If you want to travel overseas for an extended period, but don’t have a lot of savings, a working holiday visa could be the perfect solution.
With a working holiday visa, you can generally live, work, study and travel in another country for a year.
This guide explains what you need to know!
What can you do with a working holiday visa?
Working holiday visas are intended for young people who want to take an extended holiday and experience life in another country, while allowing the opportunity to do a bit of supplementary work to finance the stay.
In general, a working holiday visa allows you to live in that country for up to a year. During this time, you are allowed to leave and re-enter the host country as often as you like.
You can also do some work and/or study during your stay, if you wish. But you don’t necessarily have to work or study in your destination country. You could just enjoy a long holiday there.
Beware that some countries limit the amount of time you can spend working or studying on this type of visa. There may also be limits to the amount of time you can work for any single employer. (So if you’re travelling overseas primarily for work, a work visa is probably more suitable.)
If you have a working holiday visa in a European country that’s part of the Schengen Area, you’ll also be able to travel freely around the other countries in Europe for up 90 days out of every 180 days! That said, you will only have the right to reside and work in the European country that issued your visa.
What you need to get a working holiday visa
Firstly, your country of citizenship must have a working holiday visa agreement with the destination country. Not every country offers these visas, and countries that do give working holiday visas only offer them to certain nationalities.
Secondly, each country has slightly different working holiday visa rules and requirements. But there are a few common criteria that Australian citizens need to meet in order to apply for working holiday visas in most countries…
Typical working holiday visa requirements
Common requirements to get a working holiday visa may include:
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Aged between 18-30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application
(exceptions for Australian citizens: 18-26 for Czech Republic, 18-35 for France, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, Italy & UK; and no age limit for USA) -
Your primary reason for travelling is for a holiday, with any work or study being “incidental” to the holiday
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Your passport will remain valid for at least 3-6 months after you plan to leave the destination country
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You will not be accompanied by dependent children
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You have not already completed a working holiday in the same country (with some exceptions, e.g. Peru for Australian citizens)
Other requirements that may apply
Some other typical working holiday requirements that could apply in some countries include:
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You have enough savings to support yourself initially after moving to that country (typically around AUD5,000 but this varies by country)
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You have a return flight booked to that country, or enough money to buy one
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You do not have a criminal record
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You have adequate travel/health insurance that will cover your entire stay in that country
Additional requirements for Work and Holiday visas
In countries that offer Work and Holiday visas (rather than working holiday visas), additional prerequisites sometimes include:
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You have a university qualification and/or have successfully completed at least two years of full-time higher education study
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You speak the local language at a “functional” level
(This applies for Chile, Ecuador, Indonesia, Peru, Portugal, Spain & Uruguay) -
In some cases, you need to provide a letter of Australian government support with your visa application
Which countries offer working holiday visas?
Your access to working holiday visas will depend on your nationality.
Working Holidays for Aussies has comprehensive working holiday visas guides to help you on your journey! Choose a guide below to get started:
