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Working Holiday — New Zealand

JapanYouth mobility

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Which nationalities and age range can participate?

MOFA lists New Zealand as a Japan working holiday partner. Applicants must be nationals of New Zealand, currently reside in their country of nationality and be aged 18 to 30 inclusive at the time of visa application.

See recorded sources
  • Section 1 partner table
    2 | New Zealand | 1985 | no limit
  • Section 2 eligibility, age bullet
    Being between 18 and 30 years of age both inclusive at the time of application for the visa; As for Australia, Canada, South Korea and Ireland, an applicant should be between 18 and 25 years of age except in those cases where the competent authorities of each applicable country and Japan agree to extend the limitation of age to 30 years.
  • Section 2 eligibility, identity bullet
    For a national of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Iceland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, Netherlands, Uruguay, Finland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta or Italy, an applicant must be currently residing in his or her country of nationality; for a resident in Hong Kong, an applicant must possess a valid HKSAR or British National Overseas passport; for a resident in Taiwan, an applicant must possess a valid passport of Taiwan.

What combination of travel, work, study or training does the programme permit?

The programme is primarily for spending holidays in Japan. Employment is permitted only as an incidental activity of the holiday to supplement travel funds. The official source does not state whether study or training is permitted.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The MOFA page does not state whether study or training is permitted under this programme.
  • Section 1 outline
    The working holiday programmes are, based on bilateral arrangements, intended to make it possible for the youth of Japan and its partner countries/regions to enter each country/region primarily for the purpose of spending holidays while allowing them to engage in employment as an incidental activity of their holidays for the purpose of supplementing their travel funds.
  • Section 2 eligibility, purpose bullet
    Intending primarily to spend holiday in Japan for a specific length of time.
  • Section 4 work conditions
    Participants in the working holiday programmes are allowed to engage in employment as an incidental activity of their holidays for the purpose of supplementing their travel funds.

What are the defining limitations: quota, ballot, previous participation, employer limits, study limits or equivalent?

MOFA states no annual visa limit for New Zealand. From 1 December 2024, participation is allowed twice in a lifetime, as two non-consecutive one-year stays in total. Participants may not work at bars, cabarets, nightclubs, gambling establishments or other premises affecting public morals in Japan. The official source does not state a ballot rule or study limits.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The MOFA page does not state a ballot rule.
  • The MOFA page does not state employer limits beyond the prohibited public-morals premises restriction.
  • The MOFA page does not state study limits.
  • Section 1 partner table
    2 | New Zealand | 1985 | no limit
  • Section 2 eligibility, previous visa bullet
    Never having been issued a Japanese working holiday visa in the past. (Exceptions are described below [NB2])
  • Section 4 work conditions
    The working holiday programmes participants are strictly prohibited from working at bars, cabarets, nightclubs, gambling establishments and other premises affecting public morals in Japan.
  • Section 2 NB2 repeat exceptions
    Starting from 1 December, 2024, the nationals of Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Denmark, and Austria are allowed to participate in the Working Holiday Programmes twice in lifetime ((1) two consecutive years of stay/two inconsecutive one-year stays in total for nationals of Canada and the United Kingdom, or (2) two inconsecutive one-year stays in total for nationals of New Zealand, Denmark and Austria).

What funds, insurance, onward travel or similar preparation is particularly important?

The applicant must possess a valid passport and a return travel ticket or sufficient funds to buy one, reasonable funds for initial maintenance in Japan, and be in good health. The official source does not state a numeric funds amount or a travel-insurance requirement.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The MOFA page does not state a travel-insurance requirement.
  • The MOFA page does not state a numeric amount for required funds.

How long can the person stay, can the programme be extended or repeated, and what happens when it ends?

MOFA states the route's previous participation/repeat rule as follows: Allowed twice in lifetime from 1 December 2024, as two inconsecutive one-year stays in total.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The MOFA page does not state the normal initial stay duration for this route except where a repeat exception describes one-year stays.
  • The MOFA page does not state a general extension process.
  • The MOFA page does not state what happens when the programme ends.
  • Section 2 eligibility, previous visa bullet
    Never having been issued a Japanese working holiday visa in the past. (Exceptions are described below [NB2])
  • Section 2 NB2 repeat exceptions
    Starting from 1 December, 2024, the nationals of Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Denmark, and Austria are allowed to participate in the Working Holiday Programmes twice in lifetime ((1) two consecutive years of stay/two inconsecutive one-year stays in total for nationals of Canada and the United Kingdom, or (2) two inconsecutive one-year stays in total for nationals of New Zealand, Denmark and Austria).

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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