The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Japanese Citizens
Japan's scheme has no quota and no opening date — applications are accepted all year. It runs from age 18 to 30, lasts 12 months, requires NZ$4,200 in funds and costs NZ$770. 3,695 Japan working holiday visas were issued in FY2025/26, the highest verified count of any single scheme.
Quick Facts
| Cap | None. One of 13 schemes with no quota |
| When you can apply | Any time. No opening date |
| Age | 18–30 inclusive |
| Duration | 12 months |
| Funds | NZ$4,200, plus a return ticket or the money to buy one |
| Cost | NZ$770 = NZ$215 + NZ$455 immigration levy + NZ$100 IVL |
| Processing | 50% in 4 days, 80% within 1.5 weeks |
| Visas issued FY2025/26 | 3,695 — the highest verified per-scheme count |
| Extension | The 3-month seasonal extension is available |
| How many times | Once, ever |
| Source | INZ Japan scheme page, Operational Manual WI2 and INZ decision statistics, read 20 August 2026 |
The most-used scheme in the system
3,695 Japan working holiday visas were issued in FY2025/26. That is the highest per-scheme figure we can verify anywhere in the 45.
It is a striking number when you set it against the caps. Korea's scheme holds 3,000 places and did not fill. Japan has no quota, and issued more visas than Korea's entire allocation.
The reason is structural: there is no cap and no opening date, so Japanese applicants are never competing for a place and never blocked by a closed scheme. They apply when they are ready, all year.
No quota, no calendar
Japan is one of the 13 schemes with no annual limit and no opening date, alongside Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.
Nothing to diarise, no 10:00 New Zealand time alarm, no risk of the places running out. See capped and uncapped schemes.
The only real deadline is your 31st birthday. Japan is not one of the nine schemes running to 35, and there is no waiver.
What it costs
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$215 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$455 |
| International Visitor Levy | NZ$100 |
| Total | NZ$770 |
There has been no general INZ fee or levy increase since 1 October 2024.
On the fee-waiver question. New Zealand holds a bilateral fee-waiver agreement with Japan covering specified offshore visa types. INZ nevertheless publishes NZ$770 on this scheme's page, and no such agreement ever covers the International Visitor Levy. Confirm with INZ whether a waiver applies to your application before assuming it does — see bilateral fee waiver countries.
Funds: NZ$4,200, plus the ticket
NZ$4,200 is the standard figure, and it works out at NZ$350 a month across 12 months.
The return ticket sits on top of it. Every scheme requires a ticket out of New Zealand, or proof of enough money to buy one, in addition to the living funds. See the funds requirement.
Combining work with study
Japan is New Zealand's number one source country for non-government-funded education providers, with 3,395 students, and second in schools. A large part of that is English-language study.
The working holiday visa allows up to 6 months of study in total, including any extension. That is enough for a substantial English course while you work, and it is one of the main reasons the two flows overlap.
Anything longer needs a student visa. See the English language student visa explained and the student visa explained.
Extending to 15 months
The Working Holiday Extension Work Visa adds 3 months for at least 3 months of planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing crops in horticulture or viticulture. It costs NZ$800 and can be used once per person, ever.
Two categories of work are not accepted towards those 3 months: plant nurseries and food processing.
The full breakdown is at which seasonal work qualifies.
Documents and language
Applications must be lodged online and in English, with a translation for any document that is not in English — a Japanese bank statement needs a translation attached to the original.
That is a document rule, not an English test. Japan is not one of the six schemes with an English proficiency requirement. See document translation requirements.
Japan is also on New Zealand's 60-country visa-waiver list, so ordinary travel needs only an NZeTA and the International Visitor Levy — but that permits no work. See the NZ visa for Japanese citizens.
Step 1: Confirm you are 18–30 and have never held one of these visas
Approved counts, even if the visa was never used.
Step 2: Evidence NZ$4,200, plus the return ticket separately
Bank statements in your own name, translated into English with the original attached.
Step 3: Arrange medical insurance for the whole 12 months
Full cover including hospitalisation, current for the entire stay, and it may be checked when you arrive in New Zealand.
Step 4: Check whether a chest x-ray is triggered
Required if you have spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in a country with a high rate of tuberculosis, if you are staying longer than 12 months, or if you are applying from inside New Zealand. Evidence must reach INZ within 15 days of submitting and be less than 3 months old.
Step 5: Apply online and pay NZ$770
See how to apply.
Step 6: Travel within 12 months of the grant
The visa expires unused if you do not make your first entry in time.
Conditions while you are here
No job offer is needed to apply, and Japan's scheme sets no per-employer limit. Study is capped at 6 months in total. You cannot take a permanent job.
From 20 April 2026, holders must work under an employment agreement or a contract for services, and cannot sole-trade, own or operate a business, or employ others. See conditions and restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a quota for Japanese applicants?
No. Japan is one of 13 schemes with no annual limit and no opening date. Applications are accepted year-round and the places cannot run out.
How many Japanese working holiday visas are issued?
3,695 in FY2025/26 — the highest verified figure for any single scheme, and more than Korea's entire 3,000-place quota.
What is the age limit for Japanese applicants?
18 to 30 inclusive. Japan is not one of the nine schemes that runs to 35.
How much money do I need?
NZ$4,200, plus a return ticket or enough money to buy one, which must be additional.
Do I need an English test?
No. Japan is not one of the six schemes with an English proficiency requirement. You must lodge the application in English and translate any Japanese-language document, but that is a document rule rather than a test.
Can I study while I am there?
Yes, up to 6 months in total, including any extension. Japan is New Zealand's largest source country for non-government-funded education providers, and many people combine an English course with work.
How long does the application take?
Half of working holiday applications are decided within 4 days and 80% within 1.5 weeks.
Can I stay longer than 12 months?
By 3 months, using the Working Holiday Extension Work Visa, which requires at least 3 months of qualifying horticulture or viticulture work and costs NZ$800.
Can I apply twice?
No. The visa can be held once in a lifetime, and INZ's pages state that this applies even if you never used the visa you were granted.
