What's a working holiday visa and who can get one?
A working holiday visa lets you live and do ordinary paid work in another country for one to three years, usually between ages 18 and 30 (35 for some nationality–country pairs). Eligibility depends on the passport you hold: UK, Irish, Canadian, Australian and NZ passports open the most doors. It's the cheapest legal way to fund long-term travel.
The big schemes for UK passport holders: Australia (417, to 35 for Brits, extendable to three years with regional work), New Zealand (to 35, up to three years for Brits), Canada (IEC, to 35, huge annual demand — it runs as a draw), Japan, and a growing list from South Korea to Uruguay. Each has its own age cap, funds requirement (typically £1,500–£3,000 in the bank), and quota.
Three rules that catch people: age is counted at application, not arrival — apply before the birthday and you can usually still go after it; most schemes are once-per-country per lifetime; and "work" means real jobs — hospitality, farms, offices — not under-the-table gigs.
Run the 30-second eligibility check for your passport and age, or browse packaged working holidays where the visa help, first job and arrival week are bundled.