Ireland working holiday authorisation by country

This page is for citizens of 11 countries who want to travel to Ireland under its Working Holiday Authorisation program. It shows which passport holders are eligible and the general conditions for the authorisation. The program is open to citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

Eligible age ranges are generally 18 to 30 or 18 to 35, although one country is listed as 18 or older. Applications must be made from outside Ireland. If you stay for more than 90 days, you are required to register with immigration and pay the Irish Residence Permit fee of €300. The government notes that finding short-term casual work is highly competitive.

Program: Working Holiday Authorisation
Passports listed: 11
Age ranges: 18 or older, 18 to 30, 18 to 35

General rules

You apply from outside Ireland, through the Irish embassy or office listed for your country.
Non-EU participants staying more than 90 days must register with immigration; the Irish Residence Permit fee is €300.
The Department of Foreign Affairs notes that short-term casual work in Ireland is highly competitive and a WHA does not guarantee a job.

Passports accepted: Working Holiday Authorisation

11 passports, checked October 21, 2026
Passport	Age	Stay	Funds	Places / status
Andorra	18 to 30	Up to 12 months, non-renewable	At least €2,500 in a bank account	25 per year, processed in order received
Argentina	18 to 35	Up to 12 months	€1,500 with a return ticket or €3,000 without	200 per year; the first 200 emails received when the program opens get an appointment
Australia	18 to 35	Up to 12 months after entry; must be activated within 12 months of issue	At least AUD$5,000, or AUD$2,500 with a return ticket to Australia
Canada	18 to 35	Valid for two years
Chile	18 to 30	Up to 12 months, non-renewable	€1,500 with a return ticket or €3,000 without	200 per year, in two rounds of 100
Hong Kong	18 to 30	Up to 12 months from entry; must enter within 90 days of issue	Bank statement covering 6 months showing access to sufficient funds	200 places per year; applications accepted from 1 May each year until the quota is filled
Japan	See source	Up to a year
New Zealand	18 to 30	Up to 12 months; must be activated within 12 months of issue	At least NZ$2,500 plus a return ticket, or NZ$5,000
South Korea	See source	See source		Applications are emailed, then 400 applicants plus a waiting list are drawn at random
Taiwan	See source	See source
United States	18 or older	Up to 12 months from arrival; must arrive within 6 months of issue	Bank statement showing access to at least $1,500

What stands out

The information for this program contains a specific fee that applies to most participants. While the authorisation itself has no fee listed in the data, anyone staying longer than 90 days must register for an Irish Residence Permit. This registration has a fee of €300. The data also includes an official caution that holding a Working Holiday Authorisation does not guarantee employment in Ireland, as the market for short-term work is highly competitive.

How to apply, step by step

Find the Irish embassy, consulate or office that handles your nationality (listed by the Department of Foreign Affairs).
Check that office's dates, places and document list, since each agreement works differently.
Apply from outside Ireland and pay any fee the office lists.
After arriving, register with immigration if you stay more than 90 days (Irish Residence Permit fee €300).

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.