What exactly is the Working Holiday Programme?

Germany has Working Holiday Programmes with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan and Uruguay.

Applications may be submitted by young people between the ages of 18 and 30 (with the exception of citizens of the Republic of Korea, who may be up to 34 years old). The programmes are meant to allow insight into the culture and everyday life in the other country, and they enable stays of up to twelve months. Holiday jobs may be accepted to help finance a young person’s stay.

Australian, Israeli and Japanese nationals, as well as nationals of New Zealand, may apply for this type of residence permit at any German mission abroad; if they have already entered Germany, they may apply at the competent German foreigners authority.
Nationals of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay may apply for the residence permit at any German mission abroad.

Korean nationals can only apply for the residence permit at the German Embassy in Seoul, and Taiwanese young people can only apply for it at German Institute Taipei.

Due to the special status of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, applications for the required visa are only accepted at the Consulate General in Hong Kong. Applicants must be residents of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.

Brazilian nationals may obtain the required residence permit only at Germany’s missions in Brazil.

More information can be found on the website of the respective German embassy of the country where the applicant has his/her citizenship or of the country which has signed a bilateral agreement with Germany).

The Procedure:

Please make sure to apply for an appointment before coming to our embassy: https://service2.diplo.de/rktermin/extern/choose_realmList.do?request_locale=de&locationCode=zagr

To submit your application, please arrive at the foreign mission in person at the time of your appointment. The foreign mission will collect your complete application documents and the fee, ask you questions about your intended stay as well as record your photo that you brought with you and your fingerprints.

Visa application processing is subject to a EUR 75 fee, to be paid upon submitting the application. If a visa has been refused or the applicant has withdrawn their application, the fee will not be refunded.

There is no legal entitlement to the issuance of a visa, even if the complete documentation has been submitted. A stay in Germany under the Working Holiday Programme is granted only once. If you have already received a Working Holiday Visa for Germany in the past, you will not be able to apply for it again.

Processing time for your application is a minimum of ten working days.
A careful planning and filing of your application in your country of residence is recommended.
Applicants will be informed via e-mail once the application has been processed and is ready for pickup.
Please be informed that questions during the processing period cannot be answered.

Application Documents (Please do not staple the documents.):

• One fully completed and signed application form
• Passport (valid for the entire intended duration of your stay in Germany)
• Passport photo (not older than 6 months) with a white background (3.5 x 4.5 cm)
• Evidence of sufficient funds: the applicantʹs personal bankbook, with a minimum amount equivalent to EUR 2,500
• A letter of motivation and supporting documents / information about your intended stay in Germany
• Criminal record certificate not older than 3 months, not translated
• Curriculum vitae (in English, German or Croatian)
• Adequate insurance coverage: Evidence of health insurance valid in Germany, with included coverage of hospital treatment and return transport to the respective country of origin (minimum coverage sum of EUR 30,000). The insurance coverage must be valid for the entire duration of your intended stay in Germany. Please refer to an insurance company of your choice.

Contact form
Telephone enquiries: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (+385 1 630 01 00)

Visas can be picked up Monday to Thursday only from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.