On 5th May 2017, the Spanish government and the Japanese government signed the agreement relating to the program of holidays and sporadic working activities (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”). Said agreement was published in the Spanish Official State Bulletin (BOE) on 11th  May 2017.

Although the Agreement does not set a specific date, it does indicate that both governments shall mutually notify each other in writing of the completion of their respective internal procedures necessary for the entry into force of the Agreement. It will occur on the thirtieth day after the receipt of the last notification.

Requirements for the application

According to article 1 of the Agreement, the visa applicant must meet the following requirements:

  • Enter the other country (hereinafter referred to the “country of destination”) primarily for vacation purposes (that is to say, work cannot be the main object of the visit);
  • Be aged between 18 and 30 years (both inclusive) at the time of filing the application for the visa;
  • Not be accompanied by dependents, except those who are also in possession of a working holiday visa or other type of visa, which has been issued to that person;
  • Possess a valid passport and a return travel ticket or sufficient funds with which to purchase such a ticket;
  • Possess sufficient funds for his/her living costs in the country of destination during the initial period of the stay;
  • Leave the country of destination at the end of his/her stay and not modify residence status during the stay.
  • Not have been issued with a working holiday visa of the country of destination in the past.
  • Be in good health, as duly certified by a medical certificate;
  • Have no criminal record; and
  • Express his/her intention to comply with the laws and regulations in force in the country of destination during the stay.

As for the requirement (v) “sufficient funds for his/her maintenance in the country of destination during the initial period of stay”, both parties shall decide the specific amount at the discretion of their country, taking into account the price index, the CPI, housing rental prices, etc. On 20th June, the Japanese Embassy in Spain published general information on the Working Holiday visa, specifying the requirements for the visa application. According to this information, with regard to section (iv) above, the amount corresponding to a round-trip travel ticket shall be 2,000 Euro and a return ticket to Spain 1,000 Euro. With regard to section (v), it shall be necessary to demonstrate financial resources of 2,000 Euro to justify sufficient funds to assume living costs during the initial period in Japan.

Period

The maximum allowable period for a staying in the country of destination with the Working Holiday visa is one year from the date of entry into the country. The person with this visa may perform work activities to the extent necessary to supplement the travel funds in accordance with the laws and regulations in force in the country of destination.

Number of visas

According to the Agreement, each country will annually determine the number of visas available for the Working Holiday program. This means that an annual limit for the visa numbers shall be set. According to the information published by the Japanese Embassy in Spain, the quota for 2017 shall be 250 Spaniards.

 

 

Mika Otomo

Vilá Abogados

 

For more information, please contact:

va@vila.es

 

23rd of June 2017