Working Holiday Visa | Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands

Background

Important note:
Applications for working holiday visa for this year are now closed.
Applications for working holiday visa for next year open on 6th January 2025.

Starting April 1, 2020 the governments of Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands will introduce a Working Holiday Program between both countries. This provides wider opportunities, particularly for young people, to experience the culture and general way of life of the other country for the purpose of promoting greater mutual understanding between Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This program makes it possible for citizens of one country to enter the other country primarily for a holiday over an extended period and to be able to work incidentally during their holiday in order to supplement their travel funds.
With Working Holiday visa, Dutch citizens need not obtain further permission to engage in remunerative activities while in Japan, provided these activities do not contravene Japanese laws and regulations, especially those regulating businesses offering food and entertainment as well as any other regulations in force which affect public order and good morals.

Important note: The Working Holiday visa is not appropriate for those wishing to enter Japan to engage in full-time employment and internship activities or to enroll in academic institutions. Applicants who primarily intend to work cannot apply for this visa.

Applicant Prerequisites

Working Holiday visas will be issued to persons who satisfy all of the following requirements:

nationals of the Netherlands who are resident in the Netherlands at the time of the application for the said visa
intend primarily to holiday in Japan for a period of up to one (1) year from the date of entry
aged between eighteen (18) and thirty (30) years both inclusive at the time of application for the said visa
not accompanied by dependents unless those dependents are entitled to enter Japan on their own grounds
possess a valid passport of the Netherlands and a return travel ticket or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket
possess reasonable funds for their maintenance during the period of initial stay in Japan
intend to leave Japan at the end of their stay
have not previously been issued the said visa
have good health, adequate medical insurance, a sound background and no criminal record
intend to comply with the laws and regulations in force in Japan during their stay in Japan

Important note: Working Holiday visas may be issued for up to 200 persons per calendar year. Therefore, at the time such a number of visas has been issued, applications will be closed.

Application Procedure

Those wishing to apply for a Working Holiday visa are required to submit in person, along with a valid Dutch passport, one copy of each of the following documents to the consular section of the Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands. Statements made in these documents must be true and accurate. All documents must be written in English or Japanese.

1 Dutch passport

* Your passport must be valid for the duration of your intended stay in Japan.

2 One completed visa application form

* It is not necessary to have a guarantor or inviter. If you don’t have a guarantor or inviter, you can leave these sections on the form blank.

3 One photograph approx. 35mm x 45mm in size (taken within the previous 6 months)

4 Curriculum Vitae (CV) (Form 1)

5 An outline of intended length of stay and activities — without any remarks such as “as above” or “unknown” (Form 2)

6 A written reason for applying for a Working Holiday visa typed on A4 paper — at least one full page in length.

7 A single or return flight booking confirmation

* We do not require the purchase of a ticket, but we do require at least a confirmed reservation.

8 Proof of sufficient funds to support initial stay in Japan

* Please provide a recent bank statement including your name. This bank statement should show an amount of at least 3800 euro in case of a single flight or an amount of at least 1800 euro in case of a return flight.

9 Pledge for National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken) (Form 3)

＊ Additional documents or interviews may be requested to verify the eligibility of an applicant for the visa whenever the Embassy deems necessary.

* Please do not staple any part of your application or documents.

Processing time and other visa information

The normal processing time is 5 working days if all the requirements are met. It may take longer if additional documents are required for further assessment.
Visas are valid for three months from the date of issue. An applicant therefore needs to enter Japan within three months of the visa being issued.
With the working holiday visa, you are allowed to stay in Japan for a period of one year from the date of initial entry into Japan. It is not possible to change your residency status or extend the period of stay.
The participants of the Working Holiday Program are issued a residence card upon initially entering Japan at Narita, Haneda, Kansai or Chubu Airports. In case of arrival at other airports and seaports, a residence card will be mailed to the place of residence from the municipal office.
The Working Holiday visa is free of charge. Please note that this is subject to change every year.

Other Information

1. Re-entry to Japan

Working Holiday visas are for single entry. Therefore, if the Working Holiday visa holder has to leave Japan for any reason and thereafter wishes to return to Japan, they must obtain a Special Re-entry Permit at the airport they depart. For further information, please follow the link below:
➢ Special Re-entry Permit

2. Notification of place of residence

The participants of the Working Holiday Program are required to visit the municipal office of the municipality where they are living, bringing their resident card, and to notify their place of residence within 14 days of finding a place to settle down. (Hotels are not regarded as a place of residence in general).

3. National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken)

1. Japan has a public health insurance system, and everyone who lives in Japan must enroll in some form of public health insurance. The National Health Insurance program is one form of public health insurance, and the program is operated at the municipal level.

2. When a Working Holiday participant notifies his/her place of residence, he/she should take necessary procedures for joining in the National Health Insurance at the municipal office. (If you live in a place which is not regarded as a place of residence by the municipal office, such as a hotel, it is not possible to join the National Health Insurance.).

3. The National Health Insurance fee is about 3500 yen per month in general (the insurance fee may vary at each municipality). If an insured person shows his/her health insurance certificate at medical institutions before receiving medical treatment, he/she will then in general only need to bear 30% of the medical expenses.

4. The National Health Insurance does not cover death, residual disability, damage remedy, urgent medical return, etc. In case a Working Holiday participant requests the above-mentioned compensation which the National Health Insurance does not cover, it is necessary for him/her personally to take another insurance offered by an insurance company (i.e. overseas travel insurance).

4. Finding a job

Job Centers (Hello Work), and the Employment Service Centers for Foreigners in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya provide assistance to job-seekers in Japan. The above Employment Service Centers for Foreigners and some Job Centers are able to provide assistance in English. For further information, please follow the link below:
➢ Employment Policy for Foreign Workers

Important note: The participants of the Working Holiday Program will not be able to engage in activities which are considered to go against the policies of the Working Holiday Program. It is strictly prohibited to work at establishments that affect public morals such as adult entertainment and gambling establishments.

5. Guidebook on Living and Working in Japan

For more information about living in Japan, please check 「Guidebook on Living and Working in Japan

」.