How Much Money You Need for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
Most New Zealand working holiday schemes require NZ$4,200 in available funds. Thailand and Turkey require NZ$7,000. Austria, Malaysia and Singapore require NZ$2,250. The UK and Canada express it as NZ$350 per month of stay. On every scheme you also need a return ticket, or the money to buy one, on top.
Quick Facts
| Standard requirement | NZ$4,200 — NZ$350 a month across 12 months |
| Highest | NZ$7,000 — Thailand and Turkey |
| Lowest fixed figure | NZ$2,250 — Austria, Malaysia and Singapore |
| Per-month schemes | NZ$350 per month of stay — United Kingdom and Canada |
| Peru | NZ$4,200 with an acceptable English test result, NZ$7,000 without |
| Return ticket | Required in addition to the funds, on every scheme |
| Medical insurance | A separate mandatory cost, for the whole stay |
| Is this a payment? | No. The funds stay yours. The visa fee is a separate NZ$770 |
| Source | INZ per-scheme pages and Operational Manual WI2, read 20 August 2026 |
The full picture, scheme by scheme
| Funds required | Schemes |
|---|---|
| NZ$7,000 | Thailand, Turkey |
| NZ$4,200 or NZ$7,000 | Peru — the lower figure applies only with an acceptable English test result |
| NZ$4,200 | Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Uruguay, USA, Vietnam |
| NZ$2,250 | Austria, Malaysia, Singapore |
| NZ$350 per month of stay | United Kingdom, Canada |
Note that NZ$4,200 and "NZ$350 a month" are the same rate. The standard figure is simply that monthly rate multiplied by a 12-month stay. It is expressed per month on the UK and Canada schemes because those visas can run much longer.
What the per-month schemes actually mean
This is where the United Kingdom scheme becomes the most demanding and the most forgiving at once.
| Length chosen | Funds to show |
|---|---|
| 12 months | NZ$4,200 |
| 23 months | NZ$8,050 |
| 36 months | NZ$12,600 |
Those are the arithmetic results of NZ$350 × the months. INZ publishes the rate, not the totals, so treat the multiplied figures as what the rate produces rather than as a published INZ number — and confirm the figure for your chosen duration on the scheme page.
The same applies on Canada at 12 or 23 months.
If you take the shortest option, the requirement is the lowest effective one in the whole system. If you take the longest, it is the highest. Choose the duration you can evidence.
See the UK scheme and the Canada scheme.
The return ticket, which is where people trip
Every one of the 45 schemes requires a ticket to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay, or proof of enough money to buy one — and that money must be additional to your living funds.
So on a standard scheme, NZ$4,200 in the account is not enough. You need NZ$4,200 plus either a booked onward ticket or demonstrably enough on top to buy one.
You do not have to book the flight. Evidence that you can afford it is accepted. But a bank balance of exactly NZ$4,200 evidences the living funds and nothing else.
Why Thailand and Turkey are different
Thailand and Turkey are the only two schemes at NZ$7,000, which is two-thirds more than the standard figure. Both also require a tertiary qualification — three years' full-time study for Thailand, four for Turkey — and English evidence. Thailand additionally requires a letter of support from its Department of Children and Youth.
Peru sits between the two. Its requirement is NZ$4,200 if you supply an acceptable English test result, and NZ$7,000 if you do not. It is the only scheme where taking a test changes the money.
INZ does not publish the accepted tests or the minimum scores for any of the six English-testing schemes on its own English page — it sends applicants to a lookup tool. We therefore publish no score thresholds. Check the tool before booking a test on the strength of a figure you found elsewhere.
What counts as evidence
INZ wants to see funds that are genuinely available to you.
| Usually accepted | Usually a problem |
|---|---|
| Bank statements in your own name | An account in someone else's name |
| Statements covering a recent period | A single screenshot with no history |
| A balance that has been there | A large deposit that landed yesterday with no explanation |
| Documents in English, or translated with the original attached | An untranslated foreign-language statement |
Money that appears suddenly and without explanation invites questions. Money that has sat in your account does not. See proof of funds for a NZ visa and document translation requirements.
What the funds figure is not
It is not the visa fee. You pay INZ NZ$770, which is separate and gone. The funds stay in your account.
It is not a budget. NZ$4,200 is a minimum standard for a visa decision, not an estimate of what living in New Zealand for a year costs. Rent, transport, food and a car will exceed it. Most people arrive with more, and most look for work quickly.
It is not a bond or deposit. Nobody holds it and nobody freezes it.
See what a working holiday visa actually costs and cost of living in New Zealand for migrants.
The other money you must have
Medical insurance is mandatory on all 45 schemes — full cover including hospitalisation, current for the whole stay — and it may be checked when you arrive in New Zealand. It is not part of the funds figure and it is not optional. See insurance and medical requirements.
Depending on your scheme you may also pay for an English test, a qualification verification, a chest x-ray, a full medical examination or document translation.
Step 1: Find your scheme's figure
Do not assume NZ$4,200. Six schemes differ, and two of them differ by a lot.
Step 2: Add the return ticket on top
Book it, or hold clearly separate money for it.
Step 3: Get the money in place early, and leave it there
A stable balance with history evidences itself. A last-minute transfer does not.
Step 4: Prepare statements in your own name, translated if needed
Recent, complete, and in your name. Translations must come with the original.
Step 5: Budget the mandatory extras separately
Insurance for the whole stay, plus any test, verification or medical your scheme triggers.
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 for 12 months. Thailand and Turkey require NZ$7,000. Austria, Malaysia and Singapore require NZ$2,250. The UK and Canada express it as NZ$350 per month of the stay you choose. Every scheme also requires a return ticket or the money to buy one, in addition.
Does the NZ$4,200 include my flight home?
No. The return ticket, or the money to buy one, must be additional to your living funds. Showing exactly NZ$4,200 does not satisfy both requirements.
Which scheme has the highest funds requirement?
Thailand and Turkey, at NZ$7,000 each. Peru also reaches NZ$7,000 for applicants who do not supply an acceptable English test result.
How much do UK applicants need?
NZ$350 per month of the stay they choose. On a 12-month visa that produces NZ$4,200; on 23 months, NZ$8,050; on 36 months, NZ$12,600. INZ publishes the monthly rate rather than the totals, so confirm the figure for your chosen duration.
Do I have to keep the money in my account after I arrive?
No. The funds are evidence for the visa decision, not a bond. Nobody holds or freezes them, and you are expected to spend them living in New Zealand.
Can my parents' bank statements be used?
INZ wants funds available to you, normally evidenced in your own name. A third party's account does not straightforwardly show that. Whether a particular arrangement satisfies the rule is a question about individual circumstances, which a licensed immigration adviser can assess.
Is the funds requirement the same as the visa fee?
No. The visa costs NZ$770, paid to INZ and not refunded. The funds requirement is money that stays yours and is only evidenced.
What if I have a job lined up in New Zealand?
It makes no difference to the funds requirement. No scheme requires a job offer, and having one does not reduce the amount you must show.
Does the money have to be in New Zealand dollars?
No. Funds held in another currency are assessed at their New Zealand dollar value, so allow some headroom for exchange rate movement between preparing your statements and INZ reading them.
