Skip to content
WhvisasWhvisas
PortugalCanada

Working Holiday Canada for Portuguese citizens (2026): requirements, quota and status

Working holiday

The Working holiday rules for Portugal passport holders in Canada list a stay of up to 24 months. Verified against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on 2026-10-01.

Stay
Up to 24 months

Source for Stay

Portugal—Working Holiday Description: The Working Holiday category is designed for Portuguese citizens who intend to travel in Canada and who wish to find temporary paid employment to help pay for their trip (up to 24 months).
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/content/canadasite/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/eligibility/eligibility-by-country.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Application fee
CAD 184.75

Source for Application fee

a) All participants You must pay the IEC fee. For the 2026 season, the IEC fee is CAN$184.75.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/apply-work-permit.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Proof of funds
CAD 2,500

Source for Proof of funds

You must present a statement of your bank account issued no more than 1 week before your departure for Canada. It must clearly show that you have enough money to support yourself for the first 3 months of your stay in Canada (the equivalent of CAN$2,500).
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/prepare-arrival.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Selection method
Pool and invitation rounds

Source for Selection method

We randomly select Working Holiday candidates from the pool and invite them to apply. All candidates in the pool have an equal chance of being invited.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/become-candidate/chances.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Get opening alerts

After the visa: first 30 days in Canada

Get opening alerts

Plan your budget

Open budget calculator

Convert the listed visa fees and add your own insurance, flight and first-month estimates. This is a planning estimate, not a price quote.

Currency
Listed fees + your travel and first month

Enter your own lower and upper estimates in the selected currency, without thousands separators. Changing currency does not convert the amounts you enter.

Travel and health insurance

Example: use the lowest and highest quotes for cover over your planned stay. No sourced estimate is available yet.

Return flights

Example: use flight quotes from your departure city for your travel dates. No sourced estimate is available yet.

First month: accommodation and living costs

Example: add 30 days of accommodation, food, transport and phone costs. No sourced estimate is available yet.

Enter all three ranges to calculate your travel and first-month estimate.

Listed visa fees · approximate conversion

Visa application fee

Source for Application fee

a) All participants You must pay the IEC fee. For the 2026 season, the IEC fee is CAN$184.75.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/apply-work-permit.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Approx. EUR 119

Approx. USD 133

Daily reference rates dated 2026-10-30. European Central Bank

Open work permit fee

Source for Open work permit fee

b) Working Holiday participants You must also pay an open work permit holder fee of CAN$100.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/apply-work-permit.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Approx. EUR 65

Approx. USD 72

Daily reference rates dated 2026-10-30. European Central Bank

Money you may need to show

These are funds to demonstrate, not a visa fee. They are shown separately and are not added to the estimate. Read the evidence for the applicable conditions.

Minimum funds

Source for Proof of funds

You must present a statement of your bank account issued no more than 1 week before your departure for Canada. It must clearly show that you have enough money to support yourself for the first 3 months of your stay in Canada (the equivalent of CAN$2,500).
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/prepare-arrival.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Approx. EUR 1,602

Approx. USD 1,790

Daily reference rates dated 2026-10-30. European Central Bank

Check proof of funds

Amounts rounded up to whole currency units. Banks and payment providers may use different rates and add charges.

Questions answered by the official rules

How do I apply?

Online. Verified on 2026-10-01 against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Source for How to apply

From the day and time you accept the invitation, you have 20 days to apply online for your work permit .
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — International Experience Canada: Create your IEC profile and get your invitation to apply

Select the same information icon to close.

How are applications selected?

Pool and invitation rounds. Verified on 2026-10-01 against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Source for Selection method

We randomly select Working Holiday candidates from the pool and invite them to apply. All candidates in the pool have an equal chance of being invited.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/become-candidate/chances.html

Select the same information icon to close.

How much money must I show?

CAD 2,500. Verified on 2026-10-01 against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Source for Proof of funds

You must present a statement of your bank account issued no more than 1 week before your departure for Canada. It must clearly show that you have enough money to support yourself for the first 3 months of your stay in Canada (the equivalent of CAN$2,500).
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/prepare-arrival.html

Select the same information icon to close.

How long is the initial stay?

Up to 24 months. Verified on 2026-10-01 against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Source for Stay

Portugal—Working Holiday Description: The Working Holiday category is designed for Portuguese citizens who intend to travel in Canada and who wish to find temporary paid employment to help pay for their trip (up to 24 months).
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/content/canadasite/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/eligibility/eligibility-by-country.html

Select the same information icon to close.

What is the application fee?

CAD 184.75. Verified on 2026-10-01 against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Source for Application fee

a) All participants You must pay the IEC fee. For the 2026 season, the IEC fee is CAN$184.75.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/apply-work-permit.html

Select the same information icon to close.

Last change on October 1, 2026

Change history

What changed

Dates show when our published evidence changed. Previous values stay off this log so withdrawn or expired advice is not repeated.

All status updates
    • Verified evidence added: How to apply
    • Verified evidence added: Application fee
    • Verified evidence added: Required funds
    • Verified evidence added: Selection method
    • Verified evidence added: Initial stay
    • Verified evidence added: Work permit charge
whvisas change feed

Official sources