Korea Working Holiday Scheme

To be eligible

You must:

• have a passport from the Republic of Korea that‘s valid for at least three months after your planned departure from New Zealand
• be at least 18 and not more than 30 years old
• not bring children with you
• hold a return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket*
• have a minimum of NZ$4,200 available funds to meet your living costs while you’re here
• meet our health and character requirements
• hold medical and comprehensive hospitalisation insurance for the length of your stay
• be coming to New Zealand to holiday, with work or study being secondary intentions for your visit
• not have been approved a visa or permit under a Working Holiday Scheme before.

If you are already in New Zealand you also need to hold a valid temporary permit.

*You are required to hold sufficient funds for the duration of your visit and for the purchase of an outward ticket from New Zealand. Such evidence may be requested on arrival at the border.

Health requirements

You will need to meet our health requirements for a temporary stay in New Zealand.    

Important note for online applicants: Our Working Holiday Schemes Online system will tell you whether you need to send us a completed Medical and/or X-ray Certificate, and, if so, how to do it, when you submit your online application. This is based on the maximum length of stay that you are allowed under your country's Working Holiday Scheme (not your intended stay), along with your responses to our health requirements questions.

Character requirements

You will need to meet our character requirements for temporary entry to New Zealand. 

When you’re here

• you must not take up permanent employment (unless you apply for and are granted an ordinary work permit while you’re here)
• you must not work for the same employer for more than three months
• you can enrol in one or more courses of training or study of up to three months’ duration in total during your visit.

Please note: New Zealand law prohibits any person on a temporary permit, including a working holiday scheme work permit, from providing commercial sexual services, or operating or investing in a business which provides such services.

Tax

Like all New Zealand workers, you will need an IRD number so that your employer can deduct tax from your earnings at the correct rate. In New Zealand, you pay tax on a pay as you earn (PAYE) basis. This means that there should not be a large refund or an amount to pay when you leave. For more information see Inland Revenue's Travelling to New Zealand webpage [external link].

There are no places remaining under this scheme.

 There are no places remaining under this scheme. More places will become available on 1 April 2010.