August 2021)
