Working Holiday

One year in Germany for 18- to 30-year-olds from Hong Kong: 300 places a year, first-come, first-served.

Germany and Hong Kong have run a Working Holiday Scheme since 1 July 2009 (agreement, English; German). Its main purpose is a holiday; work is allowed to fund it. It rests on a unilateral Declaration of Intent of the German government, signed 26 June 2009 and effective 1 July 2009. Legal basis for the visa: § 19c (1) Residence Act with § 29 (3) BeschV, so no approval from the Federal Employment Agency is needed.

Who can apply

• Holders of a valid HKSAR or BN(O) passport who ordinarily live in Hong Kong.
• Aged 18 to 30 at the time of application, that is before your 31st birthday (Consulate).
• Not accompanied by dependent family members; only one participation per lifetime.

What you get

• A multiple-entry visa for up to one year. Extensions are normally not granted.
• Work without approval from the Federal Employment Agency, but no permanent job and at most 3 months with the same employer; one course of up to 6 months.
• Germany's statutory minimum wage applies: €13.90 per hour since 1 January 2026 (Hong Kong Working Holiday Scheme page).

Quota and documents

300 visas a year, issued first-come, first-served (Consulate checklist; whs.gov.hk). The checklist asks for: at least €2,000 in funds shown over the last 3 months, travel health and liability insurance for the whole stay, motivation letter and month-by-month travel plan, CV, accommodation for the first week, flight reservation, and the €75 fee in HKD. Basic German is recommended, not required. Processing: up to 2 weeks.

The Labour Department also explains the scheme: labour.gov.hk.