1. Core legal requirements for Hong Kong school/tutorial agency registration license
Legal definitions and registration thresholds
According to Section 3 of the Education Ordinance(1)strip，To 20 or more people on any day、or an institution that provides educational programs to 8 or more people at any one time，All belong to "school"，Must apply for registration or temporary registration。
Interdepartmental joint review
Application for license must be made through the Education Bureau、Buildings Department、Fire Services Department、Lands Department、Planning Department、Strict compliance review by seven departments including Department of Health and Land Registry。
Legal qualifications of core personnel
School managers must be permanent residents of Hong Kong and have no relevant criminal records；Principals must obtain approval from the Permanent Secretary for Education；All teachers must be certified teachers or authorized teachers。
Dual-track licensing mechanism
Once a temporary registration certificate is issued, you can operate legally，Renewal of formal registration certificate after full compliance，Keep the premises safe、Perfect management。
2. Inter-departmental review mechanism for Hong Kong school/tutorial agency registration licenses
| government departments | core review functions |
|---|---|
| Education Bureau (EDB) | School name、Course content、School manager and teacher qualifications、Review of charging standards and other policies |
| Buildings Department (BD) | Site structural safety、Weight-bearing capacity、Escape routes and barrier-free facilities |
| Fire Services Department (FSD) | fire safety system、Fire escape clearance，Issue fire safety certificate |
| Lands Department (LandsD) | Check title deed terms，Make sure it is allowed to be used for school/tutorial center purposes |
| Planning Department (PlanD) | Comply with statutory zoning plans and city planning permissions |
| Land Registry (LR) | Confirm the applicant’s legal right to use the premises，Check encumbrances |
| Department of Health (DH) | ventilation、lighting、Restroom proportions and overall environmental sanitation conditions |
3. Application process for Hong Kong school/tutorial agency registration license
Due Diligence and Site Selection
Entrust a professional legal consultant to conduct a land title search、City planning review，Ensure compliance with premises use，Exclude industrial buildings and properties with substandard structures。
Compliance review of proposed school name
Submit the proposed school name in accordance with the Education Bureau's "Guidelines for Proposing School Names"，avoid misleading、derogatory words。
Submit an interdepartmental joint application
Submit Form 1 (Application for School Registration) and proportional floor plan to the Education Bureau，Simultaneously distributed to the fire department、Buildings Department、Lands Department、Planning Department。
Carry out engineering modifications in accordance with the opinion letter
According to the requirements of each department's "opinion letter"，Recruit authorized persons and registered fire protection contractors to carry out structural and fire protection engineering modifications。
School Manager and Teacher Registration
Submit Form 6 to apply for registration as a school manager，And apply for all teaching staff to become certified teachers or authorized teachers。
On-site acceptance and license issuance
After the project is completed and has passed the final acceptance by the Fire Services Department and Buildings Department，Issued with provisional registration certificate，Subsequently, upon full compliance, a formal certificate of registration is issued。
4. List of information required for Hong Kong school/tutorial center registration license
Completed Form 1 (Application for School Registration)
Design floor plan drawn to scale，Indicate the purpose of each room、Size and window location
Land title and land search report (to prove compliance with usage)
Structural Safety Certificate issued by Buildings Department / Fire Safety Certificate issued by Fire Services Department
School Manager Form 6 (School Manager Registration Application Form) and relevant personal documents (ID card、health certificate、Declaration of no criminal record)
Teacher registration application form (certified teacher/permitted teacher) together with academic qualifications and teaching certificates
Proposed fee schedule and financial budget
School Board Charter and School Management Structure Documents
5. Compliance red lines for Hong Kong school/tutorial agency registration licenses
[Criminal offense of operating without a license] Before obtaining a temporary registration certificate，any admissions、It is illegal to charge fees or teach，Maximum fine of HK$250,000 and imprisonment for 2 years，and may be enclosed。
[Operating in unregistered premises is strictly prohibited] Schools can only operate in properties specified in the registration certificate，Any addition of new branches or change of classrooms must be approved by the Education Bureau in advance。
[It is illegal to change tuition fees without authorization] Before adjusting the total tuition fee, you must obtain written approval from the Permanent Secretary of the Education Bureau，The approved fee certificate must be displayed in a conspicuous place on campus。
[It is a crime for teachers to teach without a license] Serving as a teacher without being registered with the Education Bureau，Employers and employees are both illegal。
[Records of violations and convictions disclosed] Tutorial centers were convicted by the court for violations，Their records will be uploaded to the Education Bureau’s website for public inspection indefinitely.，A serious blow to the institution's reputation。
[Mandatory sexual offense background check] All employees (including outsourced personnel) who have contact with children must undergo a sexual offense conviction record check，Negligent hiring will result in civil tort liability。
6. Frequently Asked Questions about Hong Kong School/Tuition Club Registration License(FAQ)
The red line drawn by the law is the "20 people/8 people principle"。As long as your establishment serves 20 or more people on any given day，or provide educational courses to 8 or more people at any time，You are now defined as a "school"，It is mandatory to apply for registration with the Education Bureau。
Cannot be rented at will。Properties proposed for use as tutorial centers must undergo review by the Lands Department (to confirm compliance with the land lease) and the Town Planning Board (to confirm that planning permission is not required or has been granted)，and must be submitted by the Buildings Department and Fire Services Department in accordance with Section 12 of the Education Ordinance(1)Article Issuance of Structural and Fire Safety Certificates。Industrial buildings or general residences usually cannot meet the above stringent requirements.。
Can，But you must apply to become a "permitted teacher"。Legal requirements，Anyone who teaches must be a "certified teacher" (with recognized teacher training) or a "permitted teacher" (only with the minimum academic requirements，Such as high school diploma or associate degree, etc.，Depends on teaching level)。Teaching without registration，It is a criminal offense for both the employer and the employee。
This is a criminal offense。The Education Bureau will take law enforcement actions such as surprise investigations，Once convicted in court，The tutoring center's violation and conviction records will be directly uploaded to the official website of the Education Bureau for public inspection，Seriously damage the business reputation of the organization。
Yes。Hong Kong implements a dual-track system，After you submit all basic safety certificates and documents and pass the preliminary review，The Education Bureau will first issue a "Provisional Registration Certificate"。After getting the certificate，Tuition centers can legally start operations and enroll students and charge fees。Subsequently, the Buildings Department will、Fire Services Department and Department of Health follow up on final regulations，The "Formal Certificate of Registration" will be issued only after meeting the standards.。
Cannot be appointed at will。According to sections 53 and 57 of the Act，The appointment of the principal must be formally approved by the "Permanent Secretary for Education"。The school management committee must register within one month after obtaining registration or provisional registration.，Formally recommend and apply for approval of a qualified teacher in the school to serve as principal。
Absolutely not。According to Regulation 65 of the Education Regulations，If schools (including tutoring centers) plan to change the total amount of fees charged to students，Must obtain prior written approval from the Permanent Secretary for Education。It is illegal to increase prices privately。
According to Regulation 67 of the Education Regulations，Schools must permanently display the "Fees Certificate" approved by the Education Bureau in a conspicuous place on the school premises.，to prevent overcharging。
Can't。According to the strict provisions of Regulation 63 of the Education Regulations，for students、Every payment made by a parent or guardian，Schools have a legal obligation to return official receipts。
Absolutely prohibited。According to Section 19 of the Education Ordinance(1)regulations，Any school operating at a specific property other than the one specified in its certificate of registration or provisional registration certificate，Never operate in other properties。Any expansion of new shops must submit an application for additional school buildings to the Education Bureau in advance and undergo fire and building inspections again.。
A Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) must be carried out。To protect children，Schools must adopt this mechanism，Require prospective employees (even outsourced service staff posted to schools) to apply for a sexual offenses check from the Hong Kong Police Force at the final stage of the employment process，and submit the results to the school。
Non-compliance。Tuition agencies must comply with the Copyright Ordinance，Photocopying or scanning in large quantities and distributing copyrighted works is an infringement.。Teachers should use self-written learning and teaching resources wherever possible，Avoid making random copies。
