Thank you for your inquiry into the Working Holiday Program. This
officially recognised youth program enables young Canadians to visit the
Netherlands for a period of up to twelve months with the objective of
combining a holiday with work experience, thus supplementing their financial
resources during their stay. The advantage of registering with this program
is that you do not need to apply for a work permit once you find a job in
the Netherlands. Make sure though that you have the necessary papers before
your departure.
In order for you to be able to participate in this program, two things are
needed;
1. a legalised long form birth certificate
2. a working holiday program visa, which is an MVV (Machtiging voorlopig
verblijf = temporary residence permit)
You can obtain your long form birth certificate from the Registrar General’s
Office in the province you were born. Call 1-800-622-6232 to get the
location and telephone no. for the Registrar’s office in our province.
If you were born in Quebec, you may go to:
Direction de l’etat civil, 2050 rue de Bleury, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2J5
tel. 514-846-3900, toll free 1-800-567-3900
If you already have your long form birth certificate make sure it is not
older than 6 months.
The next step is to have this certificate legalised by the Canadian Government. The
original of the (long form) birth certificate should be sent to the
following address (keep a copy for yourself).
Department of Foreign Affairs
and International Trade Canada
JLAC Att: Mr. Mario Nunez
Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0G2
Also enclose a money order or certified cheque for each document that has to be legalised, made payable to the Royal Netherlands Embassy. (for information on current amount, please check “consular information” at this website). Ask F.A. to forward the document to the Embassy
and make sure you mention your return address and telephone number. After the
document has been received in Ottawa, it will be legalised and returned to
you as soon as possible.
Once this has been done, it is time to apply for the Working Holiday Program.
You must contact the Netherlands Embassy in Ottawa, or one of the Consulates
Generals (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal), depending on where you live.
The MVV should be issued free of charge.
Requirements are the following:
- You are between 18 and 30 years of age
- You have to be a Canadian Citizen and live in Canada;
- You are not accompanied by dependants;
- You possess a valid Canadian passport;
- You possess a return ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket;
- You possess sufficient funds for your maintenance during the initial period of stay in the Netherlands ( min. of 75 Euro);
- You agree to hold medical and comprehensive hospitalisation and liability
insurance to remain in force throughout your stay in the Netherlands;
- You have no criminal conviction;
- You are prepared to pay the prescribed fee (28 Euro) for the residence permit and
- Satisfy the Dutch visa officer that the primary intention is to holiday in the Netherlands with employment being an incidental rather than a primary
reason for the visit.
When you report yourself at city hall in the Netherlands (within 3
days of arrival) you will have to show them the legalised
birth certificate.
Be advised that it will take some time to obtain all the papers, so start
early if possible.
DO NOT GO TO THE NETHERLANDS WITHOUT THESE PAPERS! If you do, you will no
longer be able to participate in this program, as you need to apply in the
country of residence.
For additional information, please contact the Netherlands Embassy/Consulate in your area.
Brochure Working Holiday Program English: 
youngworkers-eng.pdf (175 Kb)
Brochure Working Holiday Program French: youngworkers-fr.pdf (183 Kb)
