Step 1
The Working Holiday visa
Requirements, step by step application, cost and timing.
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Working Holiday Visa
Working holiday in Australia, from the visa application to the first job.
Visa • Insurance • Budget • Bank • Arrival • 88 days
All the steps of the Australian working holiday, in the order you come across them. Written as I go through them, not copied from a forum.
Start at the beginning
The journey
The working holiday steps
Three stages: what is sorted out before you leave, what is done in the first days on the ground, and what happens during the year. Each step has its own page.
Step 2
Choosing your insurance
What France does not cover and the six criteria to compare.
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Step 3
The working holiday budget
What the departure costs, the first month and life on the ground.
Read
Step 4
Bank, tax and super
Australian account, Tax File Number, superannuation and transfers.
Read
Step 5
The first days
The order of the paperwork on arrival, accommodation and the first job.
Read
Step 6
Finding a job
The sites and apps that work, industry by industry.
Read
Step 7
The 88 days
The specified work that unlocks the second visa year.
Read
The banks, insurance, eSIMs and platforms I use are on my travel resources page, with the referral codes. The Working holiday in Australia collection on the home page gathers the bare essentials for the departure.
The essentials
The Australian working holiday in four figures
18 to 35For French citizens, against thirty for most other nationalities
840 AUDVisa application fee, reviewed every year
5,000 AUDFunds you must be able to show on arrival
12 monthsLength of the visa, can be extended twice
What the working holiday really allows
The Working Holiday visa, subclass 417, lets you live in Australia for twelve months, work there and study for a limited time. It is not an upgraded tourist visa: it gives real work rights, with the Australian minimum wage and the protection of local labour law.
The rule that shapes the whole year: six months maximum with the same employer. That is what pushes most people to do two or three jobs, often in two different states.
The visa can be extended by a second year by doing three months of specified work during the first, then by a third year with six months during the second. That is the famous 88 days scheme, and it is where most mistakes happen.
Something specific to French citizens
Two points set a French application apart from others, and they go in opposite directions.
The good side: France is one of only three nationalities, with Canada and Ireland, with an age limit raised to thirty five instead of thirty. Five more years to leave.
The bad side: France is not one of the countries that have signed a reciprocal agreement with Medicare, the Australian health system. A French citizen therefore has no public cover there, unlike a Belgian, an Italian or an Irish citizen. Private insurance is not required to get the visa, but leaving without it is financially reckless.
In what order to go about it
The visa first, because everything else depends on it and processing time is not guaranteed. Then insurance, once your departure date is known. The budget and the bank straight after, because an Australian account can be opened from abroad and saves you a week on arrival.
Once there, the order changes: local phone number, Tax File Number, activated bank account, then looking for accommodation and a job. The first three steps decide the next two.
The 88 days come last in the timeline, but are prepared early: the harvest season does not adapt to your calendar, and some regions only recruit for a few weeks a year.
Why this section exists
The Australian working holiday is one of the best documented processes on the French speaking web, and one of the worst documented at the same time. Many articles predate the rule changes, many copy forums, and almost none say when they were written.
Here, every page links to the matching official source, and what I have not lived myself is flagged as such. It is not a guide written from a desk in France.
The logbook
October 2026, three weeks on the east coast. A month after arriving in Sydney, I hit the road in a campervan with two friends I met in a hostel, all the way to Cairns and the Daintree rainforest. It is all in my road trip guide, and the sailing cruise has its own page.
Coming soon: my updates from Australia, week after week.
Shall we prepare your working holiday together?
Everything written here is free and detailed. But between reading the steps and putting your own application together, there is a step that many people take weeks to make.
I can do it with you: the visa application and its timeline, choosing your insurance, your starting budget, the first days' paperwork and the strategy for finding a job. We start from your departure date and what you have already done.
One single package, built around your departure, with a price decided after a first call. That call is free and commits you to nothing.
The links and codes mentioned
The banks, insurance, eSIMs and booking platforms I use are all on one page, with my referral codes.
Page checked and updated on .
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Australian working holiday
What is the working holiday in Australia?
The working holiday, called PVT in French, is the Australian Working Holiday visa, subclass 417. It lets you live, work and travel in Australia for twelve months, with full work rights but limited to six months with the same employer.
What is the age limit for a French citizen?
Thirty five. France is one of only three nationalities, with Canada and Ireland, with a higher limit than the thirty that applies to other countries. It is your age when you apply that counts.
How much does a working holiday in Australia cost in total?
The visa fee was 840 Australian dollars when last checked. On top of that come the plane ticket, insurance for the length of your stay, and the five thousand Australian dollars of funds you must be able to show on arrival. The real starting budget is therefore much higher than the visa alone.
Do you need insurance for the Australian working holiday?
It is not required to get the visa, but it is essential in practice. France is not one of the countries covered by a reciprocal agreement with Medicare, so a French citizen gets no public cover in Australia.
What are the 88 days and what are they for?
They are the three months of specified work to do during the first year to get a second visa. The work must be in an eligible industry, take place in an eligible area, and be declared and paid at the legal rate. A job paid in cash does not count, even if it was really done.
Can you stay more than a year in Australia on a working holiday?
Yes, up to three years in total. Three months of specified work during the first year unlock the second, and six months during the second unlock the third.
Can you work more than six months for the same employer?
No, except for exceptions depending on the industry and region. This six month limit is one of the rules that shapes the visa most, and it is better to plan for it than to discover it.
How do you find a job when you arrive in Australia?
Three sites cover most declared job offers, plus specialist platforms depending on the industry. You also need an Australian phone number, a resume in the local format and, depending on the job, an RSA certificate to serve alcohol or a White Card to work on a building site.