How to get a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Filipinos: Requirements, fees, and more (2024)

New Zealand is an appealing destination with its stunning natural landscapes, high quality of life, and friendly people. Comprising two islands – north and south – visiting the main highlights of this beautiful island country takes at least two weeks. For more in-depth exploration, Filipinos can consider applying for the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa.

Read more about the New Zealand working holiday visa for the Philippines in this guide, including the New Zealand working holiday visa opening date, as well as the working holiday visa New Zealand’s requirements. We will also introduce Wise, a smart way to manage your money, so you can spend and save while abroad.

How to work in New Zealand for Filipinos?

The New Zealand Working Holiday visa is an excellent option for young Filipinos looking to work and travel in New Zealand for an extended period of time. While there are existing visas that allow Filipinos to work in New Zealand, the working holiday visa in New Zealand provides digital nomads the flexibility to also work for New Zealand employers for income to fund their travels.

For Philippine passport holders, there are a myriad of other New Zealand visas¹ that allow you to work in the country even if you don’t meet the working holiday visa New Zealand requirements. For instance, there are specific New Zealand work visas for Filipinos in the care workforce, entertainment industry, or even engineering professionals.

How to apply for work in New Zealand?

Application for the New Zealand Working Holiday visa – or for just about any type of visa for Filipinos to visit, work, study, and live in New Zealand – is done online through the Immigration New Zealand portal². Other than filling in your personal details, you will also need to provide other pertinent information such as proof of income, as well as health and criminal records, and other additional documents. For instance, for us in the Philippines, we will need to submit a chest x-ray and a medical examination as part of a tuberculosis screening. You may also need to provide evidence of your plans while in New Zealand such as copies of accommodation and transportation bookings.

In this guide, we will zoom in on the working holiday visa New Zealand requirements for Filipinos. If you are considering other New Zealand work visas, there is also a handy tool² on the Immigration New Zealand page to help you compare available visas.

New Zealand working holiday visa for Philippines citizens

The New Zealand working holiday visa is designed for Filipinos aged 18 to 30 years old who want to travel and work in New Zealand for up to 12 months. Alternatively, the working holiday visa in New Zealand also allows you to study or train for up to 6 months in total.

Filipinos who hold the New Zealand working holiday visa are able to enter and exit New Zealand multiple times during the 12-month period. This provides further flexibility for your travel plans. It’s a great opportunity to explore New Zealand’s rich culture, natural landscapes, and lifestyle while gaining valuable work experience abroad.

What can you do with a working holiday visa for New Zealand?

Filipinos who have successfully applied for the New Zealand working holiday visa can:

• Work in New Zealand for up to 12 months
• Work for any employer(s) they like
• Study or train, as long as it’s not for more than 6 months of your stay

Work or study/training is optional – you need not have a job offer prior to applying for the New Zealand working holiday visa. Same goes for a study or training course.

However, there are certain restrictions to employment:

• These jobs must be temporary, and not permanent
• You can’t work for the same employer for more than 3 months
• The work must be legal (i.e. you do not provide commercial sexual services or operate/invest in a related business)

Some temporary jobs in New Zealand include administrative roles, warehouse assistance and data entry. For those looking for a new experience, roles in hospitality, tourism and even fruit-picking are also available. Those who plan to work in New Zealand must pay tax³ on their earnings.

New Zealand working holiday visa requirements for Filipinos

As mentioned above, one key New Zealand working holiday visa requirement for Filipinos is age. Applicants must be between 18 to 30 years old. There are other New Zealand work or study visas available for Filipinos who do not meet the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa requirement.

Other New Zealand working holiday visa requirements for Filipinos include:

• Passport with at least 15 months’ validity after you first arrive in New Zealand
• A tertiary qualification of at least 3 years’ full-time study
• The ability to speak and understand English
• Full medical insurance for the length of your stay
• Chest x-ray and a medical examination as proof of your good health
• Police Certificates as proof of a clear criminal record and good character
• Have at least $4,200 NZD (about 147,000 PHP) to live on during your stay
• No previous approvals for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa, even if it wasn’t utilised

The processing time for your New Zealand working holiday visa takes about 2 weeks, and you must go to New Zealand within 12 months of the date your visa is granted. Your working holiday visa for New Zealand will be valid from the date you enter New Zealand, if you are outside New Zealand; or the date your visa is granted, if you are already in New Zealand.

Your accompanying children and/or spouse or family members are not included in your New Zealand working holiday visa application. They will need to apply for their own entry visas.

How to apply for a working holiday visa in New Zealand

Here is a step-by-step guide to applying for your New Zealand working holiday visa:

1. Apply online and in English
2. Pay the immigration costs via Visa or Mastercard (non-refundable regardless of outcome)
3. Provide evidence to support your application. Look out for an email from Immigration New Zealand, and be sure to check junk mail settings
4. Wait for email notification about approval of New Zealand working holiday visa application. Alternatively, log in and check Immigration New Zealand’s Online Services to check the status of your application. If approved, you will be granted an eVisa.
5. Wait for further instructions from Immigration New Zealand if there are additional things to do or submit.
6. Additionally, apply for a New Zealand bank account and an IRD number if you plan to work, as you need to receive your salary and pay tax

The current application window for the New Zealand working holiday visa for the Philippines has closed as the quota⁴ for the year, 100, has been reached. The window will reopen when the quota is reset on the following year’s opening date. For reference, the 2024 reopening date was 12 March and the announcement was made over a month prior, on 25 January. Look out for the announcements on the Immigration New Zealand portal.

New Zealand working holiday visa fees

First and foremost, you will need to pay the application cost of $770 NZD (about 27,000 PHP) for the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa. This includes an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of $100 NZD (about 3,500 PHP). These fees are not refundable.

Other fees you need to consider when applying for your New Zealand working holiday visa are, for example, medical examination and x-ray, national police clearance administrative fee of 150 PHP, English language certifications if needed, medical insurance fees, passport renewal fees, fees to obtain bank statement as proof of funds, and so on.

As previously mentioned, you must have at least $4,200 NZD to live on during your stay. The actual amount might increase should your dependents accompany you, so budgeting is still important even if you plan to get a temporary job in New Zealand. Do keep in mind that the cost of living⁵ in, say, Auckland, is significantly higher than that in Manila.

Use Wise to receive and make payment in NZD with absolutely no hidden fees for a seamless working holiday in New Zealand

When preparing to work and travel in New Zealand, it's essential to have a reliable way to manage your money. Opening a Wise account online before you leave the Philippines can save you time and hassle once you arrive.

The Wise account is an easy way to hold and exchange 40+ currencies, including PHP, USD, CNY, and more. All you need to do is create a free account to get started.

With Wise, you can exchange currencies at the mid-market rate each time, with low, transparent conversion fees from 0.57% and absolutely no markups. Plus, you can order a Wise card for convenient spending at the same great rate, without any foreign transaction fees. At times you need cash, you can also make up to 2 free ATM withdrawals to the value of 12,000 PHP when you're overseas. You'll even get 8+ local account details to get paid conveniently to your Wise account in PHP and a selection of other major global currencies.

Sending money or making payments abroad? Wise also offers fast, low cost transfers to 140+ countries - you can track your transfer in your account and your recipient will also be notified when a transfer reaches them.

For Filipinos looking to apply for the New Zealand working holiday visa, Wise simplifies money management, so you can maximise your experience and worry less about financial logistics.

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1. Visas that allow you to work | Immigration New Zealand
2. Explore and select a visa | Immigration New Zealand
3. Tax rates for individuals - Inland Revenue of New Zealand
4. 2024 opening dates for capped Working Holiday Schemes | Immigration New Zealand
5. Numbeo: Cost of living comparison between Manilla, Philippines and Auckland, New Zealand
6. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.
7. Eligibility is subject to verification of customers identity.