The Working Holiday Visa (WHV), known in France as the PVT (Programme Vacances-Travail), is a temporary visa that gives young French nationals the right to stay for up to 12 months in a partner country and work there legally. In 2026, France has agreements with 15 destinations across every continent: a genuine opportunity to fund your travels on the ground and immerse yourself in a new culture, far beyond anything a standard tourist trip can offer.
What exactly is a Working Holiday Visa?
The Working Holiday Visa is a long-stay, multiple-entry temporary visa. It differs from a standard tourist visa in two fundamental ways:
- The right to work: in any sector, for any employer, with no prior work permit required.
- The duration: up to 12 months (certain bilateral agreements allow up to 24 months), compared to the 90-day ceiling on most tourist visas.
The WHV requires no specific qualification, no professional experience and no language certification. It is deliberately designed to be accessible, built for young people who want to combine travel and work.
Get my WHV insuranceWho can apply for a Working Holiday Visa? Eligibility at a glance
Requirements common to all destinations
To apply for a WHV, all of the following conditions must be met simultaneously:
- Age: between 18 and 30 years old at the date of application (see exceptions below).
- Nationality: French national, with a passport valid for the entire length of stay.
- Financial resources: approximately €2,500 minimum to cover initial costs on arrival (the exact amount varies by destination).
- Travel insurance: proof of private insurance covering illness, hospitalisation and repatriation for the full duration of the stay. This is a mandatory requirement imposed by every partner country.
- No dependants for the entire duration of the stay.
- First-time use in that country: you cannot benefit from the WHV twice in the same country.
The age limit rises to 35 for three destinations
For Australia, Canada and Argentina, the age ceiling is raised to 35 years old at the date of application, significantly widening access to these particularly sought-after destinations.
The 15 WHV destinations open to French nationals
France has signed bilateral Working Holiday agreements with the following 15 countries and territories:
| Destination | Age limit |
|---|---|
| Australia | 35 |
| Canada | 35 |
| Argentina | 35 |
| Japan | 30 |
| South Korea | 30 |
| New Zealand | 30 |
| Brazil | 30 |
| Chile | 30 |
| Colombia | 30 |
| Ecuador | 30 |
| Hong Kong | 30 |
| Mexico | 30 |
| Peru | 30 |
| Taiwan | 30 |
| Uruguay | 30 |
The official list and country-specific conditions are published on diplomatie.gouv.fr.
Quotas: not all destinations work the same way
The number of available places differs considerably between countries:
- Australia and New Zealand: no annual quota. Applications are processed as soon as they are complete, making these the most straightforward destinations for French applicants.
- Canada: weekly ballot system (“rounds of invitations”). The quota for French nationals stands at 5,661 places in 2026. If selected, the invitation must be accepted within 10 days and the full application submitted within a further 20 days.
- Other countries: variable annual quotas, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand places depending on the agreement in force.
To help you choose between the two most popular quota-free destinations, see our guide Australia or New Zealand: which is right for your WHV?.
Why go on a Working Holiday Visa?
The WHV stacks up advantages that very few other schemes can offer all at once:
- Fund your trip as you go: earning legally on the ground slashes the savings you need before you leave.
- Long enough to actually put down roots: a year (or two, depending on the agreement) gives you time to find stable housing, build a local network and genuinely get to know a country beyond the tourist trail.
- Real cultural immersion: working alongside locals gives you an inside view of cultural and professional life that no holiday can replicate.
- Skills that actually stand out: international experience is valued by employers, and working in a foreign language in a professional setting accelerates learning far more than any classroom can.
- Total flexibility: no pre-assigned employer, no fixed sector. You follow opportunities as they come.
On the jobs front, hospitality, horticulture and services are particularly accessible for first-time WHV holders. To get prepared, check out our top 7 jobs for working holiday visa holders.
Travel insurance: a non-negotiable requirement
Insurance is not an optional extra for a WHV: every partner country requires it to validate the visa. Cover must include, at a minimum, medical expenses, hospitalisation and medical repatriation for the full length of the stay.
Beyond the paperwork, it is very real financial protection: in Australia, Canada or Japan, a hospital stay without cover can easily run into tens of thousands of euros. Leaving without insurance means taking on a wholly disproportionate financial risk.
With Yupwego, you can take out WHV-specific travel insurance online in just a few minutes, with medical coverage and repatriation included. To understand what travel insurance actually covers, read our guide travel insurance: what nobody tells you before you go.
FAQ
Can you extend a Working Holiday Visa?
No. The WHV is issued for a fixed period and cannot be renewed in the same country (12 months in most cases, 24 months under certain agreements). If you want to stay on, other visa categories such as skilled worker, student, or permanent residency (depending on local criteria) may provide a route forward.
Can you do multiple Working Holiday Visas in different countries?
Yes. You cannot benefit from the WHV twice in the same country, but nothing prevents you from doing consecutive WHVs in different destinations, provided you meet the age requirements for each one.
Do you need a language qualification or degree to get a WHV?
No. The Working Holiday Visa requires no degree, no professional experience and no language certification. Only the age, financial resources, insurance and valid passport conditions apply.
How does the Canadian WHV ballot work?
Canada runs weekly invitation rounds. Applicants register on canada.ca (the only official site) and are then selected at random. In 2026, the French quota is 5,661 places. An invitation must be accepted within 10 days and the complete application submitted within a further 20 days.
Is Yupwego insurance accepted for a Working Holiday Visa?
Yupwego offers travel insurance contracts that include medical coverage and repatriation. Before taking out a policy, check that the level of cover matches the specific requirements of your destination country, which vary according to the bilateral agreements in place.
