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Working holidays scheme for New Zealand citizens

Here you can find all the information on working holidays visas for New Zealand citizens.

Information for citizens of New Zealand who want to participate in the Working Holiday Scheme ("WHS") established by the Agreement on a Working Holiday Scheme between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of New Zealand, signed in Prague on 11 October 2004 ("Agreement")

General conditions for eligibility

To be eligible for a long-term visa under the WHS, you must

- be a citizen of New Zealand;

- intend to holiday in the Czech Republic, with employment being an incidental rather than a primary reason for the visit,

- be aged between eighteen (18) and thirty-five (35) years, both inclusive, at the time of application;

- not bring your children with you to the Czech Republic;

- possess a valid New Zealand passport.

How to apply for a visa

Applications for the visa are to be submitted only to the Consulate General  in Sydney  in person (submission by mail is possible in  justified cases upon discretion of the Consulate General; in such a case the Consulate General may nevertheless insist on personal attendance for an interview).  We advise you to contact the visa section of the consulate in advance via e-mail: visa_sydney@mzv.cz

Visa applications can be also lodged also:

 -  in the Visa Centre of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Dresden/ Germany: Víza/Visas | Generální konzulát České republiky Drážďany (mzv.cz)

 - at the  Embassy of he Czech Republic in London 

YOUR APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE:

- valid New Zealand passport (original document - NOT a photocopy)

- visa application (can be downloaded here). Please note that question 29 (Purpose of travel) in the visa application form should be answered by writing "Working Holiday" in the box "Other (please specify)".

- a return ticket (i.e. an air ticket for your journey from the Czech Republic) or a proof that you have sufficient funds to buy an air ticket back to New Zealand (CZK 40,000 or an equivalent sum in other currency in the form of current bank statement, letter from financial institution and a proof that you will be able to withdraw these funds while in the Czech republic (for example copy of internationally recognized credit/debit card). ),

- a proof that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in the Czech Republic (in the form of a current bank statement, letter from a financial institution and proof that you would be able to withdraw these funds while in the Czech Republic, such as a copy of an internationally recognized credit/debit card); the required amount varies depending of the length of intended stay (in 2022, in case of a stay for 12 month, the amount is 101380 CZK(or its equivalent in NZD); the amount may change depending on the current amount of subsistence income) + copy of debit / credit card; More information can be found here.

- a signed statement that you have never been sentenced for a crime in New Zealand - can be downloaded here,

- two photographs

- travel medical insurance  -Proof that you hold travel medical insurance prior to the entry into the Czech Republic. The proof of holding travel medical insurance must be presented at the latest when the visa, if approved, is affixed to your passport.

Insurance must cover the entire period of the applicant´s stay in the Czech Republic as determined by the validity of the visa.  

More detailed information on insurance can be found  at the website of Ministry of Interior  or  Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 


 

- visa fee of CZK 2,500 (according to the current exchange rate the fee is between 160 to 180 AUD) is payable to the Consulate of the Czech Republic in Sydney. All fees are to be paid by physical bank card (if lodging application in person only), or upon instruction by online transfer. All these means of payment can be made in Australian dollars only.

Please include your contact details (mobile, email etc.) as well as details on how your passport should be returned to you (in person or by courier). Please organize courier pick up by any courier company upon instruction from the Consulate General. 

The visa may be issued for a period of validity of maximum 12 months. It cannot be prolonged and you are not eligible to receive it more than once. If you find yourself in need of extending your stay in the Czech Republic, you shall apply for a new visa or long-term residence permit at any Czech Embassy. It will not be possible to file any application inside the Czech Republic. The immigration portal of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic lists useful information in this regard (www.immigrationportal.cz).

Living and working in the Czech Republic

During your stay in the Czech Republic on the basis of a WHS visa

  • You may be employed without a work permit. However, you shall not take up permanent employment, i.e. your employment contract should not be for a period longer than the validity of the visa. There are no additional conditions. Your employer is required by Czech law to inform the local Employment Office ("Úřad práce") that you have taken up employment. More information and the form  can be found  in English version  or in Czech version.
  • You may enroll in one training or study course of up to 6 months of duration.

Text of the original Agreement on a Working Holiday Scheme between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of New Zealand can be found here.

Text of the Amendment to the Agreement on a Working Holiday Scheme can be found here. Amendment enters force from 1.12.2011.

Processing time

A long-term visa must be approved by the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic.

The long-term visa for the purpose of  WH visa  shall be processed within 60 days from the date the Consulate General in Sydney receives the complete application.

Please understand that the Consulate  is not able to speed up the visa approval process as it is decided by the Ministry of Interior of in the Czech Republic. Therefore, the Consulate General in Sydney encourages applicants to submit their applications on time.

If you have any questions you can contact us via email . We reply within 48 hours business days.

Attachments

Čestné prohlášení WHS 16 KB PDF (Adobe Acrobat document) Jan 18, 2010

zov_EN 526 KB PDF (Adobe Acrobat document) Aug 31, 2010

Protocol_to_the_WHV_Scheme_Agreement___Ammendment 60 KB PDF (Adobe Acrobat document) Nov 10, 2011

Working Holiday_NZ_AJ_Text 49 KB DOC (Word document) Jun 20, 2016