Working holiday visa medical requirements

If you are applying for a working holiday visa you may need to have a chest x-ray or medical examination as proof of your good health.

What you need to provide depends on your situation

The medical information you must provide for a working holiday visa is based on:

how long you can stay in New Zealand under your country’s working holiday scheme
whether you are already in New Zealand
whether you have spent time in countries that do not have a low incidence of tuberculosis (TB)
whether you have previously had a medical examination as part of an earlier visa application — if so, you may not need to have another medical examination.

We use chest x-rays to check for TB and general medical examinations to check for other medical conditions.

Countries with a low incidence of TB

Getting an x-ray or medical examination

Applying if you are outside New Zealand

If you are outside New Zealand and your country’s working holiday scheme allows you to stay up to 12 months, you:

must have a chest x-ray if you have spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in a country that does not have a low incidence of TB
do not need to have a chest x-ray or general medical examination if you have only spent time in countries with a low incidence of TB.

Countries with a low incidence of TB

United Kingdom and Canada

If you are outside New Zealand and applying for a UK or Canada Working Holiday Visa for the maximum period of 23 months you must have a chest x-ray and general medical examination.

Malaysia and Austria

If you are outside New Zealand and applying for an Austria or Malaysia Working Holiday Visa you do not need to have a chest x-ray or a general medical examination.

Applying if you are in New Zealand

You must have a chest x-ray and general medical examination if you are in New Zealand and applying for a working holiday visa, unless you are applying under the Austria, Malaysia or Singapore schemes.

Austria

If you are in New Zealand and are applying for an Austria Working Holiday Visa, you:

must have a chest x-ray and general medical examination if you have been here for more than 6 months
do not need to have a chest x-ray or general medical examination if you have been here for less than 6 months.

Singapore and Malaysia

If you are in New Zealand and have been here for more than 6 months and are applying for a Malaysia or Singapore Working Holiday Visa, you must have a chest x-ray and general medical examination.

If you are in New Zealand and have been here for less than 6 months and are applying for a Malaysia or Singapore Working Holiday Visa, you:

must have a chest x-ray, and
do not need to have a general medical examination.

Evidence of your chest x-ray or medical examination

When you have had your chest x-ray or medical examination, you must provide us with evidence you have done so within 15 days of submitting your visa application.

You can do this by:

providing us with an eMedical reference number, or
sending us your chest x-ray certificate or medical certificate if you live in a country that does not have panel physicians.

Panel physicians are doctors and radiologists who are approved to complete chest x-rays and medical examinations for New Zealand visa applications.

Evidence of your health

Find a doctor or radiologist near you