What You Can and Cannot Do on a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
A working holiday visa lets you work for almost any employer, change jobs freely and study for up to six months. It does not let you take a permanent job, run a business or work for yourself. Several schemes also limit how long you can stay with one employer, and a rule change on 20 April 2026 tightened the self-employment position further.
Quick Facts
| Work rights | Almost any employer, almost any job — no job offer needed to apply |
| Permanent jobs | Not allowed |
| Running a business | Not allowed — you cannot own or operate one |
| Self-employment | Not allowed from 20 April 2026. Existing holders keep their old conditions until their visa expires |
| Study | 6 months maximum, in total, including any extension |
| Per-employer limits | 3 months: Denmark, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Poland · 6 months: Lithuania, Chile · none: Spain |
| Children | Cannot accompany you and cannot be included |
| Insurance | Full medical cover including hospitalisation, for the whole stay — checkable at the border |
| First entry | Within 12 months of the visa being granted, or it expires |
| Cost | NZ$770 = NZ$215 + NZ$455 immigration levy + NZ$100 IVL |
| Source | INZ per-scheme pages and Operational Manual WI2, read 20 August 2026 |
What you can do
Work for almost any employer, in almost any job. There is no occupation list, no skill threshold and no wage floor attached to this visa. Hospitality, farm work, retail, offices, ski fields, construction, tourism — all permitted.
Change jobs as often as you like, subject to your scheme's per-employer limit. You do not need INZ's permission and you do not need a variation of conditions.
Arrive without a job. No scheme requires a job offer to apply or to enter. Most holders arrive first and look afterwards. See finding a job in New Zealand as a migrant.
Study or train for up to 6 months. Language courses, short certificates and single semesters all fit inside that.
Leave and re-enter New Zealand for the life of the visa.
Apply for the 3-month seasonal extension on most schemes, if you complete at least 3 months of qualifying horticulture or viticulture work. See how to extend.
What you cannot do
Take a permanent job. The visa is for temporary work. An offer of ongoing employment is not something this visa supports — an employer wanting to keep you needs to look at an Accredited Employer Work Visa.
Own or operate a business. This has always been a condition of the visa, not a new rule.
Work for yourself. From 20 April 2026, holders must work under an employment agreement or a contract for services. They cannot sole-trade, cannot own or operate a business and cannot employ others. Anyone who held a visa before that date keeps their previous conditions until it expires. Full detail: the self-employment rule.
Provide commercial sexual services. This is an explicit prohibition on every scheme.
Bring children. Working holiday visa holders cannot be accompanied by dependent children, and children cannot be included in the application.
Study for more than 6 months. The cap is total, across the whole working holiday period.
Stay with one employer beyond your scheme's limit, where one applies.
Per-employer limits, scheme by scheme
Most schemes let you work for one employer for the whole visa. Eight do not.
| Limit | Schemes |
|---|---|
| 3 months with one employer | Denmark, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Poland |
| 6 months with one employer | Lithuania, Chile |
| No limit at all | Spain — unique among the 45 |
| No stated limit | The remaining 37 schemes |
If you are on a 3-month scheme, a 12-month stay means at least four employers. Plan seasonal work around that rather than discovering it in month four.
The 6-month study cap
Six months of study, total, on every scheme. The cap covers the whole working holiday period including any extension — so a 12-month visa plus a 3-month extension still gives you 6 months of study, not more.
It is a generous allowance by the standards of work visas, and it is one of the reasons people combine a working holiday with a language course. What it does not support is a full qualification. For that you need a student visa, which carries its own work rights of up to 25 hours a week.
The 12-month activation window
Your visa expires if you do not make your first entry to New Zealand within 12 months of it being granted.
This bites hardest on capped schemes, where people apply on opening day to secure a place and then plan the trip later. Apply in February and travel the following April, and the visa is gone — along with the NZ$770, which is not refunded.
Insurance, for the whole stay
Full medical insurance covering hospitalisation, current for the entire period of your stay. It applies on all 45 schemes and may be checked when you arrive.
A policy that lapses at month nine of a twelve-month visa does not meet the condition. Nor does most standard short-trip travel insurance. See insurance and medical requirements.
Your rights as a worker
Immigration conditions limit what work you may do. They do not reduce your rights once you are doing it.
Working holiday visa holders in New Zealand are entitled to the minimum wage, to written terms, to rest breaks, to holiday pay and to a safe workplace, on the same basis as anyone else. Employment law does not have a migrant tier.
You will need an IRD number to be taxed correctly — without one, tax is deducted at a no-declaration rate that is much higher than it should be. See IRD number and tax for new migrants and employment rights for migrant workers.
If an employer is exploiting you, that is a matter for the authorities and it does not automatically end your visa. See migrant exploitation and the protection work visa.
Breaching your conditions
Working outside your visa conditions — running a business, exceeding a per-employer limit, studying beyond 6 months — puts you in breach. The consequences can include the visa being cancelled and liability for deportation, and a breach on your record affects later applications to New Zealand and sometimes elsewhere.
Where circumstances change, the mechanism is a variation of conditions, not an assumption. See variation of conditions explained and deportation liability explained.
Whether a specific arrangement breaches a specific condition is a question about an individual's circumstances, which is regulated advice in New Zealand. A licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer can answer it. This page cannot.
What happens at the end
The visa ends. There is no automatic renewal, no grace period beyond the expiry date and no residence pathway attached.
Three things people do:
- Extend by 3 months using the Working Holiday Extension Work Visa, if they have done the qualifying seasonal work.
- Switch visas, most commonly to an AEWV with an accredited employer, or to a student visa.
- Leave. Overstaying is a serious matter — see overstaying a visa in New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work for any employer on a New Zealand working holiday visa?
Almost. There is no occupation restriction and no skill threshold, so most jobs are open to you. What is restricted is the type of engagement: no permanent roles, no self-employment from 20 April 2026, and no commercial sexual services. Eight schemes also cap how long you may stay with a single employer.
Can I be self-employed or freelance on a working holiday visa?
Not 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. People granted a visa before that date keep their previous conditions until it expires.
How long can I work for one employer?
It depends on the scheme. Denmark, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico and Poland cap it at 3 months. Lithuania and Chile cap it at 6. Spain has no limit. The other 37 schemes state no per-employer limit.
Can I study on a working holiday visa?
Yes, up to 6 months in total. The cap is identical on every scheme and covers the whole period, including a 3-month extension. Longer study requires a student visa.
Can I bring my partner or children?
Children cannot accompany you and cannot be included. A partner needs their own visa — often a working holiday visa on their own passport, if their country runs a scheme.
Do I have to arrive by a certain date?
Yes. You must make your first entry within 12 months of the visa being granted, or it expires unused and the fee is not refunded.
Is medical insurance really compulsory?
Yes, on all 45 schemes, and it can be checked when you arrive in New Zealand. It must cover hospitalisation and remain current for your whole stay.
Can I take a permanent job if one is offered?
Not on this visa. A permanent role needs a different visa, usually an Accredited Employer Work Visa, which requires the employer to hold accreditation and the job to be at least 30 hours a week.
What happens if I breach a condition?
The visa can be cancelled and deportation liability can follow. A breach also affects future applications. If your circumstances have changed, a variation of conditions is the proper route, and an adviser or lawyer should assess it.
