Working Holiday Visa: A Full Guide For New Zealanders 2025
Working holidays are an extremely popular option for Austalians looking to spend some time overseas, balancing travel and exploration with the opportunity to earn and develop new skills.
Read on for our introduction to working holiday visas for New Zealanders, including some ideas on great destinations and some basics about what it’ll cost you. Plus, we’ll touch on how you might make your money go further when you’re overseas with low cost international accounts from providers like Wise and Revolut.
What is a working holiday visa?
Working holiday visas are designed to help younger people looking for flexible work opportunities they can combine with travel. Not every country issues working holiday visas to New Zealanders, but there are many options out there, which generally target people aged 18 to 30 traveling without dependents, who want to explore a new country and pick up some casual work while they’re there.
Generally, if you want to take up paid employment overseas you’ll need a specific visa or permit to do so. Often the eligibility criteria, costs and wait times for an employment visa can be pretty restrictive, with visas issued only to people filling skills shortage roles, or in highly qualified jobs which can’t be locally filled. Working holiday visas can be a far more flexible option for people who are eligible, as you won’t need to find an employer ahead of time, and can work, study and travel for periods of a year in many cases.
All visa information in this guide, including costs and processing times, is correct at time of research – 4th December 2024. Details do change regularly, so be sure to check all the relevant information on the website of the immigration service or embassy of the country you’re interested in, before you apply.
How does a working holiday visa work?
A working holiday visa allows individuals to legally work in a foreign country while traveling, without needing to secure employment to qualify for the visa in the first place. You can get your visa arranged, travel to your destination country, and then find a job while you’re there, often with flexibility about the period of time you work for. Many people choose to travel for a few months, then work for a few months in seasonal or casual jobs, to build up some funds, before traveling some more.
Working holiday visa arrangements do vary from country to country, and there are always some rules and eligibility requirements to be aware of. Generally though the process for application is fairly similar, and may be managed online or at the consulate of the country in question.
Here’s an outline of how to apply for a working holiday visa:
- Pick the country you’d like to travel to, and check you’re eligible for a working holiday visa there
- Gather the documents and evidence required to support your application – usually including a valid travel document and proof of adequate funds
- Complete the application form and submit your documents, often online
- Pay the visa application fee and await notification of the outcome of your application
Working holiday visa applications may be capped annually, so you might find that there’s limited availability for some countries. Processing times can also vary a lot depending on the country you want to go to – generally you’re advised not to book any travel or make any firm plans until you’ve secured your visa. If your visa is approved you’ll have a certain amount of time to use it, and must enter the country within that time frame.
Why should you apply for a working holiday visa?
Working abroad brings huge benefits, and being able to combine work and travel can also make it far more financially viable to explore new places. A working holiday visa could give you an opportunity to test out new types of job, or to learn a new language. It’s also a good way to broaden your cultural experience and meet new people, with relatively low risk and lots of flexibility.
What are the benefits?
Working holiday visas are aimed at younger people who may otherwise struggle to secure an employment visa abroad, and who may also find it harder to gather the funds to travel without also earning some cash along the way.
Travel in general is a very valuable experience, both personally and professionally. You’ll be able to use your working holiday visa to get to know a new place, and be fully immersed in a new culture, including a new working culture. Working holiday visas often also come with a provision which allows you to study while you’re abroad, which can be useful if there are new skills you’d like to pick up – and which can give your CV a boost, too.
What are the cons?
Working holiday visas may not be the right option for everyone. There’s a cost involved for a start, and you’ll also usually need to prove you have a certain amount of money set aside to allow you to live comfortably during periods while you’re not earning.
Working holiday visas also come with some restrictions. These do vary from country to country, but may mean you can’t work in certain industries, or that you can only work for a certain number of weeks or months during the validity of your visa. For example, the working holiday visa for Ireland may only allow you to work for a maximum of 6 months for one employer, while the working holiday visa for Japan has restrictions preventing you from working in places like bars and nightclubs, which are a common source of casual work for many young people.
Who is eligible for a working holiday visa
Different countries set their own rules about eligibility for a working holiday visa. Usually these include limits on your age, and require you to have sufficient money to support yourself if you don’t find work right away. The rules you’re likely to find include:
- You’ll usually need to be aged between 18 and 30, or 18 and 35 when you apply
- You’ll need to prove you have enough money to support yourself if you need to
- You may not be entitled to apply if you have children or dependents
- You may have to prove you’re of good character, by providing a police clearance for example
- Some countries require you to undergo health checks as part of the application, screening for communicable diseases
Can I change my tourist visa to a working holiday visa?
If you head off on holiday and love the country you’re in, it might be possible to convert a tourist visa to a working holiday visa, depending on the country. Some countries offer the option to apply for a working holiday visa from within that country, which may involve an in person application at a consulate or visa application center. This isn’t always an option though, so you might find you need to leave the country to apply, and wait until your visa is issued to re-enter.
Tips on how to get started with your application
Many countries allow you to apply fully or in part online for your working holiday visa. You might find you start the application online but then need to visit a consulate or visa application centre to give biometrics like your fingerprint. Here are a few tips to make sure the process runs smoothly:
- Read all the application information for your chosen country carefully to make sure you’re eligible to apply
- Gather all of the required documents before you start your application – you may need to translate documents if they’re not issued n the language of that country
- Check when you can apply for your visa – in the UK, for example, applications are accepted up to 6 months prior to intended travel
- If your application is completed electronically you’ll be notified by email of the outcome – keep an eye on your spam or junk mailboxes to ensure you don’t miss a message accidentally
- You’ll need to pay visa fees when you apply. You can usually do this by card, and pay in the currency of the country in question. Using a multi-currency account and card from a provider like Wise is a convenient way to pay in foreign currencies with low fees and the mid-market exchange rate, keeping the costs as low as possible for you.
How long does the process usually take?
The working holiday visa application process can take a very variable length of time, depending on the country and the demand at the time you apply. To put this in context, the processing time for a working holiday visa for Ireland is usually about 3 weeks. On the other hand, the average processing time for a working holiday visa for Canada is 6 weeks.
Processing times will change, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the official channels for the application such as the immigration service or embassy website, so you’ll know when to apply.
How much does it cost to get a working holiday visa?
Applying for a working holiday visa is normally cheaper than applying for a full employment visa – but it can cost more than some tourist visas do. Application fees vary widely – and you’ll also need to take into consideration other costs such as translation or legalisation of documents where needed, or fees to get some specific paperwork like medical checks or a police clearance.
So – what does it cost to apply for a working holiday visa?Here are a few examples. To apply for a working holiday visa for the UK you’ll need to pay an application fee of 298 GBP (almost 650 NZD), plus a healthcare surcharge of 776 GBP per year to access the health system in the country. The application fee for Canada is 179.75 CAD (under 220 NZD at the time of writing). To apply for a working holiday visa for Ireland you’ll pay just 120 NZD for a standard service.
How much money do you need for a working holiday visa?
Aside from application fees you’re often asked to prove you’ve got some money saved already to support yourself.
Again, the amount of money you need to hold can vary a lot by country. To give a few examples, for the UK you need 2,530 GBP (about 5,500 NZD), Ireland has a 5,000 NZD requirement, while Japan asks for evidence of 3,500 NZD in savings, or 4,500 NZD if you’re traveling as a couple.
In some cases you’ll also need to prove that you have a flight out of the country at the end of your stay – or else you may need to have more money in savings to show you can buy a ticket when your visa runs out.
Of course, as well as the legal requirement for some funds to support yourself, there’s a practical need to have as much money as you think you’ll spend based on your specific plans. You’ll need to arrange accommodation, travel, and day to day costs, plus extra if you plan to study or get involved in activities while you’re away. You can’t guarantee employment, so having a bit more than you think you’ll want as a buffer is probably a sensible approach.
Top destinations that New Zealanders can get a working holiday visa for
New Zealanders can apply for a working holiday visa in a pretty broad range of countries, including many countries in Europe. The US is a notable exception here as it does not operate a working holiday visa programme, but you may want to consider any of the following instead:
- Working holiday for Canada
- Working holiday for the UK
- Working holiday for Ireland
- Working holiday for Japan
Conclusion
Working holiday visas are an excellent opportunity for eligible candidates to combine exploring a new place with working to earn some cash and build your professional experience. As a New Zealander you can apply for a working holiday visa in a pretty broad range of countries, including many English speaking countries if you want to hit the ground running, as well as places which are ideal to pick up a new language while you’re there.
Use this guide to start your research, and pick out your perfect destination – and while you’re planning, why not also take a look at providers like Wise and Revolut which offer great low cost ways to convert, hold and spend foreign currencies with convenient card and account services.
FAQ
What is the age limit for a working holiday visa?
You’ll usually need to be aged between 18 and 30, or 18 and 35 when you apply for a working holiday visa.
What are the costs?
Different countries have their own visa requirements, which include an application fee and a requirement to prove you have adequate funds to support yourself while you’re not earning. Application fees can cost anything from around 120 NZD to closer to 650 NZD, and you’re likely to find you need to have about 5,000 NZD in the bank to show you can support yourself.
Can I apply two times in a row?
Some countries do allow people to apply for multiple working holiday visas, but this is not always an option. Where this is available you may also find there are additional criteria for a second time application, such as showing you’ve worked during your first visa, or proving you intend to leave at the end of this visa term.
