Working holiday visas for French citizens

This page is for French citizens looking for information on working holiday visas. It shows the main requirements for programs in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and Hong Kong. Eligibility generally requires you to be between 18 and 30 or 18 and 35, depending on the country. Most visas allow a stay of up to 12 months, but Canada’s program permits up to 24 months.

The cost and required funds vary significantly. For Australia, the fee is AUD840.00 for a first visa and you need about AUD5,000 in funds. New Zealand requires NZD $4,200, and Canada requires CAN$2,500. For Hong Kong, the amount is at least HK$25,000. The application fee for Canada is CAN$184.75 plus a CAN$100 open work permit holder fee, while New Zealand’s fee starts from NZD $770.

Passport

France

Programs found

5

Lowest upper age limit

30

Highest upper age limit

35

Programs that list French citizens

Country-specific conditions

Australia: Working Holiday visa

• Fee: AUD840.00 (first visa)
• Funds: About AUD5,000 plus your fare out

Canada: IEC Working Holiday

• Fee: CAN$184.75 IEC fee + CAN$100 open work permit holder fee
• Funds: CAN$2,500
• As a French citizen, you may participate in the Working Holiday only once. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may participate in IEC one more time through the International Co-op (Internship) category. If you participated in IEC only once before 2015, you are eligible for a second participation of up to 24 months in the category of your choice. Those who have already participated in IEC more than once before 2015 are not eligible. French citizens participating in the Volontariat international en entreprise (VIE) program to Canada must apply for their work permit through the IEC program. You must submit your profile to the Young Professionals, with VIE, pool. VIE participations before 2015 do not count as IEC participations.
• Other IEC categories for this passport: International Co-op (Internship), Young Professionals.

Hong Kong: Working Holiday Scheme

• Funds: At least HK$25,000
• Places: 750 per year
• Work: No more than six months with the same employer.
• Study: One course, up to six months.

Japan: Working Holiday visa

• Funds: Reasonable funds for the first part of the stay
• Places: 1,800 visas per year

New Zealand: Working Holiday Visa, France scheme

• Fee: From NZD $770
• Funds: NZD $4,200

What stands out

Several programs for French citizens have specific limits. Canada’s IEC Working Holiday program can generally only be done once. However, some past participants may be eligible for a second participation in a different category. Hong Kong and Japan also have annual quotas of 750 and 1,800 visas respectively. Additionally, the Hong Kong scheme restricts you to working for no more than six months with the same employer and limits study to a single course of up to six months.

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:

• Australian Department of Home Affairs: Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
• Immigration New Zealand: Working Holiday Visa, France scheme (New Zealand)
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): IEC Working Holiday (Canada)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: Working Holiday visa (Japan)
• 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.