NZ Working Holiday Visa 2026: Opening Dates & Quotas by Country
Immigration New Zealand has officially confirmed the 2026 opening dates for all capped Working Holiday Schemes (WHS). Whether you’re planning to work and travel in New Zealand from the United Kingdom, Korea, Spain, or any of the other 32 participating countries, knowing your scheme’s exact opening date — and acting quickly — can be the difference between securing a visa and waiting another year.
New Zealand Shores has compiled every country’s 2026 opening date and annual place cap in one easy-to-read table below. As a specialist New Zealand immigration services provider, we help working holiday applicants from around the world prepare and submit their applications as soon as schemes open — before the limited places run out.
Don’t leave your working holiday to chance.
New Zealand Shores prepares your full application so it’s ready to submit the instant your scheme opens. Contact us today at [email protected].
What Are Capped Working Holiday Schemes?
A Working Holiday Scheme (WHS) allows young people — typically aged 18 to 30, or up to 35 for some countries — to live and work in New Zealand for up to 12 months. Capped schemes are those with a fixed annual limit on the number of visas issued to nationals of a specific country.
Once the annual cap is reached, the scheme closes and no further applications are accepted until the following calendar year. This means that for countries with small quotas — such as Portugal, Luxembourg, and Malta, which each have only 50 places — applicants must submit their applications immediately on opening day.
Some schemes still have leftover places from 2025 and will remain open until those places are exhausted. On each scheme’s 2026 opening date, the quota resets, making new places available.
2026 Working Holiday Scheme Opening Dates and Quotas by Country
The table below lists all 32 capped Working Holiday Schemes, sorted by opening date. All dates were confirmed by Immigration New Zealand in January 2026.
| Country / Territory | 2026 Opening Date | Places Available |
| Malaysia | 11 February 2026 | 1,150 |
| Portugal | 19 February 2026 | 50 |
| Mexico | 26 February 2026 | 200 |
| Estonia | 4 March 2026 | 100 |
| Philippines | 12 March 2026 | 100 |
| Hong Kong | 19 March 2026 | 400 |
| Slovenia | 1 April 2026 | 100 |
| Spain | 9 April 2026 | 2,000 |
| Hungary | 23 April 2026 | 100 |
| Slovakia | 5 May 2026 | 100 |
| Austria | 12 May 2026 | 100 |
| Korea | 14 May 2026 | 3,000 |
| Israel | 21 May 2026 | 200 |
| Taiwan | 28 May 2026 | 600 |
| Singapore | 3 June 2026 | 300 |
| Czech Republic | 18 June 2026 | 1,200 |
| United Kingdom | 25 June 2026 | 15,000 |
| China | 2 July 2026 | 1,000 |
| Luxembourg | 8 July 2026 | 50 |
| Poland | 15 July 2026 | 100 |
| Latvia | 22 July 2026 | 100 |
| Thailand | 5 August 2026 | 100 |
| Malta | 12 August 2026 | 50 |
| Lithuania | 19 August 2026 | 100 |
| Turkey | 27 August 2026 | 100 |
| Croatia | 10 September 2026 | 100 |
| Argentina | 24 September 2026 | 1,000 |
| Peru | 1 October 2026 | 100 |
| Brazil | 8 October 2026 | 300 |
| Chile | 15 October 2026 | 940 |
| Vietnam | 3 November 2026 | 200 |
| Uruguay | 17 November 2026 | 200 |
Which Working Holiday Schemes Fill Fastest in 2026?
Schemes with small quotas are the highest risk — they routinely fill within hours or even minutes of opening. If your country falls into the list below, you must have your application completely ready before opening day.
The highest-risk schemes for 2026 — defined by the combination of low quota and known high demand — include:
- Portugal (50 places, opens 19 February 2026)
- Luxembourg (50 places, opens 8 July 2026)
- Malta (50 places, opens 12 August 2026)
- Estonia, Philippines, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Poland, Latvia, Thailand, Lithuania, Turkey, Croatia, and Peru (100 places each)
Larger quotas such as the United Kingdom (15,000 places) and Korea (3,000 places) still attract high volumes of applicants, but early submission remains advisable for all schemes.
What to Do Before Your Working Holiday Scheme Opens in 2026
Preparation is everything. The steps below will ensure your application is ready to submit the moment your scheme opens — giving you the best possible chance of securing a place.
- Check your eligibility: Confirm you meet the age requirements (usually 18–30, up to 35 for some countries), hold a valid passport from the participating country, and have not previously held a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa.
- Gather your documents: You will typically need a valid passport, evidence of sufficient funds, and — depending on your nationality — additional supporting documents. New Zealand Shores can provide a tailored document checklist.
- Create an Immigration New Zealand RealMe account: All applications are submitted through Immigration New Zealand’s online system. Setting up your RealMe login in advance saves critical time on opening day.
- Pre-fill your application form: Work through the online form before opening day. Many fields can be completed in advance, and the completed application can be submitted as soon as the scheme opens.
- Engage a licensed immigration adviser: New Zealand Shores provides full application management, ensuring your form is error-free and ready to lodge instantly. Contact us at [email protected].
How New Zealand Shores Helps You Secure Your Working Holiday Visa
New Zealand Shores is a specialist New Zealand immigration services provider. Our licensed immigration advisers have helped working holiday applicants from dozens of countries navigate the application process — including from high-competition, low-quota schemes where timing is critical.
Here is what we offer working holiday applicants:
- Free eligibility assessment: We confirm whether you qualify for your country’s scheme before you invest time in the application.
- Full application preparation: We complete and review your online application, ensuring every field is accurate and every document is in order.
- Same-day submission readiness: We have your application ready to lodge the moment your scheme’s opening date arrives — no last-minute scramble.
- Updates and reminders: We track opening dates and alert you in advance so you never miss your window.
- Post-submission support: If Immigration New Zealand requests further information, we handle the response on your behalf.
Ready to Apply for Your New Zealand Working Holiday Visa?
New Zealand Shores prepares and lodges your application so it’s ready to submit the moment your scheme opens.