The idea is simple. You have to be 18 – 30 years old and devote one year to learn about monuments, culture and language of countries from the other side of the world. And since a virtue can be made of necessity, together with a visa to countries, such us: Chile, Argentina (the agreement will enter into force in April this year), South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand or Taiwan, you receive a work permit supplementing the holiday.

These are, in short, the principles of the “Working Holiday” Programme, in which Poland has been also participating since 2018. Our country has currently signed agreements with seven countries. It should be added that in the case of the agreement with Taiwan, due to the international status of Taiwan, it was not possible to conclude an agreement in a form of an international agreement, but between trade offices of Poland and Taiwan. The principles of participating in the Poland-Taiwan programme are, however, completely modelled on other agreements of this type.

1.5 thousand visas to be given

The “Working Holiday” Programme is being developed and in the future the offer will be extended with another countries. Today, young travellers already have at their disposal a total package of 1.5 thousand visas, of which 500 are to Australia and Japan, 400 to Argentina, 200 to South Korea and Taiwan each and 100 visas to New Zealand. Only to Chile there is no limit on visas stipulated within the programme.

Terms and conditions of participation

Persons, who want to benefit from the “Working Holiday” programme have to, in particular:

• have a valid passport issued not earlier than 10 years before submitting an application for issuing a visa, with at least two empty pages, which will remain valid for a period not shorter than 90 days after ending the planned stay;
• have a return ticket or sufficient funds to buy such a ticket;
• have sufficient funds for own board during the stay in the amount stipulated by relevant authorities of the receiving country;
• meet health requirements stipulated in legal provisions of a given country;
• buy a complex health insurance covering hospital care, in compliance with the legal provisions of the receiving country.

Moreover, those persons are obliged:

• not to have previously participated in the “Working Holiday” programme organised by the receiving country;
• to be of at least 18 years of age, however at the moment of submitting an application for visa - below 31 years of age;

• in the case of travelling to Australia, have submitted to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy a declaration (the online form is available on the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy’s website), on the grounds of which the Ministry issues to applicants for the programme a certificate with contents agreed on with Australia.