23 guides
Working Holiday
New Zealand runs Working Holiday Schemes with dozens of countries, and no two are alike — the age limit, the annual cap, the length of the visa and whether you can extend all change depending on your passport. These guides break down each scheme and the rules that apply once you arrive.
10 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa, Explained
New Zealand runs 45 working holiday schemes, all first-come-first-served. The rules, the NZ$770 fee, the funds test and the once-in-a-lifetime catch.
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11 min read
All 45 New Zealand Working Holiday Schemes, Country by Country
Every New Zealand working holiday scheme in one table: cap, age range, duration, funds and 2026 opening date for all 45 participating countries.
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7 min read
How to Extend a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
The 3-month NZ working holiday extension costs NZ$800 and needs 3 months of horticulture or viticulture work. Nurseries and food processing do not count.
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6 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Canadians
Canada's NZ working holiday scheme is uncapped, open year-round, runs to age 35 and stretches to 23 months. Alongside the UK it is the best deal available.
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8 min read
Capped and Uncapped New Zealand Working Holiday Schemes
13 NZ working holiday schemes are uncapped and open year-round. 32 are capped, and only five actually filled in 2026. The UK's 15,000 is a cap, not open access.
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6 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Chinese Citizens
China's NZ working holiday scheme has 1,000 places, needs a CSSD-verified qualification and an English test, and filled in 2026 after opening on 2 July.
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6 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for French Citizens
France's NZ working holiday scheme is uncapped and open all year. It drives 8,080 French work visa approvals, the fifth-highest of any nationality.
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8 min read
How to Apply for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
Applying for an NZ working holiday visa: what to have ready before 10:00 NZ time on opening day, what INZ asks for, and how the 1.5-week decision runs.
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8 min read
No, the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Is Not a Ballot
No New Zealand working holiday scheme is a ballot. All 45 are first-come-first-served at 10:00 NZ time. Only three NZ immigration programmes use a real ballot.
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6 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Japanese Citizens
Japan's NZ working holiday scheme is uncapped and issued 3,695 visas in FY2025/26 - the highest verified count of any scheme. Age 18-30, 12 months, NZ$4,200.
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8 min read
Why There Is No New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Indians
India has no working holiday scheme with New Zealand, and nor do Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Indonesia. Here is what actually works instead.
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6 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Filipinos
The Philippines scheme has just 100 places, needs a degree and an English test, and filled in 2026 after opening on 12 March. What the alternatives are.
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7 min read
Which Seasonal Work Counts Towards the Working Holiday Extension
Only planting, maintaining, harvesting and packing in horticulture or viticulture counts for the NZ working holiday extension. Nurseries and processing do not.
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8 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for UK Citizens
The UK scheme is New Zealand's biggest at 15,000 places, runs to age 35, lasts up to 36 months and asks only NZ$350 a month in funds. It is capped.
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6 min read
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Americans
The USA scheme is uncapped and open all year. Age 18-30, 12 months, NZ$4,200 in funds, and you must normally reside in the United States to apply.
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7 min read
New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Age Limits
Most NZ working holiday schemes stop at 30. Only nine run to 35 - Argentina, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, the UK and Uruguay.
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7 min read
What You Can and Cannot Do on a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
You can work almost anywhere on an NZ working holiday visa, but not permanently, not for yourself, and not for longer than your scheme's per-employer limit.
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7 min read
What a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Actually Costs
The NZ working holiday visa is NZ$770: a $215 fee, a $455 immigration levy and the $100 IVL. The levy is more than double the fee. Extension costs NZ$800.
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9 min read
Are You Eligible for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa?
NZ working holiday eligibility comes down to passport, age, funds, insurance and whether you have ever held one before. The full checklist, scheme by scheme.
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7 min read
How Much Money You Need for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
Most NZ working holiday schemes need NZ$4,200. Thailand and Turkey need NZ$7,000, Malaysia, Austria and Singapore NZ$2,250, and the UK NZ$350 a month.
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7 min read
Insurance and Medical Requirements for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
Medical insurance is mandatory on every NZ working holiday scheme and can be checked at the border. When a chest x-ray or full medical is triggered.
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8 min read
New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Opening Dates
The 32 capped NZ working holiday schemes each open at 10:00 New Zealand time on a set date. The full calendar from Malaysia in February to Uruguay in November.
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6 min read
The 20 April 2026 Self-Employment Rule for Working Holiday Visas
From 20 April 2026 NZ working holiday visa holders must work under an employment agreement or contract for services. No sole trading, no business, no employees.
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