DUE TO A BILATERAL AGREEMENT,

FROM 1 OCTOBER 2019 THE VISA LIMIT FOR POLISH AND AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 1500.

Polish citizens who meet the following criteria may apply to participate in the programme:

1.   The main purpose of participation in the programme is to visit Australia for leisure;

2.   At the time of submitting the application, the participants must be between eighteen and thirty-one years of age;

3.   The applicants must not have dependent children;

4.   The applicants must hold a valid passport with at least two blank pages, issued not less than ten years prior to the date of submitting the visa application; the passport must remain valid for a period of not less than ninety days after the end of the intended stay;

5.   The applicants must hold a return ticket, an onward journey ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase the ticket;

6.   The participants must have sufficient means to finance their stay for the entire duration of the programme in the event they do not take up employment in Australia;

7.   The participants must meet the health requirements set out by the Australian law and must have health insurance covering hospital care;

8.   The participants must have not participated in the “Working Holiday Programme” in Australia before;

9.   The participants must hold a university degree or have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies;

10. The participants must be able to communicate in English;

11. The participants must hold a certificate issued by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

WHO ISSUES THE CERTIFICATES?

Certificates are issued by the DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

HOW TO APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE:

Applications for obtaining certificates must be submitted via an online form - the hyperlink is provided at the top of the page.

The form must contain the following information: first name(s), surname, date and place of birth, passport series and passport number.

The form must also contain the applicant’s declaration that he/she meets the conditions for participation in the Programme.

*Please note! The applicant is solely responsible for providing correct information.

TIME LIMIT FOR SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS

In accordance with the Agreement concluded between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - the annual limit for visas granted for participation in the Working Holiday Programme from 1 October 2019 is 1500 (one thousand five hundred).

In the event of submitting a visa application after reaching the annual limit of 1500 visas shall result in the loss of documents and visa costs.

Further information can be found on the following website:https://germany.embassy.gov.au/beln/Visas_and_Migration.html

A relevant information will be published on the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy's website after exhausting the limit of visas granted for the 2019/2020 edition of the Programme. In such event, new certificates will not be issued.

Periodically updated information on the number of visas issued so far can be obtained from the Australian Embassy in Berlin: (http://germany.embassy.gov.au/beln/work_and_holiday.html)

PLEASE NOTE!

Please note that applications for certificates under the “Working Holiday Programme” Australia 2018/2019 (ending on 30 June 2019) shall be submitted up to 21 June 2019, while the applications for the new edition of the Programme - 2019/2020 (beginning on 1 July 2019) will be accepted beginning at 24 June 2019. 
Applications must be submitted electronically using the online application form. 

DECISION TO ISSUE A CERTIFICATE

The certificate is issued on the basis of a completed online form containing the applicant's declaration of eligibility for the Programme. Certificates shall be issued within 7 days after submitting the application (applications submitted to the Ministry by 16:00 on a given day shall be recognised as filed in on that day).

*Please note! Obtaining a certificate does not guarantee obtaining a visa under the Programme!

HOW TO COLLECT THE CERTIFICATE

The preferred method for collecting the certificate must be indicated in the application.

Depending on the choice made in the application, the Ministry:

• sends the certificate back to the address indicated by the applicants in the territory of Poland (economy registered main with delivery confirmation)
• contacts the applicant by phone or e-mail to arrange the details of collecting the certificate in person
• issues the certificate to a third party, provided that it is duly authorised to collect the certificate*

  * A template for third party authorisation for collecting the certificate is available below in the downloads section.

WHERE TO APPLY FOR A VISA

*Please note! The Ministry does not act as an intermediary in the visa process! 

The Ministry only issues the “Certificate” which is one of the criteria set by the Australian partner for obtaining a visa under the Working Holiday Programme

After obtaining a certificate issued by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, persons who wish to participate in the Programme shall submit a visa application to the Australian Embassy in Berlin.

All information regarding the visa procedure, as well as other useful information on the process can be obtained from:
European Customer Service Centre
tel. +44 (0) 207 420 3690
The requirements for Polish citizens who wish to obtain an Australian visa are provided on the website of the Australian Department of Home Affairs : https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/462-