Where in France Can You Live on a Working Holiday Visa?

Every year, thousands of young people choose France as their working holiday destination!

But France is more than just metropolitan France. It also includes numerous overseas territories and islands located outside Europe. So, as a Working Holiday Visa holder, which territories are you allowed to live in?

It depends on your citizenship, as we’ll explain in this article.

Choose your country of citizenship:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• Colombia
• South Korea
• Ecuador
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Peru
• Uruguay

WHV holders from Canada

You can only live and work in French departments and the territorial collectivity of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon: metropolitan France (incl. Corsica), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte, Martinique, and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.

Source: France-Canada.

WHV holders from Argentina, South Korea, and Japan

You can only live and work in French departments in Europe: metropolitan France (incl. Corsica).

Sources: France-Argentina, France-Korea, France-Japan.

WHV holders from New Zealand, Brazil, Hong Kong, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Peru

You can only live and work in French departments: metropolitan France (incl. Corsica), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte, and Martinique.

Sources: France-New Zealand, France-Brazil, France-Hong Kong, France-Colombia, France-Chile, France-Uruguay, France-Ecuador, France-Peru.

WHV holders from Australia

You can live and work throughout the “entire territory of the French Republic”: metropolitan France (incl. Corsica), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Wallis and Futuna, Mayotte, Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy.

Source: France-Australia.

Travelling elsewhere in Europe

If you plan to travel elsewhere during your working holiday in France, we recommend that you read FAQs about travel rights in Europe while on a France WHV to better understand your rights and obligations.