Departure preparation for your working holiday (the full guide)

Once your Working Holiday Visa (WHV) is approved, you will have plenty of things to take care of. Some of them are more urgent than others, so this list breaks down your to-dos, starting with the most urgent to the least. It may seem like a lot, but don’t worry, one step at a time!

Chapters 2 and beyond dive deeper into specific steps and act as supplemental information.

Start these ASAP once you get your visa

1. Buy plane ticket

As soon as your Working Holiday Visa is approved, you should start looking at plane tickets. If you wait until the last minute, they can become very expensive. The best strategy is to be flexible about your travel date. Read more.

2. Book temporary accommodation

Once your flight is booked, you should start looking for accommodation because when you land in your destination, you’ll need somewhere to sleep for at least the first few nights (maybe even weeks). If you plan on finding a long term rental, you shouldn’t sign or pay for anything before you’ve seen the place in person. Read more.

3. Make sure your license, ID card, and bank cards are renewed

Your driver’s license (or ID) and bank cards will be important for your working holiday, so make sure they are valid for the full duration of your planned stay. If not, have them renewed ASAP.

4. Get an International Driving Permit or license translation

If you are sure you won’t be driving when abroad, then you can skip this step. But if you’d like to keep the possibility open, then first check online to see if your home license is valid in your destination country, or if it needs to be accompanied by an IDP and/or an official translation of your license (if it is written in a language different than that which is spoken at your destination).

5. Decide what to do with your current home

If you’re living at home with your parents, then this step is easy. But if you’re living alone or with roommates, you need to start planning for what to do about your space while you are away. Will you sublet it? Break the rental agreement? Find a tenant (if you are the owner)? You will also need to think about where to store your belongings. All of this can take some time so it’s best to start early.

6. Purchase private health insurance (if applicable)

Some WHV destinations require applicants to buy insurance before they submit their visa application, while others allow you to do so anytime before you land in the country. If your destination falls into the latter category, make sure you buy the appropriate insurance before your travel day for the full duration of your planned working holiday. Read more.

Do these next

7. Ensure your medical needs are met: general, vision, dental, vaccine

Restock on contact lenses, replace your old glasses, have your braces adjusted or teeth cleaned, get vaccines if any are needed… basically visit your doctor(s) to make sure you have all that you need for a successful, healthy stay abroad. These might be doable at your destination too, but back home everything is just easier and likely cheaper. Read more.

8. Write or update your will

This is not meant to be scary or morbid; every adult should have a will. If, God forbid, something were to happen, you would want the final word on whom your assets and belongings go to. Wills should be updated periodically, but especially at moments of big change such as moving abroad.

9. Inform relevant government authorities

Depending on the rules of where you live, it may be advisable or required to inform your government of your move abroad. This is especially true if you are receiving government benefits that are only intended for residents, such as housing aid or unemployment pay. Read more.

10. Stop or modify recurring payments (gym, phone)

Once you leave the country, you won’t need your phone plan and gym membership anymore. Give your gym an early heads up because sometimes they need one or two months of notice to cancel or freeze your membership. Also contact your telecom operator to figure out what options are available to you to keep your phone number.

11. Pause your car insurance

If you have a car, you’ll also want to take care of any recurring insurance payments, depending on what you decide to do with the car or whom to entrust it with.

12. Exchange some cash

Regardless of your destination, it is advisable to take some amount (but not too much) of the foreign currency with you. The best place to do this is at your bank. They will give you better rates than exchange bureaus. Note, however, that it may take a couple of days or a week to receive your foreign cash, so plan accordingly. Read more.

13. Make a Wise account

For peace of mind, if you want a debit card in the destination currency before you even fly, then consider Wise. It is an online neo-bank that offers multi-currency financial services. Customers can receive a physical debit card that can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs globally. You can also use it to make or receive transfers. You can register for Wise either from your home country or once you arrive at your destination.

Wrap it up with these final steps

14. Resign from your job

If you’ve already done this, congratulations! If not, think about how and when you’ll want to do this. In some countries, it is customary or even required to give a couple weeks of notice. Whatever you do, try to leave on good terms so that you might be able to ask for letters of recommendation in the future, should the need ever arise.

15. Update address and contact info for your accounts

When you are away, all of your mail still needs to be delivered somewhere. So either set up mail forwarding to a trusted individual, or manually update your address in all of your accounts. This is especially important for accounts with financial and governmental institutions.

16. Pack your bags, buy what you need

Start packing your suitcases and backpack with the things you’ll need. If there’s anything missing, this is also the time to buy it. Be careful to not exceed the weight limit imposed by your airline, otherwise there will be additional charges. Read tips for packing from other travellers.

17. Download local messaging apps

You might be surprised that not all countries use the same messaging apps that we use. Here are the most popular messaging apps by country or region. All of them are free.

• Canada and the US: Facebook Messenger and iMessage
• Australia and New Zealand: Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp
• Europe and Latin America: Whatsapp
• Japan and Taiwan: Line
• Korea: KakaoTalk

18. Throw a farewell party

Your family, friends, and pet(s) will miss you! Give them hugs and kisses, and cherish these final moments before your exciting new adventure begins.