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Dream of living in France on a Working Holiday? This guide lays out the France-Canada WHV with warmth and clarity, guiding you from eligibility and the two 12-month windows to the practical steps at France-Visas and VFS. You’ll learn which documents count, how to secure insurance, and how preparation becomes a confident plan for your first year in France—Discover how to begin your journey.
Table of contents
- Chapter 1: Introduction to the France Working Holiday Visa
- Chapter 2: Application overview, required documents
- Chapter 3: FAQ about the mandatory WHV insurance
- Chapter 4: Starting your application on France-Visas
- Chapter 5: The VFS Global appointment
- Chapter 6: Visa issuance and departure preparation
Introduction to the France Working Holiday Visa
If you are not a Canadian citizen, please instead read our guide How to get a Working Holiday Visa to France (for all nationalities)
The France-Canada Youth Mobility Agreement is an opportunity for young Canadians to stay in France for up to 36 months (including 24 months under the working holiday category) to deepen their understanding of French language, culture, and society.
Every year, many Canadians head to France on a Working Holiday Visa. France sets an annual quota of 7,000 for Canadians on this program, but so far the quota has never been reached. The Working Holiday Visa is an excellent way to explore this amazing country on the other side of the Atlantic that shares a history and language with Canada. This guide will walk you through the Working Holiday Visa application process.
For even more working holiday related news, info, and tips, follow us on Instagram!
Eligibility criteria
- Age: You must be between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusive as of the application date, which means that you can apply until the day before your 36th birthday.
- Passport: You must hold a Canadian passport valid for at least 3 months beyond the last day of your stay in France.
Program description and rules
- The Working Holiday Visa is a type D visa (long stay), with mention of vacances-travail.
- You can participate in two working holidays (with or without break) of 12 months each, for a total of 24 months.
- You have work authorization in France, but employment should not be the primary motive of your working holiday. That said, the Accord does not impose any formal restrictions on work hours or domain of work.
- During the validity period of the visa, you can freely leave and re-enter France.
- The France-Canada Youth Mobility Agreement does not include a specific provision for dependents or a partner accompanying a visa holder under this program. If you have dependents or a partner who wishes to travel with you, they will need to apply separately.
- There are no language requirements, but your application must be in English or French.
- As a part of your application, you must provide proof of private medical insurance covering medical expenses, hospitalization, and repatriation for the duration of your stay (further explained in chapter 3).
If you meet the eligibility criteria and can commit to respecting the rules of the program, then read the next chapter for an overview of the application process.
For flights between Canada and France, get 2 free checked bags (up to 23 kg each) with Air Canada.
(68) Comments
Hello,
Is anyone familiar with the medical insurance (repatriation) for residents of Quebec as well as the attestation de séjour de la RAMQ? With the letter from RAMQ is it still necessary to purchase medical insurance?
On a side note, is it possible to work in Monaco on this visa?
Hi there. To respond to your questions:
1) Yes, private medical insurance is still required for the WHV application, even for residents of Quebec.
2) No. Monaco has its own WHV program, and at the moment it is only available to citizens of the UK.
This article is available in French too, in case your are francophone https://pvtistes.net/dossiers/demande-du-pvt-france-pour-canadiens/
Hi Jackson,
I’ve landed in Marseille and it’s so beautiful! However, I tried opening a simple everyday chequing account at a bank, and was told that I would not be able to do so until I have a job/salary. I have money that I need to pour into an account and I thought the WHV allowed its holders to open a bank account even without a job (I do plan on finding a job, but that’s not the point). I spoke with a few people and am getting contradictory info regarding this, some say I need to try out other banks or perhaps the person I spoke with doesn’t know what WHV is. Could you please give me some information on how to proceed?
Thank you!
Niloo
Hello Niloo. It’s true that the information you get will vary from bank to bank, branch to branch, and even employee to employee (just because the WHV is not very common). But the bottom line is that as a WHV holder, yes it is possible to open a checking account in France, even without a job. I was able to do so at Credit Agricole without problem. All I had to provide was my passport, visa, and local address. I used my Wise account to fund it with some euros (though I don’t think they required me to). If you’re having trouble, try a few different banks and eventually you will find someone that can help. And if you need a Wise account, pvtistes has a special deal https://pvtistes.net/en/bonsplans/wise-free-transfer/
A thousand thanks, Jackson! I went to LCL Banque this morning (Credit Agricole is affiliated to it), and they gave me an appointment next week to open up an account. 🙂 Thank goodness. I appreciate all of your help, as well as the promptness of your responses!
what bank stated you had to have a job before they can open an account for you ?
Hi Jackson,
I am confused as to whether Canadians need to provide a Medical Certificate of ¨good health¨. After filling out the online application on the france-visa.gouv.fr a supporting documents page shows up and states that we do… but on different blogs I have read that we don’t. Can anyone please clearify ?
Thanks !
Giselle
Hello. As stated in chapter 4, Canadians are exempt from providing a medical certificate and background check.
Hi Jackson,
Thanks for your answer, do you have any official source of information that can confirm this? What I can see stated on official document checklists is ¨Medical certificate (if bilateral agreement provides for this)¨ however I cannot find any official information regarding the specifics of the France- Canada bilateral agreement that excepts medical certificates other than word of mouth. How do I know this hasn’t changed since you applied?
Also, in case of no return ticket, must we write a ¨letter of commitment¨ that is seperate from the letter of motivation/cover letter? even if funds on bank statement meet the requirements?
Thanks for the help, it is greatly appreaciated !
1. You can contact the French embassy or consulate to ask if you’d like. We don’t have any other source to provide.
2. You don’t need a separate letter. Just make your commitment clear in your letter of motivation.
Hi again romar. To add to my first answer, at the time of writing you won’t find any official sources that explicitly tell you that a medical certificate and background check are not necessary. The reason the official checklist says “if the bilateral agreement provides for this” is because some other nationalities are required to provide these documents and it is specified in their respective bilateral agreements with France. If you look up and read in full the Franco-Canadian bilateral agreement, you won’t see any mention of a medical certificate or background check. It is by omission of these mentions that we are meant to understand they are not needed. Indeed, I and other recent applicants have never been asked to provide these. Hope that helps.
Hi again Jackson, hope you’re doing well.
Regarding the VFS Global Centre in Toronto, I absolutely cannot seem to find an appointment for the “Long Stay – Working Holiday” Visa category. I managed to get a slot fairly quickly by clicking on “Long Stay – Any other visa category.” I’m hesitating to move forward with this, though. Would they accept my appointment if I went ahead and booked it with this category, if they do in other cities like Montreal?
Many thanks!
Niloo
Hi again Jackson, I just got an appointment! Nevermind regarding my previous question. 🙂 Thanks again for this helpful and reassuring blog!
Niloo
Glad to hear that. How did you end up getting the appointment? It may be helpful info for other readers. Feel free to read our other resources about the WHV in France. https://pvtistes.net/en/useful-tips-and-advice/?filter-type=any&filter-country=france-en&filter-cat=any
Thanks for the additional info/link, Jackson!
Sure, I just had my appointment today and it went very well! For anyone wondering if they can simply opt for “Long Stay – Any Other Visa Category” in the VFS Global Centre website, please rest assured that it DOES work as a substitute for the more specific “Long Stay – Working Holiday Visa.” You will find an open slot a lot more quickly/easily, too. I tried the “Working Holiday” one multiple times a day for a few days with no luck, but I got an opening on my first try with “Any Other Visa Category.” I had many slots, in fact, to choose from.
My reasoning when making this choice was that, if on the France Visa application form I have to choose “Other” under Visa type, and then specify as “Working Holiday,” then that means that “Long Stay – Any Other Visa Category” can effectively be used as an umbrella category including Working Holiday visas.
I had absolutely no problems today during my appointment, so I know it works. 🙂
I hope this clarifies things for anyone wondering.
Thank you again Jackson!
Niloo
Tried everyday, multiple times a day for over a month to get an appointment for ‘Long Stay – Working Holiday Visa’… I Decided to try my luck with booking a ‘Long Stay – Any Other Visa Category’ since there was availability in this category. Had my appointment today and I wasn’t even questioned about the category. Therefore, I second that the ’Any Other Visa’ category can effectively be used for ‘Working Holiday’.
Hello again! Just some questions on the health insurance certificate that needs to be submitted during the in-person appointment:
1. Does the insurance need to cover all EU countries or just France?
2. The online visa application just says the supporting document needs to show “proof of subscription or promise to subscribe to an insurance policy covering the medial costs”—are there more specific details on what this policy needs to include (ie. minimum EURO coverage amount, pregnancy, dental, 0 deductible, etc)?
It’s very vague in the online application so just want to make sure I’m meeting all the requirements!
Many thanks 🙂
(sorry meant to also add “civil liability”, as I’ve seen that mentioned in the youth mobility agreement but not sure it’s actually enforced?)
1. It needs to cover France. But many will cover all of Europe anyway.
2. It needs to cover all medical expenses, plus hospitalization and repatriation. There’s no specific guidance on deductible amount, that depends on each person’s budget and risk tolerance.
I personally got Globe WHV for my working holiday in France. I didn’t know it at the time, but they cover civil liability as well. But it’s not a requirement. https://pvtistes.net/en/whv-insurance/
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