Working holiday visas for Australian citizens

This page is for Australian citizens looking for working holiday visa options. It shows the main requirements for programs in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Japan, Germany, and Hong Kong. Eligibility often depends on your age, with most programs open to applicants aged 18 to 30. However, programs for Canada, the UK, and Ireland accept applicants up to age 35.

The length of stay varies from up to 12 months in Germany, Hong Kong, and Ireland, to up to 24 months in Canada. The UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme visa allows for a stay of up to 24 months, with a possible one-year extension. Required funds range from CAN$2,500 for Canada to £2,530 for the UK and at least HK$20,000 for Hong Kong. Application fees include £340 plus a health surcharge for the UK and CAN$184.75 plus a CAN$100 fee for Canada.

Passport

Australia

Programs found

6

Lowest upper age limit

30

Highest upper age limit

35

Programs that list Australian citizens

Country-specific conditions

Canada: IEC Working Holiday

• Fee: CAN$184.75 IEC fee + CAN$100 open work permit holder fee
• Funds: CAN$2,500
• As an Australian citizen, you can only participate once in either the Working Holiday or Young Professionals category. If you’re eligible for an international co-op, you can participate in IEC a second time through the International Co-op (Internship) category. Exception: If you participated in IEC one or more times before 2015, you might be eligible for a final participation of up to 24 months in the category of your choice.
• Other IEC categories for this passport: International Co-op (Internship), Young Professionals.

Germany: Working Holiday visa

• Where to apply: Any German mission abroad, or the local foreigners authority if already in Germany.

Hong Kong: Working Holiday Scheme

• Funds: At least HK$20,000
• Places: 5,000 per year
• Work: No more than three months with the same employer.
• Study: Any number of courses, each up to three months.

Ireland: Working Holiday Authorisation

• Funds: At least AUD$5,000, or AUD$2,500 with a return ticket to Australia
• Apply by post to the Embassy of Ireland in Canberra (or the Embassy in London if resident in the UK). Usual processing is 15 working days; an expedited option targets 5 working days.
• Maximum of six months with any one employer. One authorisation per person; it cannot be extended.

Japan: Working Holiday visa

• Funds: Reasonable funds for the first part of the stay
• Places: No limit
• Must currently live in the country of nationality.
• MOFA says applicants from this country should be 18 to 25 unless the two governments agree to extend the limit to 30; check the Japanese embassy page.

UK: Youth Mobility Scheme visa

• Fee: £340 + Immigration Health Surcharge (usually £776 per year)
• Funds: £2,530 held for 28 days
• Can extend the visa by one year after the 2-year period ends.

What stands out

Several programs for Australian citizens have specific rules that stand out. For Canada’s IEC program, you can generally only participate once in the Working Holiday category. The UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme is unusual because you can extend the visa by one year after the initial 24-month period. For Ireland, you can work for a maximum of six months with any one employer, and the authorisation cannot be extended.

Hong Kong’s scheme has a yearly quota of 5,000 places and limits work with the same employer to no more than three months. The visa for Japan has a note that applicants should be 18 to 25 unless the age limit has been officially extended to 30, and you must live in Australia when you apply.

This page covers the destinations in this directory only: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Hong Kong, South Korea. Singapore’s Work Holiday Programme is left out here because it depends on where your university is, not on your passport; see the Singapore sheet. A destination missing here may still run a program for your passport; check its official immigration site.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official government pages:

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): IEC Working Holiday (Canada)
• GOV.UK (UK Visas and Immigration): Youth Mobility Scheme visa (UK)
• Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland: Working Holiday Authorisation (Ireland)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: Working Holiday visa (Japan)
• German Federal Foreign Office: Working Holiday visa (Germany)
• Hong Kong Immigration Department: Working Holiday Scheme (Hong Kong)

Last checked October 21, 2026 (Oct 2026). Rules, fees and quotas can change after this date.