Abstract: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), one of the non-coding RNAs formed by reverse splicing, are characterized by variety, high abundance, stable expression, and tissue specificity. According to sources, circRNAs can be divided into three types: 1) exonic circRNA, derived from encoding genes (exons) and localized in the cytoplasm; 2) circular intronic RNA, containing only introns and localized mainly in the nucleus; and 3) and exon-intron circRNA, consisting of exons and introns and mainly localized in the nucleus. With the development of high-throughput sequencing and biological information technology, circRNA has been found to have a variety of biological functions, such as activity as a competitor for binding to endogenous RNA or as a microRNA sponge, protein translation, protein binding and interaction, and regulation of alternative splicing or transcription of maternal genes. Therefore, circRNAs participate in the biological processes of many diseases, especially the occurrence and development of tumors as well as the proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis of tumor cells. Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Although many treatment methods are available for HNC, the specificity of their location makes their treatment difficult, leading to a poor prognosis and a poor quality of life in the patients. Local and/or distant metastases are closely related to the mortality of HNC. This review summarizes the progress in the study of the biogenesis, biological characteristics, and biological functions of circRNA and the significance with regard to the invasion and metastasis of HNC. This information will help us continue the exploration of the pathogenic mechanisms of HNC metastasis.