The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa, Explained
A New Zealand working holiday visa lets you travel and work in New Zealand for 12 months, or longer on a few schemes. It costs NZ$770, needs no job offer, and is open to citizens of 45 countries. Places are given out first come, first served. You can hold one once in your life.
Quick Facts
| Cost | NZ$770 = NZ$215 application fee + NZ$455 immigration levy + NZ$100 IVL |
| Processing | Half decided in 4 days; 80% within 1.5 weeks |
| Who it is for | Citizens of the 45 participating countries, aged 18–30 (18–35 on nine schemes) |
| Length | 12 months on 41 schemes. Malaysia and Austria 6 months. Canada 12 or 23. The UK 12, 23 or 36 |
| Funds | NZ$4,200 standard, plus a return ticket or the money to buy one |
| Job offer | Not required |
| How places are given out | First come, first served from a published opening date — 32 schemes are capped, 13 are not |
| How many times | Once, ever |
| Leads to residence | No. It is a temporary visa with no residence pathway built in |
| Source | INZ scheme pages and Operational Manual section WI2, read 20 August 2026 |
What the visa actually is
A working holiday visa is a temporary visa granted under a bilateral arrangement between New Zealand and another country. Each arrangement is its own scheme, with its own settings, and the scheme you apply under is decided by the passport you hold.
There are 45 schemes in total. They are listed in Operational Manual section WI2, which is the authoritative source — not a marketing page. Thirty-two of them are capped, meaning a fixed number of places each year. Thirteen are uncapped and take applications all year round.
The visa lets you:
- work for almost any employer, in almost any job
- change jobs as often as you like, subject to your scheme's per-employer limit
- study for up to 6 months in total
- leave and re-enter New Zealand for the life of the visa
It does not let you take a permanent job, own or operate a business, or bring children with you.
See all 45 schemes country by country for the full table.
What it costs
NZ$770. That single figure is published identically on all 45 scheme pages. It is made of three separate charges:
| Component | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$215 | Pays for the decision on your application |
| Immigration levy | NZ$455 | Funds settlement programmes, immigration research and the Immigration Advisers Authority |
| International Visitor Levy (IVL) | NZ$100 | Conservation and tourism funding, collected by MBIE |
| Total | NZ$770 |
Two things stand out. The immigration levy is more than double the application fee — most people assume the reverse. And there has been no general INZ fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026; the current rates date from 1 October 2024, and INZ's own fees page still says so.
None of the three is refunded if your application is declined. See what a working holiday visa actually costs and what the IVL is.
How places are given out
This is the single most misreported fact in the category, so it is worth being blunt about it.
None of the 45 schemes uses a lottery, a draw or random selection. Every one of them is strictly first come, first served. INZ's wording is that once each scheme opens, "applications will be open until the places are filled". When the places are gone, the scheme closes until the following year.
New Zealand does run three immigration programmes on a genuine ballot — the Pacific Access Category, the Samoan Quota and, from 5 October 2026, part of the Parent Category. None of them has anything to do with this visa. See is it a ballot? for the full explanation.
The 32 capped schemes each open at 10:00 New Zealand time on a published date. The 2026 dates were announced on 15 January 2026. The 13 uncapped schemes — Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA — have no opening date at all.
Full calendar: working holiday visa opening dates.
Who can apply
Five things decide it, and none of them is negotiable.
1. Your passport. You must hold a valid passport from a country that runs a scheme with New Zealand. There are 45. India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and every African country are not among them — see why there is no scheme for India.
2. Your age. The default rule is "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 run to 35: Argentina, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. See age limits.
3. Your money. NZ$4,200 for most schemes, and a return ticket or enough money to buy one, on top of the NZ$4,200. See the funds requirement.
4. Your insurance. Full medical insurance covering hospitalisation, current for your whole stay. It can be checked when you arrive at the border.
5. Whether you have had one before. You cannot hold a working holiday visa twice. INZ's country pages say you cannot apply again even if you did not use the visa.
The full checklist is at working holiday visa eligibility.
The once-in-a-lifetime rule, and why it catches people
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".
Read that carefully. It says approved, not used. If you were granted a visa at 22, flew to Auckland for three weeks, came home and never went back, you have used your entitlement. If you were granted one at 22 and never boarded a plane, you have still used it.
There are only two second-application routes, and neither is a fresh entitlement:
- UK holders who took less than 36 months can apply for a further visa up to the 36-month ceiling.
- Canada holders on a 12-month visa can apply for a Subsequent Work Visa up to the 23-month ceiling.
Both top up an existing maximum. Neither resets the clock.
There is also an activation window: you must make your first entry to New Zealand within 12 months of the visa being granted, or it expires unused. Apply on the day a scheme opens and then delay your trip by 14 months, and you have paid NZ$770 for nothing.
Step 1: Confirm your scheme exists and check its settings
Find your country in the 45-scheme table. Note the cap, the age range, the duration, the funds figure and — if the scheme is capped — the opening date. Settings differ by scheme far more than most guides admit.
Step 2: Get your money and documents in order before opening day
A passport valid at least 3 months beyond the visa's expiry. Bank statements showing the required funds. Evidence of a return ticket or the money for one. A medical insurance policy for the whole stay. Any qualification or English evidence your scheme requires.
Step 3: Apply online, in English
All working holiday applications are lodged online through an Immigration Online account, and must be in English. Documents in another language need a translation. Applying in English is not the same as passing an English test — only six schemes require a test.
Step 4: Pay the NZ$770 at submission
The fee, the immigration levy and the IVL are all charged when you submit. See how to pay NZ visa fees.
Step 5: Supply medical evidence if it is asked for
Where a chest x-ray or full medical examination is triggered, the evidence must reach INZ within 15 days of you submitting, and must be less than 3 months old. See insurance and medical requirements.
Step 6: Travel within 12 months of the grant
Book with the activation window in mind. Your visa's clock starts when you arrive, but the visa itself dies if you do not arrive in time.
What you can and cannot do once you are here
| You can | You cannot |
|---|---|
| Work for almost any employer | Take a permanent job |
| Change jobs freely (within per-employer limits) | Own or operate a business |
| Study or train for up to 6 months total | Provide commercial sexual services |
| Leave and re-enter New Zealand | Bring dependent children |
| Apply for the 3-month seasonal extension, on most schemes | Hold a second working holiday visa later |
From 20 April 2026 there is one more rule: 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. People who held a visa before that date keep their old conditions until it expires. See the self-employment rule.
Several schemes also cap how long you can stay with one employer: 3 months for Denmark, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico and Poland; 6 months for Lithuania and Chile. Spain has no per-employer limit at all. Full detail: conditions and restrictions.
Making it longer
Three separate mechanisms exist, and they are often confused.
The Working Holiday Extension Work Visa adds 3 months and costs NZ$800. It is open to holders of any nationality and requires at least 3 months of seasonal horticulture or viticulture work. One per person, ever. See how to extend.
The UK route lets a holder who took less than 36 months apply for a further visa up to that ceiling, on a paper form from inside New Zealand.
The Canada route uses a Subsequent Work Visa to reach the 23-month ceiling, also on paper.
The 3-month seasonal extension stacks on top of the UK and Canada ceilings where a holder is eligible.
How long a decision takes
Published times as at 20 August 2026: 50% of working holiday applications decided within 4 days, 80% within 1.5 weeks. That is among the fastest of any New Zealand visa product.
Nothing makes it faster. New Zealand has no paid fast-track service for any visa, and anyone offering one is not selling an official product — see paid priority visa processing.
What happens afterwards
A working holiday visa is temporary and leads nowhere on its own. There is no points credit, no automatic renewal and no residence pathway attached to it.
What people actually do is switch. The most common next step is an Accredited Employer Work Visa, which needs an accredited employer and a job of at least 30 hours a week. Others move onto a student visa, or a partnership-based visa. Compare the two work options at AEWV vs working holiday visa.
If you are weighing a working holiday against simply visiting, visitor visa vs working holiday visa sets out the difference in work rights.
Where these figures come from
Everything on this page comes from INZ's per-scheme visa pages, the INZ 1028 Fees Guide (May 2026 edition), the 15 January 2026 opening-dates announcement, and Operational Manual section WI2. All were read on 20 August 2026.
Scheme settings change without much notice, and a capped scheme's status can change in a single morning. Check your own scheme's INZ page before you pay.
This page is general information about published immigration rules. It is not immigration advice, and it does not assess anyone's individual circumstances. If your situation is complicated, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do I need for a New Zealand working holiday?
NZ$4,200 on most schemes, which is NZ$350 a month across 12 months. Malaysia, Austria and Singapore ask NZ$2,250. Thailand and Turkey ask NZ$7,000. The UK and Canada express it as NZ$350 per month of stay. On every scheme you also need a return ticket, or enough money to buy one, in addition to those funds.
Do I need a job offer for a New Zealand working holiday visa?
No. No scheme requires a job offer, and you do not need one to apply or to arrive. The visa is granted on your passport, age, funds, health, character and insurance.
How long can I stay in New Zealand on a working holiday visa?
Twelve months on 41 of the 45 schemes. Malaysia and Austria are 6 months. Canada is 12 or 23 months. The UK is 12, 23 or 36 months. A 3-month seasonal extension is available on most schemes on top of that.
Can I apply for a New Zealand working holiday visa twice?
No. The visa can be held once in a lifetime. INZ's country pages state that you cannot apply again even if you never used the visa you were granted. The only second applications allowed are the UK and Canada top-ups, which extend an existing maximum rather than granting a new one.
What is the processing time for a working holiday visa?
As at August 2026, half of applications are decided within 4 days and 80% within 1.5 weeks. There is no way to pay for a faster decision.
Can I study on a working holiday visa?
Yes, up to 6 months in total. The cap is the same on every scheme and it covers the whole working holiday period, including any 3-month extension. Longer study needs a student visa.
Can my partner work in New Zealand if I have a working holiday visa?
Not on your visa. A working holiday visa covers one person and has no partner or dependant category attached. A partner who wants work rights needs a visa of their own — often a working holiday visa on their own passport, if their country runs a scheme.
Can I combine a working holiday with studying in New Zealand?
Yes, within the 6-month study cap. Many holders take a short course, a language course or a single semester. Anything longer, or anything that leads to a qualification taking more than 6 months, needs a student visa instead.
Does a working holiday visa lead to residence in New Zealand?
Not by itself. It carries no residence pathway and no points. Holders who stay usually move to another visa first, most often an Accredited Employer Work Visa, and pursue residence from there.
