Working Holiday Programmes exist with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan and Uruguay.
Due to the need for implementation measures on a national level, the arrangement with Brazil is not yet in effect.

The programmesʹ purpose is to give young people aged between 18 and 30 the opportunity to gain an insight into the culture and daily life of the partner country. The maximum length of stay is 12 months. Holiday jobs may be taken on to help finance the stay.

• Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan and New Zealand can apply for a residence permit at every German foreign mission or, after their arrival, at the competent foreigners authority in Germany.
• Citizens of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay can apply for a residence permit at every German foreign mission authorized to issue visas.
• Citizens of the Republic of Korea can apply for a residence permit only at the Embassy in Seoul, while citizens of Taiwan can do this exclusively at the German Institute in Taipei.
• Owing to the special status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, required visas may only be applied for at the Consulate General in Hong Kong. The applicants need to have their residence in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
• Citizens of Brazil will be able to apply for the required residence permit solely at the German foreign missions in Brazil.

Please note: There is no legal entitlement to the issuance of a visa, even if the complete documentation has been submitted. A stay in Germany under the Working Holiday Programme is granted only once. If you have already received a Working Holiday Visa for Germany in the past, you will not be able to apply for it again.

Processing time for the visa application is a minimum of ten working days.

You can book a visa appointment directly on the homepage of the German Embassy Tirana. Please book your appointment in the category “Working Holiday”. You find the appointment booking at the following link:

German language

English language

The following documents have to be submitted for the visa application:

• Application fee 75 Euro (payable in cash in Albanian Lek) to be paid upon submitting the application. If a visa has been refused or the applicant has withdrawn the application, the fee will not be refunded.
• one fully completed and signed Videx application form
• declaration
• Passport (valid for the entire intended length of stay in Germany) with one copy of the data page
• two biometric passport photos (not older than 6 months) with a white background (3.5 x 4.5 cm)
• Proof of financing: The applicants bank statements, which meets the requirements published on the homepage of the German embassy in the applicants home country.
  
• Letter of motivation and proof/information about the planned stay in Germany
• criminal record certificate from the home country not older than 3 months (if you do not reside in the homecountry, please submit your criminal record certificate from the country of your current residence) not translated
• a CV (in English, German or Albanian)
• Sufficient insurance coverage: Proof of health insurance valid for Germany, which also includes hospital treatment and return transport to the respective country of origin (coverage amount at least EUR 30,000)
• Additional documents not mentioned here can be requested in individual cases.
  

Please understand that enquiries about the status of the visa application will not be answered during the processing time.