Quotas and Application Process for the Austria WHV

Written by Volare | March 16, 2026

The Working Holiday for Austria program is governed by bilateral agreements that establish a limit on renewable annual places. Access to these vacancies is handled directly and in person, following the security protocols and response times established by the Austrian immigration authorities.

1. Available quotas by nationality

The availability of places and the start of application periods vary according to the specific agreement of each country. For most cases, the application is direct and begins with the calendar year.

Nationalities with 200 quotas (Application from January)

Citizens of the following nations have 200 annual vacancies under the direct application modality starting in January of each year:

• Argentina

• Chile

• India

• Israel

• Japan

Nationalities with 100 quotas (Application from January)

Under current professional and cultural exchange standards, the following nations have 100 annual places:

• Hong Kong

• New Zealand

• United States

Cases with specific quotas

• Australia: Has 500 annual quotas with direct application enabled from January.

• Canada: Has a range of 160 to 200 quotas. Unlike other countries, applications remain open throughout the year.

• South Korea: Has 300 annual quotas with direct application from January.

• Taiwan: Has 75 annual quotas available for direct application from January.

2. Application process and approval times

For the vast majority of nationalities, the guidelines on how and how long the process takes are exact according to the standards of Austrian embassies and VFS Global:

• Modality: In-person application with a mandatory prior appointment. Documentation must be physically submitted at the corresponding Austrian Embassy or at authorized third-party service centers.

• Approval time: The resolution period ranges between 2 and 4 weeks after the submission of the complete file.

• Flight Documentation: It is a mandatory requirement to present a return flight ticket already purchased or, failing that, to demonstrably prove possession of sufficient additional economic funds to purchase a return ticket at the end of the stay.

It is essential to verify the validity of the quotas before starting the payment of consular fees, as once the annual limit is reached, the appointment system closes until the next period. For detailed assistance regarding this process, you can consult the specific section of WHV Austria by Volare.