Working holiday visa


A working holiday visa is a residence permit that allows travellers to undertake employment in the country issuing the visa to supplement their travel funds. A working holiday visa enables holders to experience living in a foreign country without having to find work sponsorship in advance or go on an expensive university exchange program. Working holidays are commonly mentioned in backpacker literature due to the groups sharing some similarities.
Most working holiday visas are offered under reciprocal agreements between certain countries to encourage travel and cultural exchange between their citizens.
In some countries there is growing criticism around working holiday visas because governments are increasingly linking them to labour strategies rather than centring cultural exchange. This is often achieved by tweaking mobility infrastructures such as visa rules to direct working holiday makers toward certain regions and jobs. This often increases working holiday makers' precarity which can make them more vulnerable to harms such as exploitation and sexual harassment.
There are often several restrictions on this type of visa:
  • Many are intended for young travellers and, as such, have an age restriction.
  • There are usually limits on the type of employment taken or the time the traveller can be employed.
  • The visa holder is expected to have sufficient funds to live on while seeking employment.
  • The visa holder should have some kind of health or travel insurance for the duration of the stay unless the country will cover it.

    States offering working holiday visas

Asia

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has the working holiday visa agreements with Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Agree to hold medical and comprehensive hospitalisation and liability insurance Separately, Hong Kong residents 18 to 30 ages who are British National can apply for UK Youth Mobility Scheme without sponsors.

India

In the context of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, Australia has agreed to extend access to the Work and Holiday visa to up to 1,000 Indian citizens each year.
Within two years, Australia will put in place arrangements to allow eligible Indian citizens aged between 18 and 30 to apply for a Work and Holiday visa to visit Australia for one year and undertake short-term work and study while holidaying.
As part of a new agreement with India, the UK government has agreed to participate in a scheme aimed at allowing increased mobility for a limited number of young people between India and the UK. It has some similarities to the existing Youth Mobility Scheme, and will allow up to 3,000 Indian nationals per year aged between 18 and 30 to come to the UK to live and work for a period of up to two years. In return, 3,000 UK nationals a year will be able to do the same in India.
An agreement of the Working Holiday Programme has signed by India and Austria.

Indonesia

Citizens of Australia aged 18–30 with functional Indonesian language skills and at least two years of university education can apply for a 12-month Work and Holiday visa in the Republic of Indonesia.

Israel

Citizens of Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan between the ages of 18 and 30 can apply for a 1-year Israeli working holiday visa in the State of Israel.

Japan

initiated its working holiday programmes with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Iceland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands, Uruguay, Finland, Latvia, Italy, Israel, Malta, Luxembourg and Peru.
Japan's Working Holiday Programmes are designed to foster young people with global perspective and enhance friendly relationship between Japan and partner countries/regions by providing opportunities for the young people to deepen their understanding about partner countries/regions.
Japan's Working Holiday participants are allowed to work for a certain period of their stay in order to cover the cost of travel funds to travel and stay in partner countries/regions.
Citizens of the following 15 countries who are between the ages of 18 and 30 are eligible for the Working Holiday Programmes in the State of Japan:
A one-year visa may be granted to citizens of Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom—with no extension possible. A six-month visa may be granted to citizens of Australia which can be extended twice and once for citizens of New Zealand and Canada.

Malaysia

Citizens of New Zealand aged 18–30 can apply for a 1-year Malaysian working holiday visa in the Federation of Malaysia.
Citizens of Australia aged 18–30 can apply for a 1-year Malaysian working holiday visa under the work and holiday visa programme for the Federation of Malaysia.
University students in Malaysia aged 18 to 28 can apply for Winter and Summer Work Travel.

Philippines

Citizens of New Zealand aged 18–30 can apply for a 1-year Philippine working holiday visa in the Republic of the Philippines.

Singapore

Undergraduate university students or recent graduates from universities in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, United Kingdom or United States aged between 18 and 25 can apply for a 6-month Work Holiday Pass under Singapore's Work Holiday Programme. Uniquely, there are no stated restrictions on nationality, only that the applicant be a student or graduate from a university in the listed countries.
Citizens of Australia aged between 18 and 30 with who have studied at university for at least 2 years may also apply for a 12-month visa under the Work and Holiday Visa Programme.
The universities must be recognised by the university's home government.

South Korea

The Korea Working Holiday Program is available to qualifying citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, UK, and USA.
In 2019, South Korea announced plans to improve the visa system for ASEAN states, including considering working holiday agreements with ASEAN states in the future.
Note Youths of Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia, Türkiye, UAE, Vietnam can participate in an International Youth Exchange program.

Taiwan

Since the program was launched, Taiwan has signed working holiday agreements with 18 countries, i.e., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. As agreements may differ with regard to the quota of participants, age restrictions, and maximum duration of stay, foreign youth are advised to check the terms of the agreement that pertains to their home country and abide by Taiwan's laws and regulations.

Thailand

Citizens of Australia and New Zealand are eligible for a 1-year Thai working holiday visa in the Kingdom of Thailand.
Applicants must be aged between 18 and 30, and have tertiary qualifications.
Applicants must have an Australian passport valid for at least 6 months or a New Zealand passport valid for at least 12 months, a return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase one, and funds of at least A$5,000 or NZ$7,000, and must be in good health and hold comprehensive medical insurance.
Applications must be made at the Thai Embassy in Canberra or the Thai Consulate in Sydney for Australian nationals, or at the Thai Embassy in Wellington for New Zealand nationals.

Turkey

The Turkish working holiday visa allows a stay of up to 12 months and is available to Australia and New Zealand citizens.
Citizens of personal of Turks and Koreans have already been on actually participating for a work and holiday program in a row for a few years without an official sign of the arrangement so that it would be available to be allowed officially into force maybe later.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey's Working Holiday Program provides opportunities for young people aged between 18 and 30 years old to holiday in the Republic of Turkey and to supplement their travel funds through incidental employment.

Vietnam

The Vietnamese working holiday visa allows a stay of up to 1 year and is available to citizens of Australia and New Zealand in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Europe

Andorra

Citizens of Canada, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, South Korea and the United Kingdom aged 18 to 30 may apply for a 1-year Andorran working holiday visa in the Principality of Andorra.

Austria

  • Citizens of Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States aged 18–30 can apply for a 6-month and one year Austrian working holiday visa in the Republic of Austria.
  • As Austria is a Schengen Agreement signatory the one year Austrian working holiday visa serves as a Type D national visa which permits the holder to stay and work in der Republik Österreich during the visa's period of validity, as well as travelling in the rest of the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.