Working Holiday Scheme
2025/5/16
| 1 Working holiday scheme in general | ||||||
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With the aim of giving young Hong Kong people the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and general way of life of Japan, the working holiday scheme will allow those who meet the conditions set out in point 2 below to stay on holiday in Japan for up to one year and secondarily to take up employment there in order to supplement their travel funds. |
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[NOTE] Employment is not the primary objective of the working holiday visa. Employment is recognized as an activity that allows applicants to supplement their travel funds while they are on holiday in Japan. Work in the entertainment sector, such as in bars, pubs, cabarets, etc., or in the sex industry is not recognised as valid or permissible employment. |
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| 2 Conditions for issue of the visa | ||||||
| （1） | must be ordinarily resident in the HKSAR and also residing in the HKSAR at the time that they apply for a working holiday visa; | |||||
| （2） | must intend primarily to holiday in Japan for a period of up to one year from the date of first entry; | |||||
| （3） | must be aged between eighteen (18) and thirty (30) years (both inclusive) at the time that they apply for a working holiday visa; | |||||
| （4） | may not be accompanied by dependents unless those dependents are in possession of their own working holiday visa or other valid visa; | |||||
| （5） | must possess a valid HKSAR or BNO (British National Overseas) passport; | |||||
| （6） | must possess a return travel ticket or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket; | |||||
| （7） | must possess reasonable funds to guarantee their upkeep during the initial period of their stay in Japan; | |||||
| （8） | must intend to leave Japan at the end of their stay; | |||||
| （9） | must not previously have been issued with a working holiday visa for Japan; | |||||
| （10） | must be in good health and have a sound background and no criminal record; and | |||||
| （11） | must have adequate insurance | |||||
| 3 Application Guidelines for Visa | ||||||
| - | Working Holiday Visa for Japan – Application Guidelines for 2025 (Revised) | |||||
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「In relation to Working Holiday Visa applications」(2013/01/21) |
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| 4 Announcement of results (successful applicants) | ||||||
| - Announcement of results (successful applicants) of Working holiday visa Second visa application period for 2025 (2025/5/16) |
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| 5 Press release | ||||||
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Bilateral Working Holiday Scheme between Japan and Hong Kong to increase quota(2016/08/25) | |||||
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Previous Press release | |||||
| 25 August 2016 | ||||||
| Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong | ||||||
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| 1. | Following the exchange of Notes Verbales on 25 August between Ambassador Kuninori MATSUDA, Consul-General of Japan in Hong Kong, and Mr Matthew Cheung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, with effect from October 2016 the annual quota under the bilateral working holiday scheme between Japan and Hong Kong will be increased sharply from 250 to 1500. | |||||
| 2. | With the increased annual quota, the quota of the second application period of 2016 will be 750. Also in order to accept more applications from Hong Kong ordinarily residents, the application period will be extended from two weeks (7 October to 21 October) to one month (3 October to 31 October). | |||||
| 3. | The working holiday scheme will benefit young people aged between 18 and 30 who intend primarily to holiday in Japan or Hong Kong for a specified period of not more than one year. Under the scheme, they will be allowed to take up employment during their holiday in order to supplement their finances. It is expected that the annual quota increase will further promote exchanges between young people of Japan and Hong Kong, deepen understanding of each other’s culture and society and ultimately further develop the relationship between Japan and Hong Kong. | |||||
| ‧ | Press release issued by the Hong Kong SAR government (English / Chinese) | |||||
| 6 Guidelines on staying in Japan after entry | ||||||
| (1) | Employment | |||||
| Under the working holiday scheme, employment in the entertainment sector, such as in bars, pubs, cabarets, etc., or in the sex industry is not recognised as valid or permissible employment. | ||||||
| Please also note that involvement in such employment may constitute a breach of the conditions of the working holiday visa and lead to serious consequences, such as the issue of a deportation order, which may restrict your ability to enter Japan in the future. | ||||||
| (2) | A resident card | |||||
| Resident cards are now issued to foreigners and people entering Japan under the working holiday scheme will be given such a card. For those who enter Japan at Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, New Chitose, Hiroshima or Fukuoka Airports, resident cards will be issued to them at the port of entry, i.e. at the airport when they arrive. For those who enter Japan at other ports of entry, the resident cards will be delivered to them by post at a later date. For further details, please contact the Immigration Services Bureau of Japan after entering Japan. | ||||||
| (3) | The re-entry permit system | |||||
| Under the “special re-entry permission” system, in the event that you wish to leave Japan, for example to take a holiday in a third country, you may now re-enter Japan within your period of stay to continue your working holiday without having to obtain a re-entry permit before you exit Japan. | ||||||
| For further details, please contact the Immigration Services Bureau of Japan closest to your registered place of residence. | ||||||
| (4) | Guide to living in Japan | |||||
| A useful “Guide to Living in Japan” is available, in both English and Chinese on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The guide can be downloaded using the URL address below: URL https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html | ||||||
| 7 Questionnaire | ||||||
| A questionnaire will be given to successful applicants when the visa is issued (it is also available on our website). After completing your working holiday in Japan, please complete the questionnaire when you return to Hong Kong and post it back to our consulate. | ||||||
| 8 Frequently Asked Questions | ||||||
| The governments of Japan and Hong Kong reached an agreement on the implementation of a working holiday scheme on 1 January 2010. Please find below the answers to some frequently asked questions that the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong receives concerning the working holiday visa for Japan. | ||||||
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Working holiday visa for Japan - Q&A (2016/12/16) | |||||
