Ireland Working Holiday Visa

What is the Working Holiday Visa in Ireland?

The Ireland Working Holiday Visa is a visa scheme that allows young people from certain countries to come to Ireland and work for up to one year. These countries include:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Canada
• Chile
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Republic of Korea
• Taiwan
• United States of America

Notably, those from Canada can work for up to 2 years. If you qualify for an Irish Working Holiday visa, you’ll receive Working Holiday Authorization.

Requirements for Ireland Working Holiday Visa

To qualify for the Irish Working Holiday visa, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a citizen of any of the 10 eligible countries
• You must have a international passport that’s valid for 30 days from the date of your proposed entry into Ireland
• It must be your first time participating in the visa scheme
• You must have clean police and court records
• You must provide proof of payment of visa fees
• You must not bring along any dependent family members. Dependent family members must have their own visa
• You must have medical insurance or private medical insurance
• You must be financially capable of sponsoring yourself throughout your stay in Ireland. To meet this requirement, you must have a minimum of €1,500 and a return air ticket or €3,000 without a return air ticket.

The above requirements are general. There are still individual requirements for each country. You should seek advice from an immigration lawyer on your eligibility.

Working Holiday Authorisation eligibility requirements based on country

• Argentina

There are 200 slots in the Working Holiday visa scheme for Argentine citizens each year. To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 35, and you can work in Ireland for up to a year. Also, you’re free to study, leave, and re-enter Ireland so long as your visa is valid.

• Australia

Australian citizens from age 18 to 35 can apply for the Irish Working Holiday visa scheme. You can work for up to a year, but you cannot work for an employer for more than 6 months. The application attracts a $95 AUD processing fee.

• Canada

Only Canadians can live and work in Ireland for up to 2 years under this visa scheme. Application is open for Canadians between 18 to 35 years, and it costs $150 CAD.

• Chile

Chileans can work for up to 12 years and travel in and out of Ireland. However, you can only apply if you’re between the ages of 18 and 30, and there are only 100 slots available each year. In addition, there’s an application fee of 60,000 CLP.

• Hong Kong

Hong Kong gets 200 slots in the Irish Working Holiday visa scheme each year. As a Hong Kong resident, you can only apply from March 1st. You can apply with either a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport or a British Nationals Overseas (BNO) passport.

Also, you can only work for a single employer for 3 months. Application is only open to people between 18 to 30 years, and you don’t pay any application fees.

• Japan

As a Japanese citizen, you can apply for this visa scheme if you’re between the ages of 18 and 25. If you’re between 26 to 30, you can only apply if you have full-time employment or education. You can only apply at a particular time per year, so you should check with the embassy.

• New Zealand

If you’re from New Zealand, you can work in Ireland for up to 12 years under this scheme, but you can’t work for a single employer for more than 6 months. The age limit is 18 to 30, and you have to pay a $95 application fee.

• South Korea

South Korean citizens between 18 to 30 years can apply for a Working Holiday visa. Like most other countries, you can work for up to a year.

• Taiwan

Taiwan citizens follow a different application process from the other 9 countries. They must apply via the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service(INIS), and application is limited to a particular period. You can apply if you’re between 18 to 30 years.

• USA

To qualify for the Irish Working Holiday visa as a US citizen, you must be enrolled in full-time post-secondary education or graduated in the last 12 months. You must be at least 18 to apply; there’s no upper age limit. The processing fees vary from $352 to $360 USD.

Application process for the Ireland Working Holiday Visa

You must apply for an Ireland Working Holiday visa at the embassy in your resident country before you travel to Ireland. If you’re from Taiwan, however, you’ll apply via the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS).

If you meet all requirements and the quota for your country is not filled up, you’ll receive Work Holiday authorization. While this permits you to work in Ireland for up to a year or 2, it doesn’t automatically grant you entry to Ireland.

Upon arrival, you’ll provide your work authorization and other important documents to immigration officials. The officers will examine your documents and decide if you can enter Ireland or not.

What happens if I am permitted entry into Ireland

If you pass the entry screening at the border, the immigration officers will place a landing stamp on your passport. This is what permits you to enter Ireland, and it’ll carry your date of entry and your expected date of exit.

This expected exit date is usually 90 days from the date of entry for every immigration permission. Hence, upon entering Ireland, you have to register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau at an immigration registration office.

It is important to get permission to stay in the country for more than 90 days; otherwise, you may be asked to leave Ireland.

What happens at the registration office?

To register in Ireland, you must provide your international passport showing your landing stamp and your original Working Holiday Authorization. An immigration officer will examine both documents to decide if you can stay in Ireland for more than 90 days.

If you qualify, you’ll get a new permission stamp in your international passport and receive an Irish Residence Passport (IRP). Registration cost is €300 and you can pay at the registration office.

How do I register in Ireland?

How you register in Ireland depends on where you’re staying. Particularly, it depends on whether you’re living within or outside Dublin City or county.

If you live outside Dublin City or county, you can register at any registration office nearest to you. Some offices require that you book an appointment, so you should contact them before visiting.

Those living within Dublin City or county must register at the Burgh Quay Registration Office in Dublin city center. You have to book an appointment before visiting; otherwise, you can’t register. You can book an appointment even before travelling to Ireland.