New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Application: The Complete Walkthrough

Step-by-step New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Application Guide

The first step to making a life-changing decision to do a gap year in New Zealand is applying for the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa! What’s great about the working holiday visa for New Zealand is that you can apply for the visa online at your own convenience. Plus, the application process is super easy, especially if you follow the steps in this walkthrough of the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa application guide.

If you want to know more about the working holiday visa and what it allows you to do, check out What is a Working Holiday Visa? Another good place to start when planning your gap year is 30 Tips for Backpacking in New Zealand. Finally, for a bit more travel inspiration and tips, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

1. Find Out if You Qualify

First things first, you want to make sure you meet the conditions which make you eligible to apply for a New Zealand working holiday visa. An easy way to do this is by checking out the Immigration New Zealand website.

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Application: The Complete Walkthrough

2. Get the Tools You Need to Apply

Grab your passport, another form of ID (like a driving license), the Visa or MasterCard details that you are going to be paying the application fee with, and go to the Immigration New Zealand website.

3. You’re Ready to Begin

On the page displayed below, select “Working Holiday Schemes”. (Again, you will find this page on the Immigration New Zealand website).

4. Start Creating Your Account

Under the title “New Users”, click on “Create a new account” to start making an account on the Immigration New Zealand website.

5. Fill in Your Details

You will now need to type in your details in all the fields marked with a red exclamation mark. Remember that the passport you create needs to have at least three different types of characters. Once you have filled in all the necessary fields, click on “Register” at the bottom.

6. You’re Ready to Receive an Email

After you have clicked on Register, you should see a page that looks like this. Now, open the email inbox of the email you just supplied in the last step.

7. Click on the Link in Your Email

You should have received an email that looks like this. Click on the first link in the body of the email, after the sentence: “log in to Online Services at:”

8. Log into Your Online Services Account

The link in the email will take you back to this page where we started. Now you can log in with the username and password you just registered. Once you have filled in the Username and Password fields, click on “Login”.

9. Start Applying for the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa

Once you are on this page, click on “Click here to apply” under the title “Working Holiday Schemes”.

10. Select Your Country

On this page, select which country you are from (which country you are a citizen of or hold a passport of) by clicking on its name. You will also be able to see whether the quota for your country’s working holiday scheme is open or not, as some countries only have limited availability of working holiday visas. These quotas are open at certain times of the year, and you can keep up to date on those on Immigration NZ or the Immigration New Zealand website. If your country’s quota is closed, then you will not be able to continue with the following steps in this New Zealand Working Holiday Visa walkthrough.

11. Click on Apply Now

If the working holiday scheme quota is open for your country, then you will see a page that looks like this. Click on “Apply Now”.

12. Fill Out Your Personal Details

It’s now time to start filling out your details. The first page you will see is for your Personal Details. Fill out all the required fields (that are marked with a red exclamation mark). All other fields are optional to fill out. Once you have completed this first page, click on “Save” at the bottom.

13. Fill Out the Identification Details

Still under the “Personal Details” tab, click on “Identification”. A page should show up like this. Complete the necessary fields then click on “Save”.

14. (Optional) Fill Out Your Occupation Details

The final sub-tab under the “Personal Details” tab is “Occupation”. This section is optional to fill out – you can leave it black if you prefer.

15. Complete the Health Tab

Under the Health tab, use the drop-down boxes to answer yes or no to a series of health questions. If you have answered yes to any of the questions, explain your answer in the box at the bottom of this section. Otherwise, leave the box blank. Once all the questions are answered, click on “Save”.

16. Complete the Character Tab

Now complete the same steps under the “Character” tab, selecting yes or no for each question. Provide detailed information in the text box if you have answered yes to anything, otherwise leave it blank and click “Save”.

17. Complete the Working Holiday Specific Tab

You need to complete all the fields under the “Working Holiday Specific” tab. If you are unsure of your intended travel date, just pick a date around the time you’re thinking of travelling to New Zealand – this will not affect your application, it is just for survey purposes. Click on “Submit” at the bottom of the page.

18. Confirm Your Working Holiday Visa Application Submission

Once you have clicked on “Submit”, you should see a page like this. Click every tick box to show that you have read the declarations. Click on “Submit” at the bottom.

19. Pay Your Application Fee

If you are from a country that needs to pay an application fee, you will see this page next. Your application will only be processed once you pay the application fee, so click on “Pay Now”.

20. Go to the Secure Payment Site

This page will appear telling you how much you need to pay for the application fee. This fee amount varies between countries. To start paying for the New Zealand working holiday visa application, click on the link titled “Secure Payment Site”.

21. Enter the Card Holder’s Name

On this page, type in the name of the person whose Visa or MasterCard you will be using to pay. This name can be different from what’s on your visa application if you are using someone else’s card to pay. Then click on “OK”.

22. Select Your Card

You will be taken to this paystation page where you will need to click on the logo of what type of card you will be using. You cannot use any other type of card than Visa or MasterCard to pay for your Working Holiday Visa application.

23. Complete Your Card Details

Fill out all the fields to complete your card details. Then click on “Pay Now”.

24. Your Application Has Been Sent!

Well done, you have completed the New Zealand working holiday visa application! You should receive a confirmation email from Immigration New Zealand to confirm that your application has been sent. Then you will find out by email within about 14 days to prompt you to log in to Online Services again to see whether you have been granted a working holiday visa or not. To find your working holiday visa online, follow the information in What Does a Working Holiday Visa Look Like? You can also start following the steps in A Step-By-Step Guide to Planning a Working Holiday in New Zealand to get ready for your working holiday in New Zealand!

If You Liked This Article, Then You Might Like…

Sources:

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

MBIE Immigration and Workers Rights (Working rights in New Zealand - Updated [2024])
Immigration New Zealand (Visa and immigration advice - Updated [2024])
Stats NZ (Statistics and travel data - Updated [2024])
Council websites (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
New Zealand Customs Service (Customs and Biosecurity - Updated [2024])
Tourism Export Council New Zealand (Tourism trade association - Updated [2024])
TIA (Independent tourism association - Updated [2024])
Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])

Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

About The Author

Robin C.

This article has been reviewed and approved by Robin, who is the co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. With more than 15 years of experience in the New Zealand tourism industry, Robin has co-founded three influential tourism businesses and five additional travel guides for South Pacific nations. He is an expert in New Zealand travel and has tested over 600 activities and 300+ accommodations across the country.

Contact Robin About Our Team