Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand: Application, Costs, Tips

No. It doesn’t need to be officially certified. A stamp/signature from your bank wouldn’t hurt, though. Just go to your bank and explain the situation; they’ll know what you mean :-)

Example bank statement

With 99% certainty, no. During our year in NZ, we were never asked for proof of sufficient funds. We also haven’t heard of anyone in recent years who has been asked.

But:
It is still listed as a requirement.
So, just get one and take it with you. It doesn’t cost anything.
Just to be safe.

You’re supposed to apply for a visa for a foreign country?
All by yourself?
Without anyone to help you?
Oh dear…

If you’ve never filled out such an application before, it can be quite intimidating. We felt the same way and still remember the fear of doing something wrong.

Two things we’d like to give you on the way:

1. You can do it!

Don’t lose your courage. If we managed it back then, you can do it too. Much of it feels very “difficult” and “bureaucratic”, but it’s mostly super simple. So just have courage! You can do this!! RrrRawwwrRrR!!

2. You are not alone!

You are now part of Team KiwiQuest and thus anything but alone.

We and the KQ community are all former or current backpackers and will support you wholeheartedly wherever we can. So, just ask if you need help. And if you want to be on the safe side and have us apply for the visa for you, that’s also completely okay. You’ll find more info a little further down.

We’re here to help! :-)

The login isn’t working? Wow, you’re definitely not alone on this one.
After some tinkering (and some tips from you), we can reveal:
The Immigration NZ site doesn’t seem to be compatible with all browsers. From a technical perspective, it’s really frustrating because such an important site should have no issues with Firefox or Chrome.

Yet, the problem occasionally occurs.

The solution?

If you want to play it safe:
Just use the Chrome browser for the process.

KiwiQuest says thank you

Thanks to Anja for this tip in the comments!
She gets home-made home-painted cake. :-)

Hard to say, but it might be because of the password. The “account password must have at least 12 characters. But this isn’t mentioned anywhere, and there’s no error message if you use a shorter password.”

KiwiQuest says thank you

Thanks to Anita for this tip via email!

In plain terms:
Austrians don’t get the normal Working Holiday Visa because there’s no corresponding agreement between New Zealand and Austria.
Ouch! Is that bullying?
Yes! On a global level!

The solution?

There is an alternative visa. With it, you can stay in New Zealand for a maximum of 6 months and work. At least!

The catch is?
Only a maximum of 100 (!) of those are issued per year.
For all of Austria.

And now?
If you are from Austria, you should get on it as soon as possible. Contact the New Zealand Embassy in Vienna directly. The visas are available each year from April to May, and it works on a “First Come – First Serve” basis. Good luck!

KiwiQuest says thank you

Many thanks to Tamara F. for this information!
For that, we give her the KiwiQuest-Seal-Of-Approval! :-)

It’s okay. It doesn’t have to be your own credit card. We also only used one card for both applications. Generally, having your own credit card makes sense, though. If you want to get one: Check out our article on credit cards for abroad.

Hope this helps!

First step:
Don’t panic.

Second step:
Drink tea.

The solution?

Check if your overdraft is large enough.

With a DKB credit card, for example, you only have 100 euros available. That’s not enough. In that case, you need to transfer money to your credit card for it to be accepted. Just check with your bank and explain the situation.

KiwiQuest says thank you

Many thanks to Emilie, who went through many phone calls and emails to find out where the error lay. May she go through life with as much SWAG as you!

What… no confirmation email?!
Oh man! That’s mean!
Just as you’re all wrapped up in your cozy blanket wanting to comfortably apply for the visa, such a thing happens! No confirmation email after registration! Not even in the spam folder! Dang! Blanket off and put on the boxing gloves?
No, don’t worry, the blanket can stay. Because it seems the site has a technical glitch that occasionally occurs.

The solution?

Just ignore it. Your account has been created, only the confirmation email wasn’t sent. So log in normally with your data and proceed with the application.

KiwiQuest says thanks

A huge thank you to Jonas for the tip! He even called the embassy in Berlin to get to the bottom of the issue and shared the tips with us. He officially earns the Awesome status for this. :)

KiwiQuester Scott faced the same problem. He called Immigration NZ and shared the info with us:

“Immigration New Zealand told me over the phone that the only way is to apply for the visa from within New Zealand. 90% of applications are answered within 27 days, so I’ll need a bit of luck with timing.

The reason is that I am already in New Zealand, and my theoretical stay duration is thus longer than 12 months.”

Thanks, Scott!

No, the visa will not become invalid. But since it would expire sooner than your new Working Holiday Visa, it doesn’t really matter.

You can answer “No”.

An immigration advisor is someone who advises you on the application and fills it out for you. The latter is crucial. Since you’re filling it out yourself, you can simply select “No” here.

KiwiQuest says thank you

Thanks to Mike for bringing this question back to our attention in the comments.

Unfortunately, you can’t do much. If your application is rejected, there’s usually no further chance. Just ask us again in that case, and we’ll see if there’s anything we can do for you.

First step:
Quickly panic. Then calm down.

The solution?

You only need to be younger than 31 when you apply. If you’re in New Zealand and turn 31, it’s no problem!

So, don’t forget: Party hard!
You’re 31 now and 31 is awesome!
Yay! :-)

KiwiQuest says thank you

Mega-thanks to Lea T., who contacted the embassy specially and forwarded the answer to us!

Original response from the embassy:
eYou must be less than 31 years old when you apply for your Working Holiday Visa. If you apply for it when you are 30 but do not enter New Zealand until you are 31, this will still be acceptable.

The important thing with these applications is to lodge them before your 31st birthday; you may then enter New Zealand in line with your visa conditions at any time.�7e

A big thank you at this point! We love it!.
And: All KiwiQuesters celebrate your birthday with you! :-)

You need either a return ticket or enough funds to purchase one.

If you want to do the latter, it’s worth carrying a bank statement as proof.

For a return ticket, it’s possible to buy a cheap ticket (e.g., to Australia) and cancel it after entry.

Yes, in principle, it’s possible, and the visa will be valid for 12 months from the day of issuance. However, with this option, you might have a few extra hurdles to jump. If you’re already in New Zealand, for example with a tourist visa, and then apply for the Working Holiday Visa on location, you’ll often need to present an additional complete medical certificate, which costs around 500 NZ$. We therefore recommend applying for the visa from Germany and entering with it after issuance.