The Working Holiday Programme is available in different forms for young people from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan and Uruguay. The programme allows stays of up to 12 months. Holiday jobs can be accepted to support the financing of the stay.

Who does not need a visa to enter Germany?

Nationals from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Israel can travel to Germany and apply for the necessary residence permit at the responsible immigration authorities (“Ausländerbehörde”). You may only take up employment once you have been issued a residence permit explicitly authorizing working holiday employment.

Where can I apply for the visa?

If you do not have one of the nationalities mentioned, you must apply for a Working Holiday Visa before entering Germany.

Korean nationals can only apply for a visa at the German Embassy in Seoul. Taiwanese nationals can only apply for a visa at the German Institute Taipei. Anyone resident in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region can only apply for a visa at the German Consulate General in Hong Kong. Brazilian nationals can only apply for a visa at a German diplomatic mission in Brazil.

Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan nationals can apply for the required visa at any German mission abroad. As a rule, only nationals of these three countries can be issued Working Holiday Visas at the German Embassy in Paris.

How do I get an appointment to submit my application?

Under the following link you can register free of charge on the waiting list for an appointment to apply for a visa at the Embassy in Paris: Visa section Appointment waiting list

Please expect a waiting time of at least 16 weeks for an appointment. Approximately two weeks before your appointment, you will receive an e-mail with the date and time.
In the meantime, please refrain from making written or telephone appointment requests. Due to the high volume of applications and limited processing capacities, it is not possible to shorten the waiting time.

Which documents must I submit?

Please prepare the following application documents:

• two complete and signed printouts of your online visa application form (including the Barcode): VIDEX
  
  The electronically completed visa application form speeds up processing at the embassy. If you cannot fill out the application electronically, you can download the application form here:
  Form: Application for a national visa (in German and English)
  Form: Application for a national visa (in German and Spanish)
• two fully biometric passport photos, not older than three months: photo template
• Your original valid passport and two copies of the biodata page. The passport needs to have at least two subsequent blank pages and be valid for at least 3 months beyond the validity of the visa applied for.
  You must be no more than 30 years old on the day of application.
• if available: your valid French residence permit and two copies
• Curriculum Vitae in German or English and two copies
• Proof of first accommodation in Germany
• Current certificate of good conduct issued by your home country
• Proof of sufficient financial means
  For the first three months of your stay, at least EUR 2,802.00 must be proven when you apply. In addition, you should have funds for a return ticket to your home country. Evidence is:
  recent bank statements from the last three months OR
  a blocked account with the stated amount OR
  a formal obligation (“Verpflichtungserklärung”) by a sponsor resident in Germany in which he/she agrees to bear the costs of your living expenses
• Proof of health insurance valid in Germany (must be presented at the latest when picking up the visa)

Please note that your application can only be processed if your documents are complete on the day of application. In individual cases, the submission of further documents may be required.

Fees and expenses

The processing fee for a Working Holiday Visa is in most cases EUR 75,00. The fee has to be paid in cash at the embassy when applying. Please bring the exact amount with you.

The processing fee is non-refundable, even when the application has been refused.

The German Embassy Paris expressly points out that apart from the above-mentioned processing fee, no other fees will be charged (e.g. for making an appointment). Only expenses (e.g. for mailing your visaed passport after the procedure has been completed) have to be paid by the applicant.

When do I get the visa?

The embassy usually decides on your application within a few working days from the date of application. Please refrain from making status inquiries during this time.

We will contact you as soon as the processing of your visa application is completed. If your application has been granted, we will notify you by email when and how to submit your passport to obtain the visa.

If your visa application has been denied, there may be several reasons. We will tell you these reasons in a rejection letter. You can always submit a new application with complete, meaningful and verifiable documents.

How long is the visa valid for?

If the decision is positive, a visa with a validity of 12 months will be issued. Your visa will show your full name, passport number and photo. It will indicate the period of validity of the visa as well as information about possible employment in Germany.

Please register at the Residents' Registration Office (“Einwohnermeldeamt”) immediately after entering Germany. You can use the visa for travelling within the Schengen area.

Data protection

Information pursuant to Art. 13 and 14 Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation) on data protection in the visa application process can be found here: Data protection Information (in French language)