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Working holiday in Australia from the UK: a budget in pounds, beyond the AUD5,000 guide

Tips · 2026-10-17 · 9 min read

For a working holiday in Australia, Home Affairs says to budget about AUD5,000 for your first weeks, plus the fare to wherever you go next. At the Reserve Bank of Australia rate of 22 October 2026 that is roughly £2,620, and it does not include the AUD840.00 visa charge (about £440), your passport or health cover. Add those up before you apply, and treat the AUD5,000 as the floor rather than the full budget.

What Home Affairs actually asks you to have

The first Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) page says you need enough money to support yourself and to leave Australia. It puts that at usually about AUD5,000 for your initial stay, plus the fare to where you are going after Australia.

That second part is easy to miss. If you plan to fly home to Glasgow or carry on to New Zealand, the onward fare sits on top of the AUD5,000, not inside it.

UK passport holders aged 18 to 35 can apply. You must lodge before midnight AEST/AEDST on the day before your 36th birthday, you apply from outside Australia, and you go on your own, without a partner or dependent children on the same application.

Your budget in pounds, line by line

These are rough comparisons at the RBA rate of 0.5238 UK pounds per Australian dollar on 22 October 2026. Exchange rates change, so run the numbers again on the day you move money.

Put the money for your stay, the first visa charge and an online passport together and you are at about £3,161 before a single flight or insurance quote. The official visa pricing page lists the current charges, so check it again before you pay.

If you are also weighing up a longer move later, our look at what skilled workers need to budget for as visa fees rise covers the bigger work visas.

The passport line people forget to cost

An adult standard 34-page UK passport costs £102 online or £115.50 by paper form, according to gov.uk's passport fees page. A 54-page frequent traveller passport costs £116 online.

The FCDO says your passport must be valid for the whole of your planned stay in Australia, and many transit countries want at least 6 months left. HM Passport Office usually takes 3 weeks in the UK, longer if it needs more information.

Timing matters here. Home Affairs links the Working Holiday visa digitally to the passport you apply with, and gov.uk says a new passport will not have the same number as your old one. If renewal is due, sort it before you apply rather than after.

Health cover: what the UK agreement does and does not pay

Home Affairs strongly recommends health insurance for Working Holiday visa holders and says you are personally liable for all your healthcare costs in Australia.

There is a reciprocal healthcare agreement between the UK and Australia. Services Australia says people visiting from the UK may be eligible for some care under Medicare, provided they were living in the UK before arriving. It covers medically necessary care out of hospital, care as a public patient in a public hospital and some PBS medicines at the general rate.

Gov.uk says you will still pay for treatment at most doctors' surgeries, most prescribed medicines, ambulance travel and dental treatment. To enrol, you show your visa, your passport and proof you live in the UK, such as a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or 2 dated documents. Pack that proof before you leave.

Earning it back: pay, tax and super

A working holiday lets you do short-term work of any kind to help pay for the trip, usually for up to 6 months with the same employer. Home Affairs says to consider a work visa instead if the main purpose of your stay is to work.

From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour, and award-free casual staff get a 25 per cent casual loading. Many jobs are covered by an award, and award rates may be higher.

Home Affairs says you must pay tax when you work. The latest working holiday maker rates on the ATO page (2025-26) are 15c for each $1 up to $45,000. You can apply for a tax file number online once you are in Australia with work rights; it is free and should arrive within 28 days.

Employers must pay superannuation (super) if you earn over a certain amount. The general super guarantee rate is 12.00% for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. You can claim it after you leave as a departing Australia superannuation payment, but the ATO taxes it at 65% for working holiday makers, so do not count on it for the flight home.

Hospitality is a common first job. You can see the kind of roles listed now, such as this chef job in Brisbane or a baker role in Melbourne. For farm, harvest and packing-shed work, Seasonal Jobs Australia lists seasonal roles across the country. A short, clear CV helps you start earning sooner, and Build AI CV can help you put one together before you fly.

Back home: the bills that follow you

If you have a student loan, gov.uk says you must tell the Student Loans Company if you leave the UK for more than 3 months. For 2026-27 the Plan 2 overseas lower threshold for Australia is £29,385.00, and SLC can charge a fixed £409.00 a month if you do not send the information it needs.

You must tell HMRC if you go to work abroad full-time for at least one full tax year, which runs from 6 April to 5 April. A shorter working holiday may not reach that point, but check before you go.

How to build your budget, step by step

1. Check your passport's expiry date and renew first if it will not last the trip (£102 online for an adult).
2. Add up the AUD5,000 guide, the AUD840.00 visa charge and your onward fare, then convert at the day's rate.
3. Get health insurance quotes and pack your GHIC or 2 dated UK address documents for Medicare.
4. Apply for the visa through Home Affairs' official ImmiAccount only, and do not book flights until it is granted.
5. Tell the Student Loans Company if you have a loan and will be away for more than 3 months.
6. Once you arrive, apply for your tax file number and open an everyday bank account with your passport.
7. Keep enough aside to leave Australia: Home Affairs counts the fare out as part of the money you need.

Common mistakes when budgeting for Oz

• Treating AUD5,000 as the whole budget. It is for your initial stay; the visa charge, passport, insurance and onward fare come on top.
• Booking flights early. Home Affairs says processing for most applications averages around three months and not to book flights until the visa is granted.
• Getting a new passport after the grant. The visa is linked to the passport you applied with, and a new passport has a new number.
• Applying for an eVisitor as well. If you are granted another visa, such as an eVisitor, after the Working Holiday visa, the Working Holiday visa and its work rights end on that date.
• Relying on Medicare alone. The UK agreement leaves GP visits, most medicines, ambulances and dentists to you.
• Forgetting the student loan. Not telling SLC can lead to arrears and a fixed monthly charge.

For background on how the scheme is changing for others, read about the working holiday visa shake-up and what it means for farms and workers and what the backpacker visa ballot means for working holiday makers. Fee rises are explained in why your next visa fee increase has nothing to do with you.

Frequently asked questions

How much money do I need for a working holiday in Australia from the UK?

Home Affairs says you usually need about AUD5,000 for your initial stay, plus the fare to wherever you go after Australia. That is roughly £2,620 at the RBA rate of 22 October 2026, before the visa charge, a passport and health cover are added on top.

How much does the 417 visa cost for UK applicants?

The base application charge for a first Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is AUD840.00, about £440 at the 22 October 2026 rate. A second or third 417 costs AUD1,000.00, roughly £524, and UK passport holders do not need specified work to get them.

Does Medicare cover UK citizens on a working holiday?

Services Australia says people visiting from the UK may be eligible for some care under Medicare if they were living in the UK before arriving. It does not cover everything: gov.uk says you still pay at most doctors' surgeries, for most prescribed medicines, ambulance travel and dental treatment, so Home Affairs strongly recommends health insurance.

Will I pay tax on what I earn during a working holiday?

Yes. Home Affairs says Working Holiday visa holders must pay taxes when they work. The latest working holiday maker rates on the ATO page (2025-26) are 15c for each $1 up to $45,000, and you apply for a free tax file number online once you have arrived.

Can I get my superannuation back when I leave Australia?

Home Affairs says you can access your superannuation when you leave Australia, through a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) claimed after you have gone. For working holiday makers the ATO taxes the taxed and untaxed elements at 65%, so treat it as a small bonus, not part of your plan.

Key takeaways

• Home Affairs' guide is about AUD5,000 (roughly £2,620 at the 22 October 2026 rate) plus your onward fare.
• The first 417 charge is AUD840.00, about £440; a second or third costs AUD1,000.00.
• Sort your passport before you apply, because the visa is linked to it.
• Get health insurance: the UK-Australia agreement covers some care, not GP visits, most medicines or dentists.
• Tax, super and your UK student loan all need a line in the plan.

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