How to get a Korea WHV (Working Holiday Visa) – for all nationalities

The Working Holiday Visa (WHV) is an excellent option for young adults to explore and earn money in South Korea. Korean authorities categorise it as an H-1 visa. Participants can stay for up to 1 year (exceptions explained later in program description and rules), during which they can freely travel around Korea and take part time jobs to fund their experiences.

South Korea has signed accords with 26 countries. Eligible are young adults between:

• 18 and 30 years old from: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the US
• 18 and 35 years old from: Canada, the UK
• 18 and 34 years old from: Argentina, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal
• 18 and 32 years old from: France*
• 18 and 25 years old from: Japan**

*Limit increased temporarily from 30 years old, until 31 December 2024 (source).
**From official source: “30 years old if it is determined that there are unavoidable circumstances.”

Applicant eligibility:

• Must be a passport holder of an eligible country, valid for at least one year
• Must be within the age limit (inclusive) for your nationality
• Must be in your country of citizenship for the application and issuance of your visa
• Not be accompanied, under this visa, by any dependents at any point in time during your stay in Korea
• Not have previously taken part in Korea’s working holiday program
• You must not have a substantial criminal record.
• Your health condition must be fit for travel and work in Korea.
• For Americans only: US participants should be bona fide post-secondary students or recent graduates (within 1 year after graduation), and provide evidence of status from his/her post-secondary institution (source)

Program description and rules:

• There is no official Korean language requirement, though the application form needs to be completed in Korean or English
• Participants can stay for up to 1 year. Exceptions:
  – American participants can extend their stay by 6 months.
  – British participants can stay for up to 2 years.
  – Canadian participants can stay for up to 4 years (2x 24 months).
• You cannot work more than 25 hours per week (exception: this does not apply to Canadians).
• You cannot work for more than X months in total, depending on your nationality:
  – Americans: no limit
  – Australians: 6 months under same employer
  – Belgians: 6 months
  – British: no limit
  – Canadians: no limit
  – French: no limit
  – Germans: no limit
  – Irish: no limit
  – New Zealanders: no limit
  – For all other nationalities, visit this page
• The Korea WHV is a multiple-entry visa, which means you can leave and re-enter the country freely during the visa’s validity period.
• Once you arrive in the country you must apply for a residence card within 90 days.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and also can commit to respecting the program’s rules, then keep reading to learn how to apply.

If you are from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, or France, skip to chapter 3.

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