Thinking about a gap year or working holiday in the UK? The Youth Mobility Scheme visa is your ticket to a fun, rewarding experience. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of this popular UK visa.
What is the UK Youth Mobility Scheme visa?
The Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS), or working holiday visa, allows young people from certain countries to live and work in the UK for two years.
With this visa, you can live, work, and travel in the UK. You’ll also be able to find paid and unpaid employment in the UK without requiring a sponsor.
As an Australian or New Zealander, you have the additional advantage of being able to explore the Schengen zone for up to 90 days within a 180-day timeframe without the need for a Schengen visa. Add in the freedom to enter and leave the UK as much as you’d like, and Europe will be yours to explore, too.
Your UK YMS visa will also allow you to pursue privately funded full or part-time studies or work on a self-employed basis under certain conditions. Placement is limited, though. Each eligible country is given a fixed quota of applications. In 2025, Australia was allowed 42,000 and New Zealand 9,500.
What do you need to apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa?
Now that you know what it’s all about, it’s time to take a look at the eligibility requirements. To qualify for the YMS visa, you must meet the following criteria:
- Hold a valid passport
- Plan to live and work in the UK for up to two years
- Be a citizen from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, Uruguay, Taiwan or Hong Kong between the ages of 18 and 35
- Have at least £2,530 (roughly AUD 5,000) in savings
- Intend to leave the UK within two years
- Not have been a recipient of the visa previously
These requirements aside, you also need to meet the standard suitability requirements and provide evidence you passed a tuberculosis screening.
Otherwise, any other documentation you wish to supply along with your passport must confirm your identity and nationality. Your passport must have a blank page for the visa stamp. A bank statement will verify whether you have enough funds.
Additional documents may be required depending on your case, but we can assist if that happens.
How to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa
You must be outside the UK to apply for the YMS visa. Biometric data, such as fingerprints and a photo, will be taken at a visa application centre. In Australia, UK visa application centres are available in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. While in New Zealand, you can find them in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. The visa application centre may need to retain your passport and documents while processing your application.
How much does the Youth Mobility Scheme visa cost?
The application fee is £319 (about AUD 667). In addition, you’ll have to pay a health surcharge of £776 (about AUD 1,517) for every year the visa is valid for. Since the visa is valid for two years, the total health surcharge comes to £1552 (AUD 3,034). A biometric fee of £76.50 (about AUD 152) will also apply except for applications made in Melbourne or Sydney.
How long may you stay in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme visa?
The YMS visa will allow you to live and work in the UK for up to two years. Luckily, as an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you can extend your visa by an additional year once the two-year period ends; the usual application and IHS fees will apply. You must do so at least 28 days before your visa expires.
You’ll also be allowed to leave and return to the UK at any time while it’s valid. If you turn 35 after your visa has been issued, you’ll still be allowed to remain in the UK until it expires.
This gives you plenty of time to explore the UK while using employment opportunities to build up an additional reserve of cash. But what do you do when your two years are up, and you wish to remain in the UK?
As the Youth Mobility Scheme visa is not renewable, you will need to switch to a different visa.
Which visas could you switch to?
This is a good choice if you hope to continue working in the UK but don’t have any family ties to remain in the country otherwise.
This visa allows you to become a dependant on your partner's Ancestry visa.
Like the Ancestry visa, you may become a dependant on your partner’s EU Settlement Scheme family permit, provided they’re EU citizens.
You may apply for a spouse visa if you're in a relationship or married to a British citizen or someone with settled status in the UK.
This will allow you to attend a university or college. You may extend it if you need to so long as you show that doing so satisfies the requirements of your course.
Limitations of the Youth Mobility Scheme visa
While a YMS visa offers a range of flexibility as far as work opportunities go, it is not without some constraints. As an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you’ll have the following privileges and limitations.
| What you can do | What you can't do |
|---|---|
| Study: You may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate for some courses. | Get access to public funds: These would be funds like a state pension. |
| Work: Most jobs are eligible. | Work as a professional sportsperson |
| Be self-employed or start a company: You may only do so if you operate from rented premises without any employees or using equipment worth more than £5,000. | Bring family members to the UK: They’d need to apply for separate visas. |
Are you ready to take your first step towards a new life in the UK with a working holiday? Then contact our Melbourne office at +613 (0) 8651 4500 or email us at ausoffice@sableinternational.com.
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