Are You Eligible for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa?
Eligibility comes down to six things: the passport you hold, your age, your money, your insurance, your health and character, and whether you have ever held one of these visas before. The rules differ by scheme, so the settings that apply to you are your own country's, not the general ones.
Quick Facts
| Passport | Must be from one of the 45 countries that run a scheme with New Zealand |
| Age | 18–30 on 36 schemes; 18–35 on nine |
| Funds | NZ$4,200 standard, plus a return ticket or the money to buy one on top |
| Insurance | Full medical insurance covering hospitalisation, for the whole stay — mandatory on every scheme |
| Job offer | Not required |
| Previous visa | Once in a lifetime, ever — even an unused visa disqualifies you |
| Passport validity | At least 3 months beyond the visa's expiry |
| Children | Cannot be included, and cannot accompany you |
| Cost | NZ$770 = NZ$215 + NZ$455 immigration levy + NZ$100 IVL |
| Processing | 50% in 4 days, 80% within 1.5 weeks |
| Source | INZ per-scheme pages and Operational Manual WI2, read 20 August 2026 |
1. Your passport decides everything else
There is no general New Zealand working holiday visa. There are 45 separate schemes, one per participating country, and the one you apply under is fixed by your citizenship.
If your country runs no scheme, there is no application to make. That includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, and every African country. The 45 schemes in Operational Manual section WI2 are the complete list.
Your passport must also be valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiry of the visa you are asking for. On a 12-month visa applied for today, that is a passport with roughly 15 months left.
A few schemes add a residence or status test on top of citizenship:
| Scheme | Extra status test |
|---|---|
| China | You must currently reside in China |
| USA | You must normally reside in the USA |
| United Kingdom | British citizen ordinarily resident in the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man |
| Hong Kong SAR | Resident of Hong Kong holding a valid HKSAR or BN(O) passport |
| Taiwan | Valid Taiwan passport and a Taiwan household registration certificate |
The full list is at all 45 schemes by country.
2. Age — 18 to 30, unless your scheme says otherwise
The rule in WI2.1 is that an applicant must be "no less than 18 years of age and no more than 30 years of age, unless their scheme allows a different age limit".
Nine schemes allow a different limit, and all nine run to 35:
Argentina · Canada · Chile · Czech Republic · Finland · Hungary · Slovakia · United Kingdom · Uruguay
The other 36 stop at 30. Age is assessed against your own scheme's instructions, not against a general immigration rule, so a general "18 to 30 or 35" answer is not enough — you need your scheme's figure. See age limits.
3. Money — and the part people miss
Most schemes require NZ$4,200, which is NZ$350 a month across 12 months. Six schemes differ:
| Requirement | Schemes |
|---|---|
| NZ$7,000 | Thailand, Turkey |
| NZ$4,200 or NZ$7,000 | Peru — NZ$4,200 applies only with an acceptable English test result |
| NZ$2,250 | Austria, Malaysia, Singapore |
| NZ$350 per month of stay | United Kingdom, Canada |
On every scheme you also need a return ticket, or proof of enough money to buy one — and that must be additional to your living funds. This is the requirement that catches people out. Showing exactly NZ$4,200 and nothing else does not meet it.
Detail and evidence rules: the funds requirement and proof of funds for a NZ visa.
4. Insurance is not optional
Full medical insurance for the length of your stay, covering hospitalisation, current for the whole period. It applies on all 45 schemes and it may be checked when you arrive at the border.
Travel insurance sold for a two-week holiday will not usually meet it. Buy a policy that covers the full duration and includes hospital treatment. See insurance and medical requirements.
5. Health and character
Everyone must meet New Zealand's health and character requirements.
A chest x-ray is 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. A full medical examination is required if you are staying over 12 months in total, or applying onshore. Austria and Malaysia applicants applying from outside New Zealand need neither.
Where medical evidence is required, it must reach INZ within 15 days of you submitting, and be less than 3 months old.
INZ may decline an application where the likely cost of health services would exceed NZ$81,000 over five years, or over the predicted course of a condition. See acceptable standard of health.
Character requirements cover convictions, deportations and immigration history. See character requirements.
6. You can only ever hold one
The Operational Manual requires that an applicant has "not previously been approved a visa under a working holiday scheme, except where their scheme allows a second application".
INZ's country pages put it more bluntly: you cannot apply again even if you did not use the visa.
So a visa granted at 22 and never used still blocks an application at 34 on a scheme that runs to 35. There are only two second-application routes, and both top up an existing maximum rather than granting a new entitlement:
- United Kingdom — a holder who took less than 36 months may apply for a further visa up to the 36-month ceiling.
- Canada — a holder on a 12-month visa may apply for a Subsequent Work Visa up to the 23-month ceiling.
Qualifications and English — six schemes and no published scores
Most schemes require no qualification at all. Six do:
| Scheme | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Philippines | Tertiary qualification, at least 3 years' full-time university study |
| Peru | 3 years' full-time tertiary study, verified by Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Thailand | Tertiary qualification, 3+ years, plus a letter of support from Thailand's Department of Children and Youth |
| Turkey | Tertiary qualification, 4+ years full-time |
| Vietnam | University qualification, 3+ years full-time |
| Singapore | University degree, or the equivalent of at least 2 years' full-time study |
| China | Senior high school qualification, verified by CSSD |
Six schemes impose a genuine English proficiency requirement: China, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam and Peru. On Peru it is optional, but taking the test lowers the funds figure from NZ$7,000 to NZ$4,200.
INZ does not publish the accepted tests or the minimum scores on its English page for these schemes — it directs applicants to a lookup tool. We therefore do not publish score thresholds. Anyone who quotes you one has taken it from somewhere other than INZ. Check the tool for your scheme before you book a test.
Note the difference between two things that sound alike. Every application must be lodged online in English, with translations for non-English documents. That is a document rule, not a proficiency test, and it applies to all 45 schemes.
What is not required
| Not required | Note |
|---|---|
| A job offer | On any scheme |
| A sponsor | None of the schemes uses sponsorship |
| A degree | Except on the seven schemes above |
| An English test | Except on the six schemes above |
| A return flight already booked | Evidence you can afford one is enough |
| A New Zealand bank account | You can open one after arrival |
| A biometric or e-passport | New Zealand has no such requirement |
Step 1: Confirm your country runs a scheme
Check the 45-scheme table. No scheme means no application.
Step 2: Check your scheme's own age range and funds figure
Not the general ones. Your scheme's page is the authority.
Step 3: Confirm you have never been approved for one of these visas
Approved, not used. If you have, only the UK and Canada top-up routes remain, and only if you already hold one of those visas.
Step 4: Assemble evidence of funds, tickets and insurance
Bank statements for the required amount, plus separate evidence for the return ticket, plus a policy covering hospitalisation for the whole stay.
Step 5: Check whether a medical or chest x-ray is triggered
Over 12 months, applying onshore, or more than 3 months in the last 5 years in a high-TB country. Evidence within 15 days of submitting, less than 3 months old.
Step 6: Apply online, in English, and pay NZ$770
See how to apply.
What we cannot tell you
This page explains what the published rules require. It does not — and legally cannot — assess whether any particular person meets them.
New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and the exemption for general information turns on not tailoring it to an individual. If your situation involves a conviction, a past decline, a health condition or an unusual immigration history, that is exactly the case for a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the New Zealand working holiday visa requirements?
A passport from one of the 45 participating countries; an age within your scheme's range, usually 18–30 but 18–35 on nine schemes; funds of NZ$4,200 on most schemes plus a return ticket or the money to buy one; full medical insurance covering hospitalisation for the whole stay; meeting health and character requirements; and never having been approved for one of these visas before.
Who can get a New Zealand working holiday visa?
Citizens of the 45 countries that have an arrangement with New Zealand, within the age range their scheme sets, who meet the funds, insurance, health and character rules and have not held one of these visas before. No job offer and no sponsor is needed.
Do I need a job offer for a New Zealand working holiday visa?
No. No scheme requires one, and you do not need one to apply or to arrive.
Can I get a working holiday visa at 33?
Only on one of the nine schemes that run to 35 — Argentina, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. The other 36 schemes stop at 30.
Do I need a degree for a New Zealand working holiday visa?
On most schemes, no. Seven require a qualification: the Philippines, Peru, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam and Singapore require tertiary study, and China requires a senior high school qualification verified by CSSD.
Do I need an English test?
Only on six schemes: China, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam and Peru. INZ does not publish the accepted tests or minimum scores on its own page, so check its lookup tool rather than a third-party figure. Every applicant on every scheme must lodge in English with translations, but that is a document rule, not a test.
How much money do I need to show?
NZ$4,200 on most schemes. Thailand and Turkey ask NZ$7,000; Austria, Malaysia and Singapore NZ$2,250; the UK and Canada NZ$350 per month of stay; Peru NZ$4,200 with an English test result or NZ$7,000 without. On top of that, you need a return ticket or enough money to buy one.
Can I apply if I have already had one of these visas?
No. The rule is once in a lifetime, and INZ's country pages say it applies even if you never used the visa. The only exceptions are the UK and Canada mechanisms, which extend an existing visa to a longer maximum rather than granting a new one.
Can I bring my children?
No. Working holiday visa holders cannot be accompanied by children, and children cannot be included in the application.
