New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Indians (eligibility, application, tips)

Working Holiday Visa agreement signed on 27 April 2026

In the context of broader free trade negotiations, India and New Zealand signed an agreement that will allow young adults from India to apply for a 12-month Working Holiday Visa to New Zealand!

The visa grants open work authorisation, allowing you to work for any employer in New Zealand for up to 6 months (although you are not required to work if you don’t want to).

Working Holiday Visas arose from bilateral accords signed between governments aimed at promoting youth mobility and cultural exchange.

Eligibility criteria

You must:

• Be 18-30 years old at the time of application.
• Hold an Indian passport valid for the duration of the visa.
• Have a tertiary qualification granted in respect of a minimum of 3 years full time study.
• Have a level of proficiency in English which is assessed as at least functional.
• Meet health and character requirements.

You do NOT need to have a job offer from an employer in New Zealand.

Do you meet all these conditions? If so, you will be eligible to apply for the Working Holiday Visa to New Zealand.

Application process

While the agreement has been signed, it has not yet been implemented. It could take up to two years from April 2026 for the respective governments to set up the application process. If by the time applications open up you have already turned 31, then unfortunately you will not be eligible.

Note that there will be an annual quota of 1,000 visas issued on a first-come-first-served basis. Once there are no more visas, you’ll have to wait until the following programme year to apply.

How to get prepared

Even though applications are not yet being accepted, there are still things you should consider doing to prepare:

1. Meet education and English requirements

Make sure you meet the education and English proficiency requirements. Enrol in or complete university studies. Take English classes if necessary. For reference, below are the English requirements for Chinese applicants, which we can only assume are similar to the ones that will be required of Indian applicants as well.

Source

2. Stay healthy and safe!

This is because New Zealand imposes health and character requirements, so you’ll want to maintain your eligibility.

3. Save money

Once the application season opens, it is important that you are ready with the necessary financial resources.

The figure is not yet specified in the Indian agreement, but New Zealand requires WHV applicants of all other nationalities to have at least the equivalent of NZ$4,200 in savings, so it is safe to assume the same will be required of Indians. This is in addition to other expenses related to the application, such as the NZ$770 application fee, medical insurance (we recommend Globe WHV by ACS), and plane tickets. You don’t need to convert your money into NZD before your visa is approved.

If you don’t want to buy plane tickets until your visa is approved, you’ll need to add an extra NZ$1,500 to your savings minimum in order to prove that you have the means to purchase a return flight back to India later on.

4. Learn more

Read our free articles and guides about the Working Holiday Visa to New Zealand for inspiration and practical information!