Working holiday visas for Hong Kong passport holders

This page lists working holiday visa options for residents of Hong Kong with a valid Hong Kong SAR or British National Overseas passport. These programs allow you to live and take on short-term work in several countries. All schemes listed are for applicants aged 18 to 30. Most visas permit a stay of up to 12 months, but the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme allows for up to 24 months.

Application costs and required funds vary by country. For example, the Australian visa fee is AUD840.00 and you need about AUD5,000 in funds. Canada requires CAN$2,500, while New Zealand requires NZD $4,200. For the UK, you need to show £2,530. Some programs, like Ireland’s, have no initial application fee but require an immigration registration fee of €300 after you arrive.

Passport: Hong Kong
Programs found: 8
Lowest upper age limit: 30
Highest upper age limit: 30

Programs that list Hong Kong passport holders

8 programs, checked October 21, 2026
Destination	Program	Age	Stay	Status
Australia	Working Holiday visa	18 to 30	Up to 12 months
Canada	IEC Working Holiday	18 to 30	Up to 12 months
Germany	Working Holiday visa	18 to 30	Up to 12 months
Ireland	Working Holiday Authorisation	18 to 30	Up to 12 months from entry; must enter within 90 days of issue
Japan	Working Holiday visa	18 to 30	See source
New Zealand	Working Holiday Visa, Hong Kong scheme	18 to 30	Up to 12 months
South Korea	Working Holiday visa H-1	18 to 30	Up to 12 months from entry, no extension
UK	Youth Mobility Scheme visa	18 to 30	Up to 24 months	2026 ballots closed

Country-specific conditions

Australia: Working Holiday visa

Fee: AUD840.00 (first visa)
Funds: About AUD5,000 plus your fare out
Hong Kong SAR passports.

Canada: IEC Working Holiday

Fee: CAN$184.75 IEC fee + CAN$100 open work permit holder fee
Funds: CAN$2,500
As a resident of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), you may participate in IEC only once.
You must be a resident of Hong Kong when you apply (a residential or mailing address there).

Germany: Working Holiday visa

Where to apply: Only the German Consulate General in Hong Kong; applicants must be Hong Kong residents.

Ireland: Working Holiday Authorisation

Fee: No application fee at present (the €300 immigration registration fee applies after arrival)
Funds: Bank statement covering 6 months showing access to sufficient funds
Places: 200 places per year; applications accepted from 1 May each year until the quota is filled
Apply through the Consulate General of Ireland, Hong Kong.
For HKSAR residents with an HKSAR or BNO passport. Short-term work of no more than three months with any one employer. A year of medical insurance is required.

Japan: Working Holiday visa

Funds: Reasonable funds for the first part of the stay
Places: 1,500 visas per year
Must hold a valid HKSAR or British National Overseas passport.

New Zealand: Working Holiday Visa, Hong Kong scheme

Funds: NZD $4,200
Be a resident of Hong Kong SAR, with a valid British National overseas passport or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport.

South Korea: Working Holiday visa H-1

Places: Up to 1,000 Hong Kong residents each year
Applicants must be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong with an HKSAR or BNO passport, and show a bank record keeping HK$25,000 throughout the last 3 months. The visa is valid for 3 months from issue for entry.

UK: Youth Mobility Scheme visa

Fee: £340 + Immigration Health Surcharge (usually £776 per year)
Funds: £2,530 held for 28 days
Places: 1,000 places in 2026, by ballot
SAR passport holders must be selected in the YMS ballot first. In 2026 there were 1,000 places; all 2026 ballots have closed and 2027 details will be published by UKVI.

What stands out

Several programs have annual quotas or specific application rules. The UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme is run by ballot, with 1,000 places available in 2026; the data shows the 2026 ballots are closed. Ireland’s scheme has a quota of 200 places per year, and South Korea’s has a limit of 1,000. Japan also has a quota of 1,500 visas per year. For Canada and Germany, you must be a resident of Hong Kong when you apply. The Canadian program also specifies that residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may participate only once.

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:

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