Departure preparation for your working holiday (the full guide)

1. Plane ticket

If the plane ticket is not requested as part of your WHV application, we recommend that you wait until your visa or letter of introduction is issued before buying it.

2. Passport

You must have a passport that is valid for the duration of your stay. If you’re planning a 12-month working holiday, make sure your passport doesn’t expire during these 12 months!

Depending on the destination, your passport may need to be valid for several months after the end of your stay. For example, in New Zealand, your passport must be valid for at least 15 months.

You may want to consider whether you may apply for a second or third WHV in Australia, for instance.

If you get a new passport after your WHV was issued, contact the relevant services as your WHV is usually linked to the passport you submitted with your application.

3. Visa, authorisation, or port of entry (POE) letter

Whether it’s called a visa, an authorisation, or a POE letter depends on your destination. But the point is to bring the document(s) evidencing your status as a working holiday maker. Print out a copy if you were issued a digital version.

If the visa is just a sticker in your passport, then you’re good to go.

4. WHV insurance

For some destinations (e.g., Brazil, South Korea and Taiwan), you must provide proof of insurance as part of your visa application so you must buy coverage before the visa is issued.

Other countries, such as Canada, Uruguay and New Zealand, may ask for proof of insurance upon arrival. Print out your certificate or confirmation and have it handy when going through immigration.

You must buy insurance coverage before leaving home, ideally one or two weeks before your departure. Of course, you choose when coverage starts and ends.

Please note! The duration of your insurance contract will affect the duration of your work permit, especially for working holidays in Canada. If you want to be issued a 12-month WHV, you must have insurance coverage for the full year. If not, you will be issued a shorter WHV and you won’t be able to extend it even if you buy additional insurance coverage.

5. Proof of funds

All destinations require proof of funds—you have to show that you can meet your needs for the first few weeks or months while looking for a job or volunteering.

The amount and when the proof is required depend on the destination. Keep in mind that the funds required are far from being enough for a 12-month working holiday.

Find out how much is needed for your destination country and what kind of proof is accepted.

6. Additional entry requirements

You may have to complete additional steps for your destination country, such as applying for an eTA for Canada or filling out the New Zealand Traveller Declaration for New Zealand.