New Zealand WHV tutorial: How to apply for your Working Holiday Visa

Once you are ready to complete your application, head to the Online Services page. If they are not already entered automatically, enter your username and password and click “Login”:

On the next page, under “Working Holiday Schemes”, click “Click here to apply”:

On the next page, you need to select your nationality from the table:

Some nationalities are subject to quotas that may be reached (which explains why some countries may be marked “Closed”). If your nationality is marked as “Closed”, it is not possible to apply for a New Zealand WHV until the quota resets the following year. You can check your country’s quota here.

You will be redirected to the login page linked to the nationality you select. Click on “Apply now” to start your application.

When filling out the application, you can save your progress and come back to complete the form at a later date:

Use the buttons below to navigate to a specific section of the application:

1. Personal

You must complete 3 sub-sections in this category:

• Personal details
• Identification
• Occupation details

Note that questions with a red exclamation mark are compulsory to answer.

1. Personal details

Your first and last names are automatically entered.

If you have other first names or middle names that appear on your passport, enter them in “Given name 2” and “Given name 3”. If you have legally changed your name (e.g. for marriage), enter your previous name in the “Any other names you are or have ever been known by” box.

Address

You must enter your current address.

Applying from within New Zealand

You can apply for a New Zealand WHV from any country in the world, including from within New Zealand. If you have entered a New Zealand address, a new sub-section for “Visa Details” will appear in your “Personal” section:

You must enter the date you arrived in New Zealand, the type of visa issued to you, and its expiry date. If you arrived with a NZeta, you must select “Visitor”.

Please note that your WHV application does not grant you an Interim visa allowing you to stay legally in New Zealand if your current visa expires while your WHV application is being processed. Don’t wait until your current visa’s expiry date to apply!

If you are applying from within New Zealand, you will need to prove that you hold a valid passport in your home country. The information requested in the “WHS Specific” section will also be different if you apply from within New Zealand (read on for more information).

Contact details

Your email address is pre-filled. Make sure it is correct.

Presuming you are applying for your WHV yourself without using an immigration adviser, select “No” for the question: “Are you represented by an immigration adviser?”

If you select “Yes”, a new Adviser section will appear for you to provide information about your immigration adviser. If you have ticked this box by mistake, untick it to remove the Adviser tab.

You will need to pay the application fee with a Visa or Mastercard card. Therefore, you need to select “Yes” for the last question.

2. Identification

In this section, you will need to provide information about your passport and a second piece of identification.

Passport details

Enter your passport number and expiry date. The New Zealand WHV requires your passport to be valid for at least 3 months after the date on which your WHV is due to expire.

If your passport is due to expire before this time, you will need to renew your passport before you continue with the application.

Pay attention: The New Zealand authorities state that if your passport details are incorrect, you will not be able to use your WHV! Make sure that you have entered the details correctly without any typos.

Second form of identification

For security reasons, New Zealand immigration will ask for a second form of ID. You can use your driver’s licence, birth certificate, or national ID card (if your home country provides one). You will need to bring the chosen document with you to New Zealand to prove your identity to immigration in the (rare!) event of any problems.

3. Occupation details

It is not compulsory to complete this third section.

If you want to, select the industry and job title that most closely matches your current role, or your previous employment if you are currently unemployed. You can select “Not stated” if you can’t find a suitable match.

The Personal section should now be complete. When you click on “Save”, a blue tick will appear to the right of the tab. If you still see a cross next to the section tab, go back through your answers to see which mandatory question(s) you have missed.

2. Health

This section is for immigration to determine whether your physical and mental condition allows you to live in New Zealand under their regulations.

If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions

You will be asked to explain the conditions of your illness or disability in more detail. Answering “Yes” to one of these questions will not necessarily prevent you from being approved for a New Zealand WHV, but you may be asked to undergo a medical examination.

You must indicate whether you have spent a combined total of more than 3 months in a country (or countries) at risk of tuberculosis in the last 5 years. You must list the countries you have been to in the last 5 years and check whether they appear on the list of low-risk countries. If you have spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in a country deemed high-risk of tuberculosis, you will be asked to undergo a medical examination.

Medical examinations

If you are required to have a medical examination, the New Zealand authorities will ask you to have a lung X-ray within 15 days. An X-Ray certificate must be obtained from a doctor listed on this page—you can only use these doctors approved by the New Zealand authorities.

You should avoid taking your medical examination if you are ill. If you have a bad cold, bronchitis or a minor respiratory infection, this could show up on the X-ray and the New Zealand authorities could ask you to undergo additional tests. Wait a few days to recover before having your X-ray.

Once you have completed this section, click on “Save” and “Next”.

3. Character

These questions are used to check your immigration and criminal records.

If you answer “Yes” to any of these questions, you will be asked to give more details about the incident. This will enable immigration to determine whether you can enter New Zealand legally on a WHV. The authorities may contact you to request further details.

If you have previously been sentenced to imprisonment or been deported from a country, you may not be approved for a WHV in New Zealand.

Once you have completed this section, click on “Save” and “Next”.

4. WHS Specific

The questions in the “Working Holiday Schemes Specific” section will differ slightly depending on whether you are applying from within New Zealand or from outside New Zealand. These questions are used to determine your eligibility for the New Zealand WHV.

If you are outside New Zealand

You will be asked about your history with New Zealand immigration:

Have you previously been issued a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa?
Even if you have previously been granted a WHV for New Zealand but did not travel to New Zealand to use it, you must still answer “Yes”. Unfortunately, whether you went on your WHV or not, an approved application counts as a participation. If you have already been issued a WHV for New Zealand, you will not be able to submit this current application, as you can only be issued one New Zealand WHV in your lifetime.

Do you have sufficient funds (NZ$4,200) available for your Working Holiday in New Zealand?
If you don’t have these funds at the moment but expect to have them by the time you leave, you should still answer “Yes”. You will also need to budget for a return ticket home in addition to your NZ$4,200.

Planned arrival date
The answer you give does not commit you to anything and you do not have to actually travel on the date you give. Immigration mainly asks this question to check that your passport is valid for at least 15 months from your planned arrival in the country.

Do you meet the specific requirements for your country?
You can check your nationality on this page to make sure you have met the specific requirements.

If you are in New Zealand

You won’t need to answer the questions regarding previous travel to New Zealand or intended arrival date. However, you will still need to answer whether you have previously been issued a New Zealand WHV, if you have proof of funds (including for an outward ticket), and if you meet the requirements:

When you’ve completed all sections of the application, read on to the next chapter to learn how to submit the form and pay the fees.