Working Holiday Scheme in New Zealand

An introduction to the Working Holiday Scheme visa, allowing you to stay longer than a tourist visa and help fund your travels through working.

Working Holiday Schemes in New Zealand

Want to come to New Zealand to work and play for a while? Are you between the ages of 18 and 30 (or 35 for specified countries)?

Then take a close look into applying for a Working Holiday Scheme. New Zealand has agreements with 34 countries to offer young visitors the chance to work, play, study – or all 3 – in New Zealand, for up to a year!

With a Working Holiday Scheme visa you can gain valuable experience – or simply help fund your travel throughout New Zealand.

Each country’s agreement is slightly different. For instance, if you’re from the UK, under age 30 and accepted, you can live and work in NZ for up to 23 months. Alternatively, if you’re from Canada, under the age of 35 and accepted, you can live and work in New Zealand for up to 12 months.

Qualifying for Acceptance

The requirements for a Working Holiday Scheme visa differ depending on which passport you hold.

All nationalities, however, must:

• Have a passport that’s valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure from NZ
• Be at least 18 and not older than 30 (or 35 depending) years old
• Meet our health and character requirements
• Not bring children with you
• Hold a return air ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket
• Not have previously been approved for a Working Holiday Scheme visa
• Be coming to New Zealand to holiday, with work being the secondary intention for your visit.

Note: You may need medical and comprehensive hospitalisation insurance for the length of your stay depending on your individual country’s Working Holiday Scheme requirements.

Questions? A few answers.....

How much money do I need to bring?

Requirements for the funds you need to bring do differ by nationality, but generally a total of NZ$350 a month, or NZ$4200 for 12 months is the minimum needed to meet your living costs while you are here. A copy of your current bank statement may suffice as evidence of available funds.

Do I need to pay tax if I take up work?

Yes. If you do accept temporary employment under this visa, you’ll need an IRD number so that your employer can deduct tax from your earnings at the correct rate. For more information see Inland Revenue's Travelling to New Zealand webpage. 

How do I find out the complete eligibility and requirements for my country?

Check out the links to your country below. If your country is not listed, head directly to Immigration New Zealand to find out more. Right now 34 countries have agreements with New Zealand.

United Kingdom Working Holiday Scheme

United States Working Holiday Scheme

Germany Working Holiday Scheme

Canada Working Holiday Scheme

Ireland Working Holiday Scheme

Netherlands Working Holiday Scheme

Denmark Working Holiday Scheme

Sweden Working Holiday Scheme

France Working Holiday Scheme

Hopefully, we’ll see you here soon!