Today, we’re talking about something we know well: the Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand. It’s a unique experience, literally on the other side of the world, offering a maximum of discovery, fun, and surprises. At this stage, whether you’ve already chosen your destination or not, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. We’ll do our best to help and support you in your preparations before you consider giving up (which would be a shame).
For those looking for more general information about the Working Holiday Visa—what it is, its purpose, the countries that offer it, etc.—we’ve put together an article that explains everything here! Otherwise, we’ll guide you through the steps to obtain your Working Holiday Visa (WHV) for New Zealand.
Applications for Working Holiday Permits (WHP) are usually made online. Each country has its website, often linked to the government site. So, before you can start your WHP application, you’ll need to register on the New Zealand Immigration website.
To keep things straightforward and to help you avoid any dubious sites, here’s the official link: onlineservices.immigration.govt.nz. The site is in English, as New Zealand is an English-speaking country, but don’t worry—we’ll guide you through the process step by step.
Once you've completed the first step and created your account, you'll need to provide your country of origin before the site redirects you to a very detailed form.
The information requested by immigration is categorized into 4 sections (each containing several subcategories):
This form, with all its categories and subcategories, may seem quite lengthy, but now is not the time to get discouraged! You can save your progress, return later, and tackle it in multiple sessions to reach your goal. Yes, progress never stops!
Once you've filled in all the sections and sub-sections, take a moment to review your information before confirming your application and making the payment. This step may feel tedious, but mistakes can happen easily, and if not caught in time, they can easily block your application… that would be unfortunate.
As long as you haven't paid for your WHV, the application will neither be validated nor processed. So don’t forget this step!
The WHV in New Zealand costs 280 NZD (New Zealand dollars) per person, which is approximately 165€ (in 2018). A small amount at the moment, but we assure you it will be well worth it later on!
UPDATE 2024 : the cost of the New Zealand WHV has changed and is now costing 670 NZD (that represents 375€). It is crazy, but it is still so worth it !
At this stage, your application has been submitted to New Zealand Immigration and will be processed in the following days.
For example, Simon and I submitted our applications on June 18, 2018, and received a response at the beginning of the following month, on July 3, 2018. This timeframe can vary, so we recommend applying as early as possible!
Once your application is approved, you will receive an email containing essential information:
It's best to keep your Working Holiday Visa handy, as you will need it in several situations:
Before wrapping up this section, we should mention that depending on your situation, immigration may request supporting documents (health assessments, health exams, etc.). This wasn’t the case for us, but if it happens to you, don’t worry—you will be informed directly by email and will just need to follow the instructions provided.
There you go, you’ve completed and received your WHV application. You’re ready (or almost) to head to the land of the Māori! But wait until the end of the article, we still have some information to share with you!
Following the approval of your application, you have exactly 1 year to enter the country, and then an additional 1 year to stay, explore, work, and enjoy.
If you fall in love with New Zealand so much that you don’t want to go back home right away, you can apply for an extension of your WHV. In New Zealand, this extension is a maximum of 3 months and will only be granted if you have worked for at least 3 months in the country (either consecutively or cumulatively) through seasonal jobs, such as planting, picking, pruning, etc.
Be sure to keep your pay slips, as they will be required as proof for your extension request.
For more details, you can visit the immigration website at the following link: Immigration.govt.nz
We’re reaching the end of the article and our advice. We hope it has been useful and that you can start your application process with peace of mind.
The WHV application is indeed one of the first steps in your project, but the journey is still long. After that, it’s time to prepare for the trip itself, with paperwork, travel steps, budget, transport, etc.
And if you’re at the stage of booking your flight, you can do it here:
1. For a successful process without the stress of translation and wondering if you answered the questions correctly, refer to the tutorials on Pvtistes.net*.
2. It’s super important to keep your visa! Print it, scan it, and keep it with you throughout your journey.
On our side, we brought a folder with all the important personal documents we needed while traveling, and we also scanned and saved those documents on our drive to always have them with us.
3. It may seem trivial, but whether for your WHV application or WHV extension, remember to plan ahead (we’re talking about a few months, not a few days) to avoid unpleasant surprises and disappointments.
How about we chat?