Working Holidays In Ireland

Working Holiday schemes are intended for use by young adults who wish to stay in Ireland for an extended holiday and who may work casually in order to fund their stay.

A WHA will cover work of a casual or temporary nature only. The authorisation will not confer the right to seek employment on anyone other than the named holder. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the eligibility criteria and the conditions of participation, which may differ slightly between the schemes.

Applicants must have sufficient funds to support themselves for at least the initial part of the holiday or in the event of failing to secure employment. Immigration officials may request evidence of sufficient funds at the point of entry into Ireland. It is strongly recommended to successful applicants that they obtain private medical insurance to cover any costs incurred in the event of an accident or illness while in Ireland.

To avoid any risk of misunderstanding or unrealistic expectations, applicants are advised that the market for short term casual work inIreland is highly competitive and is adequately supplied from the large number of school leavers and other young Irish and EU nationals looking for work.

Notwithstanding the issue of a WHA, applicants will be subject to normal immigration controls at the point of entry. All non-EU nationals who wish to remain in Ireland for more than 90 days must register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau, at which point they must pay a fee of €150 for the issue of a garda (police) registration card in Ireland.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and it representatives and agents, reserve the right to request further documentation and/or to refuse any application.

Ireland has working holiday arrangements with the following countries / areas and further information on these arrangements including information on how to apply is provided in the links listed below.