The HKDSE is not only well-recognised locally, but is also widely accepted by non-local higher education institutions.
The Ministry of Education of the PRC has launched the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions since 2011. The number of participating institutions has increased to 165 in 2026/27. Besides, the education institutions in the Macau Special Administrative Region have also indicated their acceptance of HKDSE for admission. Besides, the University Entrance Committee for Overseas Chinese Student (UECOCS) of Taiwan has also announced that from 2012 onwards, the HKDSE holders can apply for Taiwan universities through UECOCS directly. Please refer to the information provided by UECOCS for details (in Chinese only).
In Sweden, candidates meeting the general criteria of the HKDSE officially issued by the HKEAA are eligible to apply for the bachelor's programmes at Swedish universities. Candidates can meet the English requirement if a subject level of at least 1 is attained. Please refer to the website of the Swedish Council for Higher Education for further details.
In Ireland, the HKDSE is considered as equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate (Level 5 of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications, NFQ), allowing senior secondary graduates progress to higher education and training programmes or into employment. Please visit the website of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) for details.
In Germany, the HKDSE is considered as equivalent to the German school leaving certificate (Abitur) which allows subject-specific university admission for academic studies in the chosen subject area. Candidates, who attain a minimum of level 3 in the four core subjects and two elective subjects in the HKDSE (or ‘Attained’ in Citizenship and Social Development), can apply for admission to German public universities in the subject area of their HKDSE subjects. Visit the website of Anabin for details.
In Austria, the HKDSE is considered as equivalent to the Austrian school leaving certificate (Matura) which allows admission for academic studies in the chosen subject area offered by Austrian higher education institutions/ universities. Each programme and institution has different admission requirements. Please visit the website of Study in Austria for more information.
In addition, the HKDSE qualification has been recognised by the Nuffic of the Netherlands. Candidates, who obtain level 2 or above or ‘Attained’ in five subjects, including Chinese Language and English Language, are considered achieving a HAVO diploma for admission to the tertiary institutions there.
Meanwhile, in Spain, the HKDSE qualification has been recognised by its Ministry of Education. HKDSE holders with at least five subjects at level 2 to 5** will have access to Spanish universities without the prior requirement of an entrance examination. For details, please click here.
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has recently confirmed that the HKDSE qualification is considered equivalent to India’s high school graduation qualification (Grade 12), allowing candidates to apply directly to Indian higher education institutions and universities with their HKDSE results.
Currently, thousands of tertiary institutions worldwide have published their general admission requirements for candidates holding HKDSE qualification on the HKEAA’s website and/or their official websites. The number of institutions from countries/regions like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, the United States and Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe etc., has increased steadily since the inaugural HKDSE in 2012.
The HKEAA will continue to invite overseas universities/institutions to provide information about their general admission requirements for HKDSE candidates*. For interested institutions / universities, please provide your general admission requirements for HKDSE holders by filling in the pro forma or contact: Miss May Chan, International Recognition Officer (Email: international@hkeaa.edu.hk)
*Remarks: To create space for students and cater for learner diversity, the optimising measures that apply to the 2024 HKDSE onwards have been implemented. As before, universities and higher education institutions around the world will continue to accept the HKDSE qualification for admission and provide their updated information on the general entrance requirements on the HKEAA’s website and/or their official websites.
Details about the general admission requirements for the HKDSE from different universities / institutions are shown as below:

Australia &
New Zealand

United
Kingdom

Australia

Australian CatholicUniversity

Bond University

Central Queensland University

Charles Darwin University

Charles Sturt University

Curtin University

Deakin University

Edith Cowan University

Flinders University

Griffith University

International College of Hotel Management (ICHM)

James Cook University

La Trobe University

Le Cordon Bleu Australia

Macquarie University

Monash University

Murdoch University

Queensland University of Technology

RMIT University

Swinburne University of Technology

The Australian National University

The University of Adelaide

The University of Notre Dame Australia

The University of Queensland

University of Canberra

University of Melbourne

University of New South Wales

University of Newcastle

University of South Australia

University of Southern Queensland

University of Sydney

University of Tasmania

University of Technology, Sydney

University of the Sunshine Coast

University of Western Australia

University of Western Sydney

University of Wollongong

Victoria University*

Important Notes: The information provided on this section about admission requirements of overseas universities is for users' reference only. Although the results of HKDSE Examination have been widely accepted, some universities have set particular criteria for admission of overseas students. The final decision concerning admission to the universities will depend on the relative academic performance of candidates and requirements of respective faculties/programmes. Since admission policies to higher education vary in different countries, interested candidates should contact the institutions directly for further information regarding application requirements.

*Remarks: Institutions concerned accept official transcripts from non-local high schools/secondary schools with no specific entrance requirements.