Applicant: First Working Holiday Visa Eligibility

To be eligible for your first Working Holiday visa, you must meet a number of requirements.

General requirements

You must:

• be outside Australia when you apply and, when your visa is granted.
• not have entered Australia on a Working Holiday visa before
• be aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the time of applying
  Important: Your age will be determined as the age you are in Australia at the time your application is lodged (Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) or the Australian Eastern Daylight Savings time (AEDST)). Because of this time difference you are advised not to wait to lodge your application until you are about to turn 31, as the system will take the current date in Australia as your application date.
• be applying no more than 12 months before you intend to travel to Australia.
• will not be accompanied by dependent children at any time during your stay in Australia

Note: A dependent child is the child, or step-child, of you or your partner who:

• is not married, engaged to be married, or in a de facto relationship
• has not turned 18.

If you would like a dependent child to join you in Australia, you must apply for a different visa such as a Tourist visa. If you have dependent children who will not accompany you at any time you must apply for a Working Holiday visa using the paper application. You are not able to apply online.

• See: Working Holiday visa applications - paper
• hold a passport for a country or region participating with Australia in the Working Holiday program
  See: Countries/Regions Participating in Working Holiday Program

Health requirements

All applicants are required to meet health criteria. Depending on your circumstances, you may need to undertake a medical examination which may include a chest x-ray, HIV, Hepatitis B and/or Hepatitis C test.

All required health examinations must be completed before a decision can be made on your visa application.

If you need a medical examination, the cost is not included in the visa application charge (fee) you pay when you lodge your application.

Health examination requirements are outlined on Form 1163i.
See: Health requirements information and forms

Health insurance

Medical treatment in Australia can be very expensive. As a tourist, you are not covered by Australia's national health scheme, unless there is a reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and your country. Health care for visitors to Australia is explained on the Medicare Australia website.
See: Medicare Australia Health Care for visitors to Australia

It is recommended that you take out health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia. You can obtain health insurance through a health insurance provider or travel agent in your country of residence.

For more information about private health insurance:
See: PrivateHealth.gov.au – Cover for overseas visitors

Character requirements

To be granted this visa you must meet character requirements.
See also: Character and Penal Clearance Requirements

Financial requirements

You must have access to sufficient funds to support yourself for the initial stage of your holiday. Generally, AUD$5,000 may be regarded as sufficient, but the amount may vary depending on your length of stay and the extent of your travel. You should also have a return or onward ticket or the funds for a fare to depart Australia.

You may be asked to provide evidence. Evidence may include a certified copy of a bank statement and an air ticket out of Australia.

Extending your stay

To be eligible for a second Working Holiday visa, you must have completed three months specified work in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday visa.

For more information on the eligibility criteria for a second Working Holiday visa.
See: Applicant: Second Working Holiday visa

Australian Values Statement

You must declare that you will respect Australian values and obey the laws of Australia. For this visa, the values statement is included in the general declaration section of the application form. When you sign the application form it means you will also be signing the values statement. You will not be required to have read the Life in Australia book, but may do so if you wish.

You are also encouraged to gain an understanding of Australia, its people and their way of life, before applying for this visa.
See: Australian Values - Overview