Working Holiday Visas: What to Know

Listen up younger readers! If you are below a certain age (usually 30 or 35) and from an eligible country, you may qualify for working holiday visas. 

You can enjoy extended stays in foreign countries without a prior job or sponsorship from a company. Working holiday visas are much easier to get than regular work visas, and they give you more freedom. You can try different jobs as you travel around the country. 

Notably, the countries you are welcome to visit will depend on your passport. At time of writing, the USA has working holiday agreements with only six nations: Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, South Korea, and Canada (but only with help from a recognized youth service organization). Whereas Canadian citizens can work/vacation in over 30 different countries. 

In addition, each country will have specific requirements for the working holiday visa. For example, there may be restrictions on the types of jobs available, or the length of time you can work for one particular company. Be sure to do your own research regarding eligibility and restrictions for the working holiday visa in your chosen country(s). 

The good news is, as long as you are young enough, you can keep pursuing different working holiday opportunities. It is a great way to travel around the world. 

To get you started, we will discuss the requirements for a few popular working holidays visas:

Working holiday visas are only available to citizens of countries that have an agreement with Australia. Currently, that list includes Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. 

Age eligibility: 18-30 (up to 35 for citizens of certain countries)

Stay: 12 months

Requirements: 

• Valid passport
• Clean criminal background check
• Not be accompanied by dependents/children
• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay. This is usually about $5,000 AUD (approx. $3,125 USD) for your initial stay, plus the fare to where you are going after you leave Australia. 
• Clean bill of health, and adequate health insurance coverage for your entire stay
• Have never previously held an Australian Working Holiday Visa

*Please note, you cannot study for more than 4 months with this visa, and cannot work for the same employer for more than 6 months. 

Cost: $650 AUD (approx. $405 USD)

How to apply: Applications must be completed online (from outside Australia) via the Australian Immigration and Citizenship website.

Working holiday visas are only available to citizens of countries that have an agreement with New Zealand. Currently, the list includes: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, and Vietnam.

Age eligibility: 18-30 (up to 35 for citizens of certain countries)

Stay: 12 months

Requirements: 

• Valid passport
• Your permanent place of residence must match your passport
• Clean criminal background check
• Not be accompanied by dependents/children
• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay. This is usually about $4,200 NZD (approx. $2372 USD)
• Return ticket (or sufficient funds to buy ticket out of New Zealand)
• Clean bill of health, and adequate health insurance coverage for your entire stay
• Have never held a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa in the past

*Please note, you cannot study for more than 6 months with this visa, and cannot accept a permanent job. 

Cost: $770 NZD (approx. $435 USD)

How to apply: Applications must be completed online (from outside NZ) via the New Zealand Immigration website.

Currently, the following countries participate in the International Experience Canada (“IEC”) program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom. 

If you are not from one of those countries, you must work with a government recognized organization (“RO”) that helps youth travel to Canada. Here is the current list of ROs. 

Age eligibility: 18-35 (under 30 for certain countries)

Stay: 12 or 24 months depending on country of citizenship

Requirements: 

• Valid passport
• Be a resident of your country of citizenship
• Clean criminal background check
• Copy of your CV or résumé
• Not be accompanied by dependents/children
• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay. At least $2,500 CAD (approx. $1,747 USD)
• Sufficient funds to buy ticket out of Canada
• Clean bill of health, and adequate health insurance coverage for your entire stay
• Submit digital photo and biometric data
• Have never previously held a Canadian Working Holiday Visa
• Sponsorship letter from RO if visiting from a non IEC participating country (i.e. USA) 

Cost: From $279.75 CAD (approx. $195 USD). However, costs often range from $1,000-$2,000 USD if you are working with a Recognized Organization. 

How to apply: Online (from outside Canada) via the International Experience Canada website, or through a Recognized Organization. 

The online process is a little more complicated than just submitting an application form. You must create a profile, wait to receive an invitation to apply, and then complete your “open work permit” application. 

Working holiday visas are only available to citizens of select countries. At time of writing acceptable countries are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

Please note, there is usually a maximum number of visas issued per country each year.

Age eligibility: 18-30 (under 25 for certain countries).

Stay: 12 months

Requirements: 

• Valid passport
• Copy of your Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Not be accompanied by dependents/children
• Return ticket or sufficient funds to buy one
• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay. Not specified, but our research suggests that $2,500-$4,000 USD should be sufficient
• Clean bill of health
• No prior Japanese Working Holiday Visas

*Please note, with this visa you must intend primarily to holiday in Japan for a specific length of time. Participants are allowed to engage in employment merely as an incidental activity to supplement their travel funds.

Cost: There is no visa fee

How to apply: The application for the visa must be made at the Japan Embassy or Consulate-General in your country/region. For more details, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.  

Singapore’s program is only open to undergraduates or graduates of a university in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom or United States.

Please note, the Work Holiday Programme has a capacity of 2,000 pass holders at any one time.

Age eligibility: 18-25

Stay: 6 months

Requirements: 

• Valid passport
• University credentials:

For Graduate: copy of the degree certificate or transcripts

For Undergraduate: A letter from the university written within 3 months of your application, and a copy of your university student card.

• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay. Not specified, but our research suggests you should have at least SGD $3,600 (approx. $2,661 USD)
• Return ticket 
• Clean bill of health, and adequate health insurance coverage for your entire stay

Cost: $175 USD

How to apply: Applications must be completed online (from outside Singapore) via the Ministry of Manpower website.

Youth mobility programs help young people explore the globe. Working, studying, and volunteering abroad can be incredibly rewarding. We hope this introduction to working holiday visas has peaked your interest. If you or someone you know meets the age requirements, please consider applying.

If you are looking for other types of long term stays, you should look into lengthy tourist visas and digital nomad programs. You may find our articles Long-Stay Destinations for U.S. Tourists and Nomad Life in Croatia Made Easy helpful.