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Hong Kong working holiday scheme: quotas and rules

Which passports can get Working Holiday Scheme (Hong Kong): 13 countries, age limits (18 to 30), stay and funds. Official sources, checked Oct 2026.

Checked against official sources by the Travel to Work desk

CheckedWHV21 OCT 2026
Last checked
Checked against
immd.gov.hk
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This page is for citizens of 13 specific countries interested in Hong Kong’s Working Holiday Scheme. It shows the main eligibility rules and conditions. To apply, you must be aged 18 to 30 and be a national passport holder who ordinarily lives in your home country. The scheme allows for a stay of up to 12 months.

Participants can only take up temporary work as an incidental part of their holiday. You must show proof of funds, have a return ticket or money for one, and hold the required insurance. Each country has an annual quota, and applications are approved on a first come, first served basis. Visas are free of charge for Irish, Japanese, and Korean citizens.

Program
Working Holiday Scheme
Passports listed
13
Age ranges
18 to 30

General rules

  • Stay of not more than 12 months; extensions are not normally considered.
  • Temporary work only, as an incidental part of the holiday; no permanent employment.
  • Annual quota per country, approved first come, first served.
  • National passport holder ordinarily living in that country, aged 18 to 30, with proof of funds, a return ticket or money for one, and insurance as set out for your nationality.
  • You can only take part in the scheme once; dependants cannot join you under it.
  • Visas for Irish, Japanese and Korean citizens are free of charge.

Passports accepted: Working Holiday Scheme

13 passports, checked October 21, 2026
Passport Age Stay Funds Places / status
Australia 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 5,000 per year
Austria 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 100 per year
Canada 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$15,000 193 per year
France 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$25,000 750 per year
Germany 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 300 per year
Hungary 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$25,000 200 per year
Ireland 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 200 per year
Japan 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 1,500 per year
Netherlands 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 100 per year
New Zealand 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$14,000 400 per year
South Korea 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 1,000 per year
Sweden 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$20,000 500 per year
United Kingdom 18 to 30 Up to 12 months At least HK$22,000 1,000 per year

What stands out

The Hong Kong scheme has a strict residence requirement: applicants must be ordinarily living in the country of their passport. This may affect citizens who live abroad. The rules also state clearly that you can only participate in the scheme once, and extensions beyond the 12 month stay are not normally considered. Another point is that dependants are not permitted to join the visa holder under this scheme.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Check your country's annual quota, work and study limits and the funds you must show.
  2. Apply online to the Immigration Department and upload your documents.
  3. If approved, pay the fee online (unless your nationality is exempt) and download the e-Visa.

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.

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