There are 100 places available annually under this scheme to young citizens of Thailand for a 12-month stay in New Zealand. The scheme runs from 1 July each year.
Online application service available
You will need a valid Visa or Mastercard credit card. This is the only way to pay for your online application. Please note that if you apply online we may require you to send additional information to the Immigration New Zealand receiving office in Bangkok.
However, before you think about applying, please read the following important information.
To be eligible
You must:
- have a passport from the Kingdom of Thailand that is 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$7,000 available funds to meet your living costs while you are here
- meet our health and character requirements
- hold medical and comprehensive hospitalisation insurance for the length of your stay
- have a tertiary qualification granted in respect of a minimum of three years’ full-time study
- have a level of proficiency in English that is assessed as at least functional (see below)
- 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.
Note: An applicant’s proficiency in English is deemed to be at least functional if they:
- produce evidence of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS), showing they achieved an average level of 4.5 over the four components of the test; or
- produce evidence of having completed all primary and at least three years’ secondary education where all instruction was in English; or
- produce evidence of having completed at least five years’ secondary education where all instruction was in English; or
- produce evidence of having gained a post-secondary qualification that required at least two years’ fulltime study or training where all tuition was in English; or
- are assessed by way of an interview with an Immigration New Zealand visa or immigration officer who speaks fluent English.
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 scheme's 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 are 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].
How do I apply?
Take me to Working Holiday Schemes online. This link will take you to our Online Services login page. On this page you can register for online services or if you have already registered you can log in and access the working holiday scheme online application system. Check our questions and answers for more information on the online application system.
If you want to apply manually, follow the steps to apply for a working holiday scheme work visa or permit.