Working holiday visas for Irish citizens

Every working holiday visa Irish citizens can apply for, in one place. Compare the age limit, cost, and how long you can stay, then go straight to the route that fits. Every option is checked against the issuing government’s own pages.

Compare your options

Where Irish citizens can go

Sort by any column to find the route that fits. Each row is verified against its government source and links through to the full requirements.

Sort by

Destination	Age limit	Visa cost	Maximum stay	Funds required	Quota or cap
Australia	18-35	A$840	36 months	ApproxAUD 5,000 for initial stay + onward fare	Uncapped
Work rights Any kind of work; usually max 6 months with the same employer (per 'When you have this visa'). Tax + superannuation apply. Medical requirements Must meet health requirements. May need to undergo a medical examination depending on country of origin Reciprocal healthcare Yes. RHCA: Medicare cover (Services Australia) Funds required in full Approx. AUD 5,000 for initial stay + onward fare Application notes Previous-entry ban on 417/462 applies per person - a second passport does not reset eligibility. Full Australia visa details →Government source →
Canada	18-35	C$184.75	24 months	CAD 2,500 (bank statement issued within 1 week of departure; covers first 3 months) + round-trip ticket or funds for departure ticket	Capped2026 allocation: 2,735 places (pool-based, regular invitation rounds; often oversubscribed)
Work rights Open work permit: work for most employers anywhere in Canada (jobs in health services, child care, primary/secondary education, eldercare require a medical exam). Medical requirements Must meet Canadian health requirements Reciprocal healthcare No. You will need your own health cover. Funds required in full CAD 2,500 (bank statement issued within 1 week of departure; covers first 3 months) + round-trip ticket or funds for departure ticket Application notes Pool entered under your passport's country agreement - dual nationals can choose the more favourable citizenship (different quota/length/participation rules). Full Canada visa details →Government source →
Japan	18-30	Free	1 year from issue	EUR 1,600 with a return or onward ticket, or EUR 3,200 without; a couple applying together shows EUR 2,300 combined.	Capped800/year; closes once reached
Work rights Paid work is allowed to support your holiday. Work in bars, cabarets, nightclubs, gambling venues and other businesses that affect public morals (the Entertainment Business Act) is not allowed. The visa is single entry, so you need a re-entry permit to leave and come back. Medical requirements Must meet Japanese health requirements Reciprocal healthcare No. You will need your own health cover. Funds required in full EUR 1,600 with a return or onward ticket, or EUR 3,200 without; a couple applying together shows EUR 2,300 combined. Full Japan visa details →Government source →
New Zealand	18-30	NZ$770	12 months	NZD 4,200	Uncapped
Work rights Any job, but: no permanent job; must work for an employer under an employment contract or contract for services; cannot operate a business as an owner (wording rolled out from 20 Apr 2026; France/Germany pages still show older wording). No per-employer time limit stated. Medical requirements Must meet New Zealand health requirements Reciprocal healthcare No. You will need your own health cover. Funds required in full NZD 4,200 Application notes One NZ WHV per person per lifetime (even if unused) - a second passport does NOT grant another NZ WHV. Full New Zealand visa details →Government source →

Australia

Age limit: 18-35
Visa cost: A$840
Maximum stay: 36 months
Funds required: ApproxAUD 5,000 for initial stay + onward fare
Quota or cap: Uncapped

Canada

Age limit: 18-35
Visa cost: C$184.75
Maximum stay: 24 months
Funds required: CAD 2,500 (bank statement issued within 1 week of departure; covers first 3 months) + round-trip ticket or funds for departure ticket
Quota or cap: Capped2026 allocation: 2,735 places (pool-based, regular invitation rounds; often oversubscribed)

Japan

Age limit: 18-30
Visa cost: Free
Maximum stay: 1 year from issue
Funds required: EUR 1,600 with a return or onward ticket, or EUR 3,200 without; a couple applying together shows EUR 2,300 combined.
Quota or cap: Capped800/year; closes once reached

New Zealand

Age limit: 18-30
Visa cost: NZ$770
Maximum stay: 12 months
Funds required: NZD 4,200
Quota or cap: Uncapped

Once you've chosen

Get set up, wherever you land

Banking, SIM, tax, and a first-week checklist for the destinations you're weighing up.

Australia

Living guide →First-week checklist →

Canada

Living guide →First-week checklist →

Japan

Living guide →First-week checklist →

New Zealand

Living guide →First-week checklist →

Questions

Working holidays for Irish citizens

Which working holiday visa is easiest for Irish citizens?

There is no single easiest option. It depends on what matters to you: whether there is an annual cap, how much money you need to show, how long you can stay, and the work conditions. Compare every verified destination side by side in the table above.

Where can Irish citizens do a working holiday?

Irish citizens can currently apply for verified working holiday visas in Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand. Compare them side by side above, then open the route that fits for the full requirements and how to apply.

How many countries can Irish citizens do a working holiday in?

We currently list 4 verified working holiday destinations for Irish citizens. We add more as each route is checked against its official government source.

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