Australia and New Zealand dominate Working Holiday Visa applications from French nationals. Different visa conditions, distinct job markets, contrasting wages and costs of living: the choice deserves careful thought. If maximising your savings is the priority, Australia has the edge. If you dream of fjords, geysers and a more intimate natural landscape, New Zealand is hard to beat. Here are the concrete criteria to help you decide based on your profile.
Visa conditions: what changes between the two countries
First things first – check that you actually qualify, as the two programmes do not target exactly the same profiles.
Australia Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417)
- Age: 18 to 35 for French nationals
- Visa fee: AUD 670 (around €370) since July 2025
- Required funds: AUD 5,000 (around €2,800) on arrival
- Duration: 1 year, renewable twice under certain conditions (seasonal work in a regional area)
- Quota: none for French nationals; applications can be made at any time
New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
- Age: the application must be submitted before the age of 31 for French and Belgian nationals (36 for Canadians)
- Visa fee: NZD 770, plus the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD 100
- Required funds: NZD 4,200 (around €2,200), or NZD 5,700 if you have no return ticket
- Duration: 1 year; a 3-month extension is possible under certain conditions
- Quota: none; the visa can only be obtained once per person
Key point: between the ages of 31 and 35, New Zealand is closed to French nationals. Australia remains the only option in this age bracket.
To prepare your application from start to finish, see our full guide Everything you need to know about the Working Holiday Visa before you go.
Employment: where is it easier to find work?
In Australia: a larger market, higher wages
Australia is a continent with sectors in constant demand: agriculture, hospitality, construction, catering, mining and services. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane concentrate the urban job offers, but seasonal positions – farms, grape harvests, fruit picking – exist right across the country. Working in a regional area also allows you to renew the visa one or two times.
The national minimum wage stands at AUD 26.44 per hour as of July 2026, making it one of the highest in the world. Working Holiday Visa holders are taxed at a flat rate of 15% on the first AUD 45,000 earned – a figure worth factoring into your financial planning.
In New Zealand: great quality of life, a smaller market
Auckland and Wellington remain the main employment hubs, but the overall job pool is narrower than in Australia. Key sectors are comparable: agriculture, viticulture, hospitality, tourism. The minimum wage reached NZD 23.95 per hour as of April 2026.
In both countries, how easily you land a job depends above all on your level of English and your prior professional experience. For an overview of the most accessible roles, see our article on the top jobs on a Working Holiday Visa.
Purchasing power: wages and cost of living
The Australian minimum wage is higher in absolute terms than New Zealand’s, but the cost of living follows the same upward trend. In Sydney or Melbourne, rent and eating out are among the most expensive in Oceania.
| Criteria | Australia | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum hourly wage | AUD 26.44/h (Jul 2026) | NZD 23.95/h (Apr 2026) |
| Overall cost of living | High, especially in major cities | Slightly lower than Australia |
| Visa renewal | Possible twice | Not renewable (once only) |
| Savings potential | Strong with a stable position | Decent, especially outside major cities |
Outside the main cities, living costs drop noticeably in both countries. Working on a farm or vineyard often includes on-site accommodation, which cuts fixed expenses significantly and boosts your capacity to save.
Get my Working Holiday Visa covered in minutesScenery: two completely different worlds
This is often the deciding factor once the practical boxes have been ticked.
Australia: a continent of extreme landscapes
From the white-sand beaches of Bondi to the red rock of Uluru, from Queensland’s tropical rainforests to the lunar expanses of the Outback, Australia offers a diversity that few destinations can match. The Great Barrier Reef, the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road and the Blue Mountains near Sydney are among the unmissable highlights. Distances between sites are considerable, though, so transport logistics are worth planning carefully.
New Zealand: the intensity of unspoilt nature
Despite its much smaller size, New Zealand packs in a remarkable density of landscapes: Milford Sound fjords, the Tongariro volcanic plateau, Lake Wakatipu framed by the Remarkables, geysers at Rotorua, pristine beaches in the Bay of Islands. The North Island and South Island offer two very distinct atmospheres on a single visa. Crossing the country in a matter of weeks is entirely feasible.
Healthcare costs: why travel insurance is non-negotiable
Australia and New Zealand rank among the most expensive healthcare systems in the world for foreign visitors. A GP appointment can exceed AUD 80 to 100 in Australia without adequate cover. A hospital stay can rapidly run into thousands of euros.
Australia has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with France through Medicare, but this only covers a portion of public healthcare costs and excludes dental care, optical treatment and medical evacuation. In New Zealand, no such agreement exists: without insurance, you are entirely responsible for your own bills.
In both cases, taking out Working Holiday Visa travel insurance is compulsory when applying for the visa. To understand what travel insurance actually covers – and what it does not – read our guide travel insurance: everything nobody tells you before you go abroad.
Which Working Holiday Visa suits your profile?
| Your priority | Recommended destination |
|---|---|
| Maximising savings | Australia |
| Applying after 30 (up to 35) | Australia only |
| Staying for several years | Australia (visa renewable twice) |
| Wild and intimate scenery | New Zealand |
| Travelling across the country easily | New Zealand |
| Combining both adventures | NZ first (before 31), then Australia |
There is nothing to stop you doing both programmes back to back: starting with New Zealand before the age of 31, then extending the adventure in Australia on the renewable visa, is a popular and perfectly achievable strategy.
FAQ
Can you do both Australia and New Zealand Working Holiday Visas back to back?
Yes, as long as you meet the age limit for each programme. For French nationals, the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa application must be submitted before the age of 31, and the Australian one before 35. Since the two visas are completely independent, many Working Holiday travellers start with New Zealand, then move on to Australia.
Is travel insurance compulsory for the Australia and New Zealand Working Holiday Visa?
Yes, in both cases. Medical cover and repatriation insurance valid for the full duration of your stay is required when applying for the visa. The Medicare agreement with France partially covers public healthcare in Australia, but it does not replace comprehensive travel insurance.
Can the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa be renewed?
No. Unlike the Australian visa, the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa can only be obtained once per person. A 3-month extension is, however, possible under certain conditions, including seasonal work.
How much does the Australia Working Holiday Visa cost in 2025?
Since July 2025, the Australian Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) costs AUD 670, roughly €370. This represents an increase on previous years.
Which country offers the better minimum wage for Working Holiday travellers?
Australia offers AUD 26.44 per hour (July 2026), compared with NZD 23.95 per hour in New Zealand (April 2026). The Australian wage is higher in absolute terms, but so is the cost of living, particularly in major cities such as Sydney or Melbourne.
