Healthcare
Hong Kong has many world-class hospitals and medical facilities. Doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals are often trained overseas, bringing the latest techniques and treatments back with them.
In public hospitals, charges for medical services depend on certain “eligibility” criteria, where eligible individuals are subject to charges lower than those without such status. Only patients falling into the following categories are eligible for the rates of charges applicable to "Eligible Persons":
- Holders of Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Chapter 177), except those who obtained their Hong Kong Identity Card by virtue of previous permission to land or remain in Hong Kong granted to them and such permission has expired or ceased to be valid;
- children who are Hong Kong residents and under 11 years of age; or
- other persons approved by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority.
Health care is also offered by private hospitals and practitioners providing service in all areas of Hong Kong and the New Territories. These are (much) more expensive but can usually offer more convenient and comfortable care. A health insurance policy is usually a prerequisite for access to private healthcare.
Communication
Hong Kong has an easily accessible and well-developed local transport system that includes commuter trains, subways, buses and trams, making it quick and easy to commute across the territory. The availability of taxis is good and is easy to use as a supplement to local transport.
In order to use municipal transport, you need an Octopus card, which can also be used to pay in some shops. You buy an octopus card (and top it up) either via MTR (which owns the subway) or at the nearest convenience store.
Schools
Due to the generally high application pressure, as well as high prices of International schooling, school becomes an area of major consideration for families arriving in the city. The public schools are free, but most non-cantonese speaking children attend one of Hong Kong's many international schools, where fees between 130.000 - 250.000+ HKD per child per year are common. On top of that, extra payments often need to be made for debenture, computers, school uniforms and activities.
As application pressure on the schools is usually high, it can be good to apply well in advance, and to several schools, to be sure of getting a spot. Most schools offer school bus services across Hong Kong, but many families await a school acceptance before deciding on where to live. It is quite common (unless the employer supports via a relocation agent) to take help from so-called school consultants who help with application documents, book meetings, pre-tests, references, etc.
Svenska Skolan i Hong Kong (Detta ska vara en underrubrik till “Schools”)
The Swedish School in Hong Kong (LÄNK?) offers supplementary Swedish classes for Swedish speaking children from 6 to 16 years of age. The Swedish School follows Skolverket’s “Kursplan i svenska för kompletterande undervisning för svenska elever i utlandet" and offers classes of two lesson hours a week.
Swedish products
Many Swedish brands are present in Hong Kong. Some have their own shops while others are sold through local retailers. Swedish food can be found in some grocery stores and via various online services. In Hong Kong there are also restaurants and cafes offering Scandinavian cuisine.
