Working Holiday Visa · United Kingdom → New Zealand

Your Working Holiday in New Zealand, Sorted Before You Land

New Zealand Working Holiday Scheme

Your Working Holiday Visa application prepared and lodged with you by a licensed New Zealand immigration adviser, plus a complete application guide and the practical setup help you need to move from the UK to New Zealand.

Moving on a Working Holiday Visa means dealing with your visa application, your bank account, your tax number, and a hundred smaller logistics, usually all at once, usually for the first time. This package puts a licensed New Zealand immigration adviser on your visa application and a complete guide behind everything else, so you're not doing it alone.

What's included:

Your Working Holiday Visa application prepared and lodged with you by Borey Chum, a full-licence New Zealand Immigration Adviser (licence 201000162) at Migration Associates, under his own adviser engagement. His work on your application is included in the package price.
A complete UK-to-NZ Working Holiday Visa application guide: eligibility, documents, timing, and what to expect at each stage.
A practical pre-departure checklist, so nothing gets missed before you fly.
Banking and IRD (tax number) setup guidance for your first weeks in New Zealand.
One clear, upfront price for everything MBG provides. No hidden extras on our side.

Package price

£349

Covers MBG's application guide, checklist, banking/IRD setup guidance, and your Working Holiday Visa application prepared and lodged with you by a licensed New Zealand immigration adviser at Migration Associates. Does not include Immigration New Zealand's own government visa fee (see below).

This is separate from Immigration New Zealand's own Working Holiday Visa application fee of NZD $770 (International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy included; roughly £340, as at 10 Sept 2026), as at immigration.govt.nz, fetched 9 Sept 2026. You pay that fee directly to Immigration New Zealand when you apply. It is not included in MBG's price, and it is non-refundable if your application is declined.

Partner

Borey Chum, Migration Associates (Christchurch, NZ)

Full-licence New Zealand Immigration Adviser, licensed since 2010. Prepares and lodges your Working Holiday Visa application with you, under his own adviser engagement. His work on your application is included in the package price.

Check the licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register (search by name or licence number 201000162)

At a glance

Age range

18-35 inclusive

Maximum duration

12, 23 or 36 months, chosen when you apply; 12- and 23-month visas can later be extended toward the 36-month maximum

Annual quota

Availability is set by Immigration New Zealand; check immigration.govt.nz for the current position before you apply

Application window

Apply from the UK or Crown Dependencies; once approved you have 12 months to arrive in New Zealand or the visa lapses

Eligibility

Aged 18 to 35 inclusive when you apply, holding a valid UK passport.
Normally live in the UK or the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man), and have not been away from there for more than 2 years immediately before applying.
Never held a New Zealand working holiday visa before. This is a permanent one-shot rule and it still counts if you were granted one earlier and never used it.
No job offer is needed to apply or to arrive.
Be in good health and of good character. Immigration New Zealand may ask for a medical examination, a chest X-ray or police certificates during processing.
Have at least NZD $350 a month (roughly £160, as at 10 Sept 2026) to live on while you're in New Zealand, plus a ticket out of New Zealand or the money to buy one, held separately.
Your passport must stay valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiry date of the visa you're applying for.

How to apply

1
Check you're eligible, and check your passport
Run through the eligibility and financial requirements sections on this page. The three points that catch people out are age, the never-held-a-New-Zealand-working-holiday-visa rule, and the living funds plus onward ticket. One thing to do now regardless: your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the visa's expiry date (immigration.govt.nz, as at 10 September 2026). If it won't be, renew it before anything else.
2
Join the waitlist, then one payment covers everything MBG provides
The package isn't on sale yet. Join the waitlist below and we'll email you the moment it opens. When it does, a single payment covers the UK-to-NZ application guide, the pre-departure checklist, the banking and IRD setup guidance, and the licensed adviser who prepares and lodges your visa application with you.
3
Migration Associates takes it from there
We introduce you to Borey Chum, a full-licence New Zealand Immigration Adviser at Migration Associates. You sign an engagement letter directly with Migration Associates, and Borey prepares and lodges your Working Holiday Visa application with you. You never fill in the visa forms alone.
4
Pay Immigration New Zealand's own fee directly to them
The government application fee is NZD $770 (roughly £340, as at 10 Sept 2026), and that figure already includes the NZD $100 (roughly £45) International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (immigration.govt.nz fee tool, as at 9 September 2026). You pay it yourself, directly to Immigration New Zealand, when your application is lodged. It is separate from the package price, is not collected by Move Between Guide, and is not refunded if the application is declined.
5
Once your eVisa is granted, the guide carries you the rest of the way
From approval onwards, the MBG guide and checklist take over the practical side: opening your New Zealand bank account, getting your IRD number, booking flights, and finding your feet in your first weeks on the ground.

Financial & health requirements

Visa application fee

NZD $770 (roughly £340, as at 10 Sept 2026), paid directly to Immigration New Zealand when your application is lodged; fee as at 9 September 2026. The NZD $100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (roughly £45) is included in that total. Non-refundable if your application is declined. This is paid to the government, not to Move Between Guide, and it is not part of the package price.

Living funds: NZD $350 a month (roughly £160, as at 10 Sept 2026)

Immigration New Zealand words this as a monthly rate, not a lump sum. For a 12-month stay that's roughly NZD $4,200 across the year (about £1,850); for 23 months about NZD $8,050 (about £3,500); for 36 months about NZD $12,600 (about £5,500), all as at 10 Sept 2026. Immigration New Zealand assesses the NZD figure; the pound amounts are a planning aid, rounded up slightly so a moving exchange rate doesn't leave you short. Budget for it, but you're not required to have the whole amount sitting in one account on day one.

Onward or return ticket

You need a ticket out of New Zealand, or enough money to buy one. INZ is explicit that this money must be in addition to your living funds, so it does not count toward the NZD $350 a month (roughly £160, as at 10 Sept 2026).

Medical examination and chest X-ray

Conditional, not universal. Required if you apply for a 23- or 36-month visa, or if your total time in New Zealand (including other visas) will exceed 12 months. INZ can also request one based on your health declaration. Most people starting on a 12-month visa won't need one at application. Your adviser will tell you if and when you need to book one.

Health or travel insurance

Not a visa requirement. Immigration New Zealand's UK working holiday visa page carries no insurance mandate (checked 9 September 2026). It is still strongly worth having, because New Zealand's public health system generally does not cover temporary visa holders for most non-accident treatment. That's a recommendation, not a rule.

Good character and police certificates

You must meet character requirements. A criminal conviction or assessed security risk can see the application declined, and INZ may ask for police certificates during processing. You'll also give biometrics (photo, fingerprints) at the border; refusing to is grounds for refused entry.

IRD number

Free. Applied for online through myIR once you're in New Zealand, using your passport details and immigration application number. You need one to be taxed correctly on any wages, so do it before or as you start work. Expect roughly 1 to 2 weeks.

Before you apply

Confirm you've never held a New Zealand working holiday visa before, including one you were granted but never used. If you have, this visa is not open to you.
Check your passport is valid for at least 3 months beyond your intended visa's expiry, and renew now if it isn't.
Have NZD $350 a month (roughly £160, as at 10 Sept 2026) to live on for the length of your stay, plus a ticket out of New Zealand or the money to buy one, held separately from your living funds.
Pay the NZD $770 government fee (levy included; roughly £340, as at 10 Sept 2026) directly to Immigration New Zealand when your application is lodged. It's separate from the package price.
Everything after that, from banking, your IRD number and insurance to arrival steps, work conditions and staying longer, is covered in the full pre-departure and first-weeks checklist that comes with the package.

Important

Move Between Guide is an Australian company (ABN 83 187 340 832). This is general information, not migration advice. Visa requirements and eligibility depend on your individual circumstances and rules change over time. For advice specific to your situation, speak with a licensed immigration adviser.