Working Holidays Overseas for Australians
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Working holiday programs for Australians
Australia has working holiday arrangements with a number of countries and regions, which allow young Australians to have an extended holiday in many countries and supplement their travel funds through short-term employment.
Working holiday arrangements are negotiated bilaterally. The arrangements are reciprocal in nature in order to afford Australian citizens the same opportunities overseas that are enjoyed by Working Holiday and Work & Holiday visa holders visiting Australia.
The Australian Government continues to negotiate possible working holiday arrangements with a number of countries, however it is not possible to say if, or when, any new reciprocal arrangements may be reached. New arrangement countries are added to the website.
Countries and regions participating in the programs
Below is a list of countries and regions that participate in the working holiday program.
A-F |
G-M |
N-Z |
|---|---|---|
Belgium |
Germany |
Norway |
Canada |
HKSAR* |
Sweden |
Chile |
Ireland, Republic of |
Taiwan |
Cyprus, Republic of |
Italy |
Thailand |
Denmark |
Japan |
Turkey |
Estonia |
Korea, Republic of |
United Kingdom |
Finland |
Malta |
United States of America |
France |
Netherlands |
|
*Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (includes British National Overseas passport holders).
As each arrangement has been negotiated individually, visa criteria and the application process varies between arrangement countries. For specific information on Australia's working holiday arrangment with another country, you will need to contact that country's embassy or high commission.
See: Countries and Regions
Also, a list of foreign embassies and high commissions in Australia is also available on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
See: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
What the programs allow you to do
Generally each country allows you to:
- stay in the arrangement country for 12 months from the date you first enter on your Working Holiday visa
- work for a limited time to supplement your travel funds and
- study or train for a short time.
Criteria for visas
Applicants need to:
- hold an Australian passport
- meet health and character requirements
- be aged between 18 and 30
- have no dependent children
- have a return ticket, or sufficient funds for a return or onward fare
- have sufficient funds for the first part of the holiday.
There are also several additional requirements if you wish to have a working holiday in Chile, Thailand, Turkey, or the USA, which are outlined below.
Working holidays in the USA
In addition to the criteria listed above, Australians wishing to travel to the USA are required to have the following:
- be enrolled, or be enrolled and deferred, as a post-secondary student, or have graduated within the last 12 months from a post-secondary institution
and - be sponsored by a registered sponsoring organisation.
There is a list of sponsoring organisations on the US Department of State website.
See: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Working holidays in Chile, Thailand or Turkey
In addition to the criteria listed above, Australians wishing to travel to Chile, Thailand and Turkey are required to have the following:
- a letter of approval from the Australian Government supporting the application
- tertiary education (individual countries have specific requirements)
- Australians travelling to Chile require basic Spanish.
Letter of government support
The letter of government support for Chile, Thailand and Turkey is issued by the DIAC ACT & Regions Office in Canberra. Applicants are required to provide:
- a valid passport
- one other form of identification with current residential address (for example, telephone account) and
- certified copies of the applicant’s tertiary qualifications, a letter from the university confirming the level of study, or originals of academic transcripts.
Please forward the documents to: |
Or attend the office at: |
PO Box 717 |
3 Lonsdale Street |
Canberra City ACT 2601 |
Braddon ACT 2612 |
Further information
Further information is available for many of the countries listed
See: Countries and Regions