Working holiday visas for South Korean citizens

This page is for citizens of South Korea looking for working holiday visas. It shows programs in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Japan, Germany, and Hong Kong. Most programs are for applicants aged 18 to 30 or 18 to 35. The length of stay is typically up to 12 months, but Canada and the UK offer stays of up to 24 months. You will need to show you have enough money for your stay.

For example, you need about AUD5,000 for Australia, NZD $4,200 for New Zealand, CAN$2,500 for Canada, and £2,530 for the UK. The visa fees also vary. Australia’s first visa costs AUD840.00, while Canada’s fees total CAN$184.75 plus CAN$100. The UK visa costs £340 plus an Immigration Health Surcharge. Hong Kong’s visa is free of charge.

Passport

South Korea

Programs found

8

Lowest upper age limit

30

Highest upper age limit

35

Programs that list South Korean 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 Korean citizen, you may participate in IEC twice. You can choose the Working Holiday or Young Professionals category twice. However, you may only participate in the International Co-op category once.
• Other IEC categories for this passport: International Co-op (Internship), Young Professionals.

Germany: Working Holiday visa

• Where to apply: Only the German Embassy in Seoul.

Hong Kong: Working Holiday Scheme

• Fee: Free of charge
• Funds: At least HK$20,000
• Places: 1,000 per year
• Work: No more than six months with the same employer.
• Study: One course, up to six months.

Ireland: Working Holiday Authorisation

• Places: Applications are emailed, then 400 applicants plus a waiting list are drawn at random
• Apply through the Embassy of Ireland in Seoul. The second-half 2026 window runs from 1 to 7 November 2026 (Korean time), by email.
• The embassy says the full process takes roughly 2 to 3 months from application.

Japan: Working Holiday visa

• Funds: Reasonable funds for the first part of the stay
• Places: 10,000 visas per year
• 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.
• Since 1 October 2025: can take part twice in a lifetime (two separate one-year stays).

New Zealand: Working Holiday Visa, South Korea scheme

• Funds: NZD $4,200

UK: Youth Mobility Scheme visa

• Fee: £340 + Immigration Health Surcharge (usually £776 per year)
• Funds: £2,530 held for 28 days

What stands out

Several programs for South Korean citizens have specific application rules. Ireland uses a random draw for its 400 places, and applications are sent by email during a specific window. For Japan, you must currently live in South Korea to apply, and you can now participate twice. Canada also allows you to participate twice in its IEC program.

Hong Kong and Japan have yearly quotas of 1,000 and 10,000 visas, respectively. For Germany, applications must be made at the German Embassy in Seoul. Hong Kong limits you to six months with the same employer.

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, South Korea scheme (New Zealand)
• 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.