SQE in Hong Kong
SQE in Hong Kong: SQE or PCLL, and what each gets you
The SQE does not replace the PCLL. It makes you a solicitor of England and Wales, and in Hong Kong that makes you a foreign lawyer: you can register with the Law Society of Hong Kong and advise on English law from inside a firm, but you may not practise Hong Kong law. The way from there to Hong Kong admission is the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination, after two years of post-admission experience. Hong Kong is on the SRA’s list of places where it aims to offer SQE1 and the SQE2 written papers.
- 685
- students admitted to the PCLL across HKU, CityU and CUHK in 2024/25 (Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training)
- 1,799
- registered foreign lawyers in Hong Kong on 31 October 2026 (Law Society of Hong Kong)
- 25%
- overall pass rate in the 2025 Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination, sat by 292 candidates (Law Society of Hong Kong)
- 8 of 26
- University of London LLB applicants admitted to the HKU PCLL in 2024/25 (HKU report to the Standing Committee)
SQE or PCLL: which one do you need in Hong Kong?
Facts checked against the regulators’ own pages. Last updated .
- To practise Hong Kong law as a solicitor you need the PCLL and a two-year trainee solicitor contract, or admission through the overseas lawyer route. The SQE is neither of those.
- With the English title you can register as a foreign lawyer and advise on English and international law from within a firm. A registered foreign lawyer is prohibited from practising Hong Kong law.
- An English solicitor becomes a Hong Kong solicitor through the OLQE: two years of post-admission experience first, then all five written Heads if you have under five years in practice. The overall pass rate in 2025 was 25%.
- The Law Society of Hong Kong’s 2026 OLQE information package does not mention the SQE at all. Whether a solicitor who qualified through the SQE meets its eligibility rules is not officially confirmed. Ask the Law Society in writing before you rely on it.
- Hong Kong solicitors who qualified through the full Hong Kong route have an agreed SQE2 exemption from the SRA. Barristers, and solicitors who cross-qualified into Hong Kong, apply individually. Everyone sits SQE1.
- Hong Kong is on the SRA’s list for SQE1 and the SQE2 written papers, confirmed only when booking opens. The SQE2 oral assessments are held only in England and Wales.
SQE or PCLL: two routes to two different titles
The PCLL leads to Hong Kong practice and the SQE leads to English practice. The table is for someone living in Hong Kong who holds, or is finishing, a law degree.
| What you are comparing | PCLL and trainee contract | SQE |
|---|---|---|
| Title at the end | Hong Kong solicitor | Solicitor of England and Wales |
| Work in Hong Kong afterwards | Hong Kong law | English and international law as a registered foreign lawyer, from within a firm. Not Hong Kong law. |
| Entry | A law qualification the PCLL providers accept, with competence in nine core subjects, plus three Hong Kong top-up subjects if your law degree is not from Hong Kong | A degree in any subject. No law degree is needed. |
| Places | About 685 across HKU, CityU and CUHK, full time and part time. The conversion examination information package warns that meeting every requirement is no guarantee of a place. | No admission stage. You register, book a sitting and pay the fee. |
| Assessment | The PCLL course at one of the three universities | SQE1 (the FLK1 and FLK2 papers) and SQE2 (written and oral) |
| Training | A two-year trainee solicitor contract with a Hong Kong law firm | Two years of qualifying work experience, which can be gained in Hong Kong and must be confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales |
| Where it is done | Hong Kong | SQE1 and SQE2 written at a test centre (Hong Kong is on the SRA’s list, confirmed at booking). SQE2 oral in England or Wales. |
| Crossing to the other title | An agreed SQE2 exemption from the SRA, then SQE1 | The OLQE, after two years of post-admission experience |
A UK or other overseas law degree is an accepted starting point for the PCLL, subject to conversion. The Hong Kong Conversion Examination runs in January and June in six subjects only: Commercial Law, Evidence, Business Associations, and the three top-up subjects of Hong Kong Constitutional Law, Hong Kong Legal System and Hong Kong Land Law. The other six core subjects must be in your main law qualification. For the June 2027 sitting the deadlines are 1 February 2027 for evaluation and 1 April 2027 for registration. CUHK also asks PCLL applicants for IELTS Academic at band 7 or above in one sitting. Sources: Law Society of Hong Kong, Becoming a Solicitor, conversion examination information package, September 2026 and CUHK, notes to applicants.
Sitting the SQE from Hong Kong
Hong Kong appears on the SRA’s list of places where its assessment provider aims to run SQE1 and the SQE2 written papers. The SRA calls the list illustrative only, and the locations for each sitting are shown when booking opens. If Hong Kong is not offered for yours, its advice is to consider a neighbouring country or city, and Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Singapore are on the same list. The SQE2 oral assessments are held in person in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham only, in the same assessment window as the written papers, so a Hong Kong candidate who sits SQE2 makes one trip. Sources: SQE1 and SQE2 written locations and SQE2 oral locations. Dates are on our SQE1 and SQE2 exam dates page, and visas and booking are covered in SQE from outside the UK.
PCLL places against applications, by provider
Figures for the 2024/25 intake, from the annual report of the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training for 2024. HKU counts people. CityU and CUHK count applications, and one person can apply to more than one provider, so the rows cannot be added together.
| Provider | Applicants or applications | Offers and admissions |
|---|---|---|
| University of Hong Kong (HKU) | 606 applicants, of whom 554 put HKU first | 372 admitted: 288 full time and 84 part time |
| City University of Hong Kong (CityU) | 348 applications | 225 offers, 168 admitted |
| Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) | 271 applications | 162 offers, 145 in the intake |
| All three providers | Cannot be totalled: one person can apply to more than one provider | 685 admitted |
| Law qualification held | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|
| HKU LLB, double degree and JD | 246 | 225 |
| HKU SPACE (Manchester Metropolitan) | 104 | 56 |
| UK degrees | 64 | 29 |
| CUHK | 45 | 17 |
| UK Graduate Diploma in Law | 33 | 19 |
| University of London LLB | 26 | 8 |
| CityU | 18 | 12 |
| Australia | 8 | 2 |
- UK degree holdersFewer than half of HKU’s applicants with a UK degree were admitted (29 of 64), and fewer than a third of those with a University of London LLB (8 of 26).
- Why applicants were turned awayHKU reported that 74% of the applicants it did not admit had failed the eligibility requirements: incomplete documents, conversion examinations not passed, or offer conditions not met.
- The University of London LLBUniversity of London lists one teaching centre in Hong Kong for its LLB, HKU SPACE. CityU’s 2024/25 PCLL intake also included University of London graduates.
- The Law Society’s viewThe Standing Committee’s report records the Law Society of Hong Kong’s view that, because places are limited, some suitably qualified law graduates have been unable to enter the solicitors’ branch. The previous year’s report put the total at about 730 places.
Source: Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training, annual report 2024. We could not find the report covering the 2025/26 intake. An applicant without a PCLL place who is weighing the SQE should read the next two sections before deciding: the English title and the Hong Kong title are not interchangeable.
An English solicitor in Hong Kong is a registered foreign lawyer
Pending admission in Hong Kong, a lawyer qualified elsewhere may practise as a foreign lawyer if registered with the Law Society of Hong Kong. This is from its booklet "Becoming a Solicitor", dated February 2023.
- What you may doAdvise on matters governed by non-Hong Kong law, or involving international law or conflict of laws, offering your services from within a Hong Kong firm or a foreign firm.
- What you may not doPractise Hong Kong law. The booklet states the prohibition in those terms.
- If you are newly qualifiedWith less than two years of post-qualification experience, your registration may carry a supervision condition.
- In-house lawyersThe registration regime does not apply to in-house lawyers who do not offer legal services to the public.
- It counts towards the OLQETime spent as a registered foreign lawyer in Hong Kong can make up the two years of experience the OLQE asks for.
| Measure | Figure | Date and source |
|---|---|---|
| Registered foreign lawyers | 1,799, from 30 jurisdictions | 31 October 2026, Law Society monthly statistics |
| Registered foreign law firms | 94, from 19 jurisdictions | 31 October 2026, Law Society monthly statistics |
| Members holding a practising certificate | 12,238 | 31 October 2026, Law Society monthly statistics |
| Trainee solicitors | 750 | 31 October 2026, Law Society monthly statistics |
| Hong Kong law firms | 930 | 31 October 2026, Law Society monthly statistics |
| Foreign lawyers whose home jurisdiction is England and Wales | 14.4% of 1,669, the third largest group after the Chinese Mainland (33.8%) and the United States (31.6%) | End of 2025, Law Society annual report 2025 |
On those figures, roughly 240 registered foreign lawyers in Hong Kong at the end of 2025 were English-qualified (14.4% of 1,669 is our arithmetic, not a printed number), and the annual report says the English group was 1.2% smaller than in 2024. Registration fees and the full conditions are in the Law Society’s own registration materials, which we have not summarised here. Sources: Law Society of Hong Kong, profile of the profession and annual report 2025.
From English solicitor to Hong Kong solicitor: the OLQE
England and Wales is on the Law Society of Hong Kong’s list of common law jurisdictions for the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination. What you sit depends on how long you have practised. This is from the 2026 information package.
| Your experience | What you sit | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years of post-admission experience | Nothing yet. You cannot apply. | The two years must be complete on the day you apply, and include any period credited for trainee solicitor training or its equivalent. They can be served as a qualified lawyer at home or as a registered foreign lawyer in Hong Kong. |
| 2 years or more, but under 5 years in the practice of law | All five written Heads: I Conveyancing, II Civil and Criminal Procedure, III Commercial and Company Law, IV Accounts and Professional Conduct, VI Hong Kong Constitutional Law | None. An applicant in this band is not eligible to apply for exemption from any Head. |
| 5 years or more in the practice of law | Head I and Head VI, unless exempted under the separate guidelines for those Heads | Exempt from Head II as a solicitor. May apply for exemption from Heads III and IV on evidence of relevant experience. |
- Once a year, all Heads togetherThe 2026 written Heads ran from 23 October to 10 November 2026, and applications closed on 20 March 2026. Every Head on your certificate is sat in the same year, and a failed Head can be retaken in a later year.
- The standard and the pass ratePapers are set at the standard of a newly qualified Hong Kong solicitor. In 2025, 292 candidates from 12 jurisdictions sat, and the overall pass rate was 25%.
- The feeThe application processing fee for 2026 was HK$6,600, non-refundable, with a registration fee on top.
- Head V and Head VIThe oral Head V, on principles of common law, is not required of common law applicants with at least two years of experience. An exemption from Head VI may be given for a Hong Kong Constitutional Law course at HKU, CityU or CUHK. An overseas constitutional law course is not enough.
- The academic ruleRule 4 asks for a bachelor’s degree in law from a common law jurisdiction, or a substantially equivalent qualification with an examination equivalent to HKU’s Common Professional Examination Certificate, and for courses or practical experience in Contract, Torts, Property, Criminal Law, Equity, and Constitutional and Administrative Law, unless the Law Society decides otherwise.
- ResidenceAfter passing you must also meet a residence condition, for example three months’ residence in Hong Kong immediately before applying for admission, or an intention to reside there for three months after it.
SQE exemptions for Hong Kong solicitors and barristers
From the SRA’s list of exemptions by jurisdiction, last updated on 24 September 2026. How you became a Hong Kong lawyer decides which line you are on.
| Your qualification | SQE2 position | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitor, through the full Hong Kong route | Agreed exemption | That you qualified through Hong Kong’s full legal qualification route and are not cross-qualified from another jurisdiction |
| Solicitor, cross-qualified into Hong Kong | Individual application | The agreed exemption does not cover lawyers who cross-qualified, for example through the OLQE on another title, so the SRA assesses you individually |
| Barrister | Individual application | Proof of qualification, a reference showing at least 12 months of legal work after qualifying as a Hong Kong barrister, proof of your referee’s qualification, and section 8 of the application with examples for each skill, backed by redacted work samples and detailed supervisor references |
- SQE1 is sat by everyoneThe SRA describes SQE1 exemptions as very rare and says it has granted one since 2021.
- The applicationThe fee is £265. The SRA allows itself up to 180 days and expects agreed exemptions to take significantly less.
- Apply before you book SQE2There is no exemption for an assessment you have failed or are awaiting results for.
- No work experience requirementAs a qualified lawyer you do not need two years of qualifying work experience. With an SQE2 exemption you show your English separately at admission.
- No trip, if SQE1 runs in Hong KongA solicitor with the agreed exemption has only SQE1 to pass, and Hong Kong is on the SRA’s list for it, subject to what booking shows for the sitting.
Our guide to SQE exemptions covers the application, the exemption finder has the entry for every jurisdiction, and the SQE for foreign lawyers sets out the whole route. Sources: SRA, SQE exemptions and SRA, agreed exemptions.
What the SQE costs from Hong Kong, in Hong Kong dollars
The assessment fees are set in pounds and are the same in Hong Kong as in London. A Hong Kong solicitor with the agreed SQE2 exemption pays for SQE1 and the £265 exemption application. A candidate who sits SQE2 should add one trip to England or Wales for the oral assessments.
In pounds, with Hong Kong dollarsHKDPaid to the SRA, the same wherever you sit
- SQE1 assessment feeFLK1 and FLK2, paid to the SRA’s assessment provider when you book£2,006HK$20,900
- SQE2 assessment feeWritten and oral, paid when you book SQE2£3,086HK$32,100
- Both assessments£5,092HK$53,000
Preparing with FQPS
- FQPS SQE1 RevisionA month, no minimum term, cancel anytime£79HK$821
- FQPS SQE2 PreparationA month, includes 6 live 1:1 mocks with a solicitor£189HK$1,970
SRA fees are for assessments from September 2026. FQPS prices include VAT. HKD figures are a guide at the European Central Bank rate of 12 November 2026: you pay in pounds, and your card provider sets the final rate.
Preparing for the SQE from Hong Kong
Every part of an FQPS plan is online, so it works the same from Hong Kong as from London. Training in another common law system does not remove the revision: the SRA says the law of every jurisdiction it has reviewed differs significantly from that of England and Wales, and that a legal system based on English law is not enough on its own for an SQE1 exemption.
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How the mentor worksQualified in Hong Kong: SQE1 is your exam
With the agreed SQE2 exemption, the two SQE1 papers, FLK1 and FLK2, are all you sit. Both test the law of England and Wales, not Hong Kong law.
What FLK1 coversOral practice before the trip to England
If you sit SQE2, both SQE2 plans include live 1:1 mocks with a qualified solicitor, covering the oral and the written stations, with written feedback.
The SQE2 courseWork experience gained in Hong Kong
Qualifying work experience can be gained in Hong Kong and need not involve English law. A solicitor of England and Wales has to confirm it, and one outside your organisation can do so after reviewing your work.
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When the SQE is the wrong route in Hong Kong
We would rather you chose the right route than our course.
- You want to practise Hong Kong law and can get a PCLL place. The PCLL and a two-year trainee contract lead straight to Hong Kong admission. The SQE does not.
- You see the SQE as a quick way round a PCLL rejection. English admission, then two years of experience, then an annual OLQE with a 25% overall pass rate in 2025 and no exemptions for anyone under five years in practice, is the long way round.
- You will qualify through the SQE without a law degree or conversion course and are counting on the OLQE afterwards. The Law Society of Hong Kong has published nothing on how it treats SQE-route solicitors. Get its answer in writing first.
- You expect to do Hong Kong-law work as a registered foreign lawyer. You cannot: registration covers English and other non-Hong Kong law, from inside a firm.
- You are a Hong Kong barrister, or a solicitor who cross-qualified into Hong Kong, expecting the agreed exemption. Yours is an individual application, and SQE1 is sat either way.
SQE or PCLL, and the SQE in Hong Kong: common questions
Your situation not here? A free 30-minute call with our team goes through your route and your dates.
Book a free callSQE vs PCLL: which should I take to work in Hong Kong?
The PCLL, if you want to practise Hong Kong law. The PCLL and a two-year trainee solicitor contract lead to admission as a Hong Kong solicitor. The SQE leads to admission in England and Wales, and in Hong Kong an English solicitor is a registered foreign lawyer who may advise on English and international law but not on Hong Kong law.
Can I practise in Hong Kong with the SQE?
Only as a registered foreign lawyer. Once admitted in England and Wales you can register with the Law Society of Hong Kong and offer services from within a firm on non-Hong Kong law. A foreign lawyer is prohibited from practising Hong Kong law. To become a Hong Kong solicitor you would then need the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination.
Can I sit the SQE in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is on the SRA’s list of places where it aims to offer SQE1 and the SQE2 written assessments. The SRA describes the list as illustrative, and locations are confirmed only when booking opens for a sitting. The SQE2 oral assessments are held only in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham.
How hard is it to get a PCLL place with a UK law degree?
At HKU for 2024/25, 29 of 64 applicants with UK degrees were admitted, 19 of 33 with a UK Graduate Diploma in Law, and 8 of 26 with a University of London LLB. Across HKU, CityU and CUHK, 685 students were admitted that year. The figures are from the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training’s annual report for 2024.
Can a UK solicitor become a Hong Kong solicitor?
Yes, through the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination. A solicitor of England and Wales needs at least two years of post-admission experience before applying. With under five years in practice you sit all five written Heads with no exemptions. The exam is held once a year, and admission also carries a residence condition.
What is the OLQE pass rate?
The Law Society of Hong Kong’s annual report for 2025 gives an overall pass rate of 25% for the 2025 Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination, which was sat by 292 candidates from 12 jurisdictions. We have not seen pass rates for individual Heads.
Does the Law Society of Hong Kong accept SQE-qualified solicitors for the OLQE?
It has not said. The 2026 OLQE information package makes no mention of the SQE or of qualifying work experience, so there is no official confirmation of how a solicitor who qualified through the SQE is treated, either on the two years of experience or on the academic requirement. Ask the Law Society of Hong Kong in writing before relying on the OLQE.
Are Hong Kong solicitors and barristers exempt from SQE2?
Solicitors who qualified through the full Hong Kong route, and are not cross-qualified from elsewhere, have an agreed SQE2 exemption. Barristers can apply for an individual exemption with at least 12 months of post-qualification work, and cross-qualified solicitors are also assessed individually. All of them still sit SQE1.
Can I do the SQE with a University of London LLB from HKU SPACE?
The SRA asks for a degree in any subject, and the University of London LLB is a UK honours degree at level 6, which is the kind of degree it describes. The SRA does not name the LLB specifically, and every degree is checked through mySRA before admission. You also need SQE1, SQE2, two years of qualifying work experience and the character and suitability check.
Other routes to the English title
SQE in SingaporeNot a route to the Singapore Bar: what the English title does do there, the 11 approved UK universities, and SQE2 exemptions.SQE in Malaysia, and the CLPWhat the Qualifying Board’s list says about English solicitors, the CLP compared step by step, and sitting in Kuala Lumpur.SQE after a University of London LLBWhat each country’s regulator does with the external LLB, and where you can sit the SQE from there.All 15 international guidesWhere you can sit, what has to be done in the UK, and a guide for each country.Sources for this page (25)
- Law Society of Hong Kong: Becoming a Solicitor (booklet, February 2023)
- Law Society of Hong Kong: admission standards
- Law Society of Hong Kong: 2026 OLQE information package
- Law Society of Hong Kong: questions on the OLQE
- Law Society of Hong Kong: annual report 2025
- Law Society of Hong Kong: profile of the profession
- Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training: annual report 2024 (Legislative Council paper)
- Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training: annual report 2023 (Legislative Council paper)
- Conversion Examination Board: Hong Kong Conversion Examination for PCLL Admission, information package (September 2026)
- CUHK Faculty of Law: important notes to PCLL applicants
- SRA: SQE exemptions by jurisdiction
- SRA: applying for an agreed SQE exemption
- SRA: applying for an SQE1 exemption
- SRA: qualified lawyers
- SRA: English or Welsh language proficiency
- SRA: the SQE route
- SRA: degree or equivalent
- SRA: qualifying work experience
- SQE: assessment locations
- SQE: SQE1 and SQE2 written locations
- SQE: SQE2 oral locations
- SQE: SQE2 assessment days
- SQE: costs and fees
- University of London: LLB, with its teaching centre finder
- University of London: LLB programme specification 2026-27
Each source was read on or before 12 November 2026. Rules change: check the regulator's own page before you act on anything here. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. FQPS Academy is an independent SQE preparation provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or Kaplan. The SQE and SOLICITORS QUALIFYING EXAMINATION trade marks are the property of and are used under licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
