Working Holiday Visa in Hong Kong

As one of the world’s leading international financial hubs, Hong Kong attracts many professionals every year seeking new work opportunities.

While Hong Kong is globally renowned for its amazing skyline dominated by skyscrapers, most people forget that the city also boasts beaches and mountain trails only a few minutes away from the centre. Whenever you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can discover Hong Kong’s many national parks, breathtaking coastal views or even enjoy your day relaxing at the beach.

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has established a bilateral Working Holiday Scheme with the following countries:

Australia
Austria
Canada
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland

Italy (effective date of the scheme to be confirmed)
Japan
the Netherlands
New Zealand
Sweden
South Korea
the United Kingdom

The agreement between Hong Kong and Italy has been signed but the program has not yet started. Details of the arrangement and commencement date will be announced in due course.

The overall objective of the program is to provide an opportunity for young people in Hong Kong and the participating countries to gain first-hand experience living and working in a foreign culture and broaden their horizons.

Apart from facilitating cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the partner economies, the program also enhances bilateral cooperation and promotes tourism and development between the two places.

Under the agreement, participants may stay in Hong Kong for an extended period of up to 12 months.

If you would rather look into the working visa opportunities in other countries in Asia, in Europe, Australia, or other countries, it’s always a good idea to do your research before deciding on where you want to do a working holiday. Read our blog posts to know which other countries offer a Working Holiday visa! Or, if you’re thinking about moving to Hong Kong after you’ve completed your Working Holiday experience, find out how to move to Hong Kong in our blog post: Post Study Work Options: How to Get a Work Visa in Hong Kong After Studies.

Hong Kong Working Holiday Scheme Criteria

These are the criteria you will need to meet if you want to apply for the Hong Kong Working Holiday Scheme:

holds a valid national passport issued by the participating country
primary intention is to holiday in Hong Kong
aged between 18 and 30
financial proof of having a sufficient amount for maintenance during the proposed stay in the HKSAR (see the table below)
holds a return air ticket or financial proof of having sufficient funds to purchase a return air ticket
holds medical, healthcare (including hospitalisation), repatriation and liability insurance to remain in force throughout the stay in the HKSAR

There will be an annual quota for nationals of each participating country and qualified applications will be approved on a first-come-first-served basis.

Country	Annual Quota	Proof of Maintenance (minimum)
Australia	5000	HK$20,000
Austria	100	HK$20,000
Canada	200	HK$15,000
France	750	HK$25,000
Germany	300	HK$20,000
Hungary	200	HK$25,000
Ireland	200	HK$20,000
Italy	500	to be confirmed
Japan	1500	HK$20,000
The Netherlands	100	HK$20,000
New Zealand	400	HK$14,000
Sweden	500	HK$20,000
South Korea	1000	HK$20,000
The United Kingdom	1000	HK$22,000

Working and Studying in Hong Kong Under the Working Holiday Scheme

Working holidaymakers also allowed to take up short-term employment as an incidental aspect of their stay, or even enrol in a short-term course(s) (except Ireland) so as to acquire a better understanding of the cultural and social developments of the host economy. The program enables young people to gain invaluable experience while holidaying and working abroad, which would help strengthen their self-confidence, resilience and interpersonal skills. You are not allowed to engage in permanent employment under this program. Working holidaymakers are protected by the law of Hong Kong.

Each agreement between Hong Kong and the participating country varies. Check out how long you are allowed to work in Hong Kong under the program.

Temporary employment

Australian – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 3 months
Austrian – not allowed to work for more than 6 months
British – not allowed to work for more than 12 months
Canadian – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 3 months
Dutch – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 6 months
French – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 6 months
German- not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 3 months
Hungarian – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 6 months
Irish – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 3 months
Italian – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 3 months and up to a total of 6 months (effective date of the scheme to be confirmed)
Japanese – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 6 months
Korean – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 6 months
New Zealand – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 3 months
Swedish – not allowed to work for the same employer for more than 6 months

We have gathered several useful links where you may find interesting jobs in Hong Kong:

Short Studies in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has a well-established education system and world-class institutions to suit study needs of all kinds. Classes are mostly bilingual so fitting in would not be a big problem for English-speaking foreigners. Chinese language and culture is a common study field among working holidaymakers in Hong Kong.

Here are the number of study or training courses allowed for participating countries:

Australian – any number of courses as long as the duration is not more than 3 months
Austrian- any number of courses as long as the cumulative duration of courses is not more than 6 months
British – any number of courses as long as the cumulative duration of courses is not more than 12 months
Canadian – any number of courses as long as the cumulative duration of courses is not more than 6 months
Dutch – any number of courses as long as the cumulative duration of courses is not more than 6 months
French – only one course and the duration is not more than 6 months
German -only one course and the duration is not more than 6 months
Hungarian – only one course and the duration is not more than 6 months
Irish – not allowed
Italian – any number of courses as long as the cumulative duration of courses is not more than 6 months
Japanese – any number of courses as long as the cumulative duration of courses is not more than 6 months
Korean – only one course and the duration is not more than 6 months
New Zealand – only one course and the duration is not more than 3 months
Swedish- any number of courses as long as the cumulative duration of courses is not more than 6 months

How to Apply for the Hong Kong Working Holiday Scheme

To apply for the Working Holiday visa, you need to complete a visa application form ID(E)940 which is obtainable from the Information Office of the HKSAR Immigration Department as well as Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions (CDCMs).

To apply, you need to prepare the following supporting documents:

Application Form
Passport-size photo
Copy of the identification pages of your passport
Copy of your air ticket
Proof of sufficient funds
Medical and comprehensive hospitalisation and liability insurance

You can send your application by post or in person at the Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Mission in your home country. You can find the nearest diplomatic mission here.

The working holiday visas issued to Irish, Japanese and Korean citizens are free of charge. The process usually takes 2 weeks.

Are you ready to start your adventure in Hong Kong? Talk to us in the comment section below.

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