🇨🇱 How long do the quotas for the Chile Working Holiday Visa last

Volare Editorial | September 9, 2026

The availability of vacancies to participate in the youth mobility program in Chile does not respond to a single limit, but is governed by the nature of each bilateral agreement. The National Migration Service (SERMIG) administers these quotas under strict reciprocity criteria, which generates a significant variation in depletion times and application methods depending on the applicant's nationality. So that you can plan the preparation of your file without setbacks, below we break down the dynamics of the Chilean migration quotas, identifying the applicable regime for each country.

Summary Board Unlimited Quotas and High Capacity

The nations in this block enjoy the most relaxed agreements of the program. The pressure to apply on the first day is practically nil, allowing for relaxed planning.

Nationalities (Passports)	Annual Volume of Spots	Depletion Speed
🇩🇪 🇸🇪 Germany and Sweden	Unlimited	None. The application remains open throughout the annual cycle without risk of vacancy depletion.
🇦🇺 Australia	3,400 quotas	Very Slow. Due to its very high volume, vacancies usually cover a large part of the year without problems.
🇳🇿 New Zealand	940 quotas	Slow/Moderate. They are granted on a first-come, first-served basis and usually last several months before being consumed.
🇫🇷 France	400 quotas	Slow. Despite being a smaller number, the spots are rarely fully completed during the year.

Summary Board Special and Divided Systems

This group does not operate under the classic continuous "first-come, first-served" system, but the government administers the flow through draws or specific time windows.

Nationalities (Passports)	Annual Volume of Spots	Assignment Method and Times
🇨🇦 Canada	700 quotas	Pool System. They are managed through candidate pools where periodic invitation draws are held, avoiding immediate depletion.
🇩🇰 Denmark	150 quotas	Biannual Windows. They are assigned in two periods (March-August and September-February). They run out gradually in each window.
🇮🇪 Ireland	200 quotas	Assignment Rounds. They are distributed in two rounds of 100 vacancies each, pausing the receipt of applications between both.

Summary Board Reduced Quotas and High Competition

In the case of nations with smaller-scale agreements or subject to strict reciprocity, the competition is higher. It is highly recommended to apply in the first months of the year.

Country Group (Passports)	Annual Volume of Spots	Demand Reality
🇯🇵 Japan	200 quotas	Moderate-High. They usually run out towards the last quarter of the year.
🇰🇷 🇱🇺 🇮🇸 South Korea, Luxembourg, and Iceland	100 quotas (KR/LU) and 30 quotas (IS)	High. As these are such limited quotas, it is vital to send the application early in the year so as not to be left out.
🇨🇴 🇲🇽 🇵🇪 Colombia, Mexico, and Peru	300 quotas per nation	Very High (Pacific Alliance). Historically they maintain strong regional demand.
🇦🇹 🇭🇺 🇵🇱 🇵🇹 🇨🇿 Austria, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and Czech Republic	Between 200 and 500 quotas	Moderate. Depletion depends on the specific annual interest in each European nation.

The special case of Switzerland and trainees

It is fundamental to emphasize that Switzerland is governed by a Professional Trainee Agreement and does not operate like traditional quotas. This visa does not depend on a fast quota system that runs out in hours, but on the individual approval of an employment contract strictly linked to the young applicant's academic degree.

Travel logistics and ticket reservation

Regardless of the volume of quotas available for your country or how fast they sell out, the final approval of the visa is subject to compliance with financial and travel requirements.

The applicant must mandatorily present the reservation of their round-trip airline ticket. If they do not yet have the definitive return ticket, it is imperative and exclusive to demonstrate the possession of sufficient additional economic funds to guarantee the capacity to purchase said ticket to leave Chilean territory once the 12-month permit has concluded.

More Information at Volare

To verify the current status of vacancies in real-time according to your consulate, download the required forms, and organize your file, we invite you to access the Official Chile Working Holiday Visa Guide on our platform.