Working Holiday Visa Australia for French Citizens: 2026 Guide
Updated: 29 October 2026
If you hold a French passport, your working holiday visa is the subclass 417. France sits on the 417 list with one of the higher age limits: Home Affairs gives France an age range of 18 to 35. This page focuses on two questions. How late can you leave it? And how do the eVisitor and the working holiday visa fit together?
We are an independent guide. We are not the Australian government, and this page is not legal advice. Check the Home Affairs pages linked here before you pay.
Applying at 34 or 35: how the French age cut-off works
"18 to 35" means you can still apply while you are 35. The cut-off is your 36th birthday, but it is measured in Australian time, not French time.
- The last moment to lodge is midnight AEST/AEDST on the day before your 36th birthday.
- That rule applies even when you lodge from France.
- Home Affairs warns that Australian Eastern time differs from when your birthday ends in your own country. It also suggests you avoid lodging on your birthday if you can.
- If you lodge at 35 and turn 36 while you wait, Home Affairs can still grant the visa. You must still meet every other requirement.
The same France age range appears on the second and third 417 pages. So every application, not only the first, has to go in before your 36th birthday. If you are already 35, a later second or third year may not fit. Plan with that date in mind. Our working holiday age limit guide compares the limits for every country.
eVisitor, ETA and the working holiday visa: which one, and when
Planning a holiday in Australia before or after your working year? A French passport is on two visitor lists:
| Visitor option | Cost | Each stay | Work allowed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| eVisitor (subclass 651) | Free | Up to 3 months per entry, multiple entries over 12 months | No paid work for an Australian employer |
| ETA (subclass 601) | AUD20 service charge in the Australian ETA app | Up to 3 months per entry | No paid work for an Australian employer |
The order of your grants matters a lot.
Once your working holiday visa is granted, you do not need an eVisitor to enter. If an eVisitor is granted to you after that point, Home Affairs says your working holiday visa and its work rights cease on the date the eVisitor is granted. And if you then enter Australia on that eVisitor, you cannot apply for another first working holiday visa while you are in Australia.
An ETA works differently. An ETA grant does not cancel the working holiday visa. But your 12-month working holiday period starts the day you enter Australia, whatever the reason for that trip, even if you also hold an ETA. The ETA only comes into effect after the working holiday visa ends.
A holiday before your working year does not use up your chance. The "previous visas" rule for a first 417 lists only two visas: the 417 and the 462. There is a catch, though. Your first 417 can only be granted while you are outside Australia. If you are in Australia on a visitor visa, you must leave before it can be granted.
Staying on after your working year. If you want to stay on in Australia on a Visitor visa when your first working holiday visa ends, Home Affairs caps the total time at 12 consecutive months. To go beyond that, you must show exceptional circumstances, such as a close family member in Australia who has died or is seriously ill.
For the visitor visas themselves, see our eVisitor guide for French citizens and ETA vs eVisitor.
Health cover: France is not on the reciprocal list
Services Australia lists the countries whose visitors may get Medicare care under a reciprocal agreement: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. France is not on that list.
So do not plan on Medicare. Home Affairs strongly recommends health insurance for 417 holders and says you are personally liable for all your healthcare costs in Australia. Compare cover options in our working holiday insurance guide.
The 417 at a glance for a French passport
Our full subclass 417 guide covers the details. In short:
- Cost: AUD840 for a first visa.
- Where you are: outside Australia, both when you lodge and when Home Affairs decides.
- Money: usually about AUD5,000, plus the fare to wherever you go after Australia.
- Timing: enter within 12 months of the grant. Your 12 months of stay then run from the day you arrive.
- Work: any kind of job, though usually only 6 months with one employer.
- Study: up to 4 months (17 weeks).
- Family: you apply alone and cannot bring dependent children.
Home Affairs' 417 eligibility list has no English test, no education requirement and no government letter of support. The 462 has an English and education requirement for every applicant, and a support letter for some countries, which is why the 417 vs 462 comparison matters if you have read older advice saying France used the 462.
A second or third year
To stay longer, do specified work: at least 88 calendar days on your first visa for a second visa, then 179 calendar days on your second visa for a third. Specified work means set industries in set areas, such as plant and animal cultivation in regional Australia, or tourism and hospitality in Northern or Remote and Very Remote Australia. It must be paid in line with Australian legislation and awards. Each later visa costs AUD1,000, and you can lodge it from inside or outside Australia. Read our second-year and third-year guides before you choose a job.
How long it takes
The Home Affairs processing guide shows recently decided 417 applications at 2 days for 50% and 58 days for 90%. Home Affairs also says it is "normalising processing timeframes for most WHM visa applications" and expects an average of around three months. Do not book flights until you hold the grant in writing.
Questions French applicants ask
Can I still apply for a 417 at 35 with a French passport?
Yes. France's range is 18 to 35. Lodge before midnight AEST/AEDST on the day before your 36th birthday. Turning 36 while you wait for a decision does not stop the grant.
Do I need an eVisitor as well as my working holiday visa?
No. After the 417 is granted you can enter on it. Do not apply for an eVisitor on top: an eVisitor granted after your 417 ends the 417 and its work rights.
Can I visit Australia on an eVisitor first and apply for the working holiday visa later?
An earlier eVisitor trip is not one of the visas that blocks a first 417. Only a past entry on a 417 or 462 does that. But you must be outside Australia when the 417 is granted.
Can I use Medicare in Australia with a French passport?
France is not on the Services Australia list of countries with a reciprocal health care agreement for visitors. Take out private health insurance.
How much does the visa cost for French citizens?
AUD840 for the first 417 and AUD1,000 each for a second or third. You might also pay for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
For the wider picture, including study and work visas, see our Australian visa guide for French citizens and the list of every working holiday country.
