The Working Holiday visa lets young people from partner countries live in Japan for up to a year, working to help fund an extended trip rather than to build a career. It's fundamentally different from the work visas covered under Work Visa Categories: there's no employer sponsor, no Certificate of Eligibility, and no restriction tying you to one job or industry.
Eligibility generally requires being between 18 and 30 (or 18–35 depending on the partner country's agreement) and holding citizenship of one of roughly 30 countries with a working holiday arrangement with Japan, including Australia, Canada, the UK, and much of Europe. Applicants typically need to show a return ticket or sufficient funds to buy one, and enough savings to support the early part of the stay.
Because the visa is capped at one year and isn't renewable or convertible into a long-term work visa without a fresh application, it works best as a bridge — a way to experience living and working in Japan before deciding whether to pursue a longer-term visa route. If you do decide to stay, see Changing Status of Residence.
Back to Visa Types.