New ZealandYouth programmeLimited

Working holiday visa in New Zealand

The working holiday visa allows young people from New Zealand's partner countries to travel around the country and to work as an employee and study along the way, without having to obtain an employer's offer in advance. The visa is available only to citizens of states that have concluded a bilateral working holiday agreement with New Zealand — Russia is not on that list.

Source: Immigration New Zealand — Who can apply for a working holiday visa

Who can obtain the visa

The conditions are the same in substance, but the exact figures (age, term, money to live on) are set by the agreement with the particular country of citizenship.

Who qualifies

Citizenship of a country that has a bilateral working holiday agreement with New Zealand — a list of 45 countries, which does not include Russia
Usually aged 18–30, and in some countries the upper limit is raised to 35
A job offer from an employer is not required in order to lodge
The main purpose of the trip is a holiday and travel; work and study are secondary
You have a return ticket or the money to buy one
A valid paper (physical) passport

Periods of stay by scheme

By default the visa is valid for up to 12 months
For citizens of Canada — up to 23 months
For citizens of the United Kingdom — 12, 23 or 36 months by choice, with an annual quota of 15,000 visas
Study or courses are allowed for up to 6 months in total while the visa is valid

What it costs

Visa application (example under the agreement with the United Kingdom)	770 NZD

Documents to gather

The set of documents is set by the scheme of the particular country; below is a general list based on the requirements of the programme and the example for citizens of the United Kingdom.

A valid paper passport, valid for at least 3 months after the visa ends
A medical certificate if you lodge the application inside New Zealand; where the total period of stay exceeds 12 months — a chest x-ray and a general medical examination
Police certificates on request — mandatory if the total period of stay in New Zealand is 24 months or more
Evidence of money for day-to-day costs (under the agreement with the United Kingdom, for example — from NZD 350 a month)
A return ticket or evidence of the money to buy one

How the process runs

You can lodge only online and in English, and only while applications under your country's scheme are open.

1
Create an account in the Immigration New Zealand online services
Registration is needed in order to lodge the application, upload the documents and pay the fee.
2
Check that applications under your country's scheme are open
If you lodge an application before the opening date for your scheme, it will be deleted automatically.
3
Gather the documents
The passport and, where necessary, a medical certificate, police certificates and evidence of money for living costs.
4
Lodge the application online in English and pay the fee
The application is lodged from any country, including New Zealand itself, apart from certain schemes — for the China Working Holiday Visa, for example, you have to be in China at the time of lodgement.
5
Wait for the decision
for citizens of the United Kingdom 80% of applications are decided in 1.5 weeks
The processing time is set by the scheme of the particular country.
6
Receive the visa and enter New Zealand within 12 months of the date of grant
A working holiday visa cannot be deferred or cancelled. If you do not enter within 12 months of the grant, the visa lapses, and you will not be able to apply for it again.

Timelines and rights

Work

You can start work immediately, but only under an employment agreement with an employer. You may not take a permanent position, nor run your own business as its owner.

Who you can bring with you

The working holiday visa does not extend to accompanying persons.

Partner or child

They do not obtain a visa of their own from the working holiday holder — each has to lodge their own application for a separate visa

Renewal and the grace period

There is no direct extension of the working holiday visa itself. If you have worked at least 3 months in seasonal jobs in horticulture or viticulture, you can apply for a Working Holiday Extension Work Visa — it extends the stay by up to a further 3 months on the same conditions as the original visa, costs from NZD 800 and is granted only once. Separately, holders of visas under the United Kingdom and Canada schemes can obtain a Working Holiday Scheme Subsequent Work Visa, which extends the stay to the maximum term of their scheme (for the United Kingdom — up to 36 months, for Canada — up to 23 months).

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Working holiday visa	Skilled migrant visa	AEWV work visa
Visa term	As a rule up to 12 months	A resident visa with no limit on the period of residence	Up to 5 years depending on the job offered; for occupations at skill level 4–5 the term is reduced to 3 years
Grounds	Bilateral working holiday agreements	The Skilled Resident Points system plus skilled employment with an accredited employer	A full-time job offer from an employer that has passed accreditation and a job check
Money	The amount of money and the fee are set by the agreement with your country	The fee is from NZD 6,450	The fee is from NZD 1,540
Work	You can start work immediately, but only under an employment agreement with an employer	The right to live, work and study in New Zealand with no limit of time	Work with an accredited employer

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

This visa has no direct route to residence: residence is applied for under another programme.

Route to citizenship

Citizenship counts only the years spent as a resident: 1,350 days of presence over the five years. Time on a working holiday visa does not count towards that period.

Frequently asked questions about Working holiday visa

Is the working holiday visa available to Russian citizens?

No. The working holiday visa is available only to citizens of countries that have a bilateral agreement with New Zealand. The official list of 45 partner countries does not include Russia: if a country is not on the list, the visa will not be granted.

Who can apply for a working holiday visa at all?

A citizen of a partner country, usually aged 18–30 (in some countries up to 35). A job offer from an employer is not needed in order to lodge.

What does a working holiday visa cost?

The fee depends on the agreement with the particular country. For citizens of the United Kingdom, for example, the application costs from NZD 770, and for day-to-day costs you have to evidence at least NZD 350 a month.

Can you travel on this visa with a partner or children?

No. A partner or child who wants to come to New Zealand has to lodge their own application for a separate visa — the working holiday does not extend to accompanying persons.

Can a working holiday visa be extended?

There is no direct extension, but after at least 3 months of seasonal work in horticulture or viticulture you can apply for a Working Holiday Extension Work Visa — a further period of up to 3 months on the same conditions, from NZD 800, and only once ever.

How does the working holiday visa differ from an employer-sponsored work visa (the AEWV)?

The working holiday visa requires no job offer and allows you to change employers, but it prohibits a permanent position and a business of your own. For long-term work with an accredited employer a separate visa is needed — the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

What happens if you do not enter New Zealand in time after the visa is granted?

The working holiday visa lapses if you do not enter the country within 12 months of the date of grant. It cannot be deferred or cancelled, and you will not be able to apply for such a visa again, even if you never used it.

Other ways to move to New Zealand

Every route in one list — migration programmes: New Zealand.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.