Gap year and travel
Honest gap-year planning, working-holiday visa summaries, currency and FX-fees explainers, plus per-country destination pages for the 23 countries Australian school leavers most often travel to.
Gap year and travel guides
7 evergreen articles. Sources cited from gov.au, foreign government immigration sites and ASIC Moneysmart.
Gap year planning
How to defer your uni offer in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and beyond
State-by-state rules for deferring a Year 12 university offer in Australia. UAC, VTAC, QTAC, SATAC and TISC each handle deferral differently; here are the deadlines, durations and gotchas.
Should I take a gap year before uni?
Honest pros and cons of taking a gap year between Year 12 and university for Australian school leavers. Includes the data on academic re-entry and a decision checklist.
Travel money
Travel money for schoolies: Bali, Phuket, Fiji and your first solo trip
Honest practical money guide for the first overseas schoolies trip. Covers cash vs card, ATM scams, dynamic currency conversion, scooter deposits, common Bali, Phuket and Fiji rip-offs, and how to handle a lost or skimmed card from 4,500 km away.
Working holiday visa tax basics (Australia, UK, Ireland, Canada, Japan)
How tax works when you're earning overseas on a Working Holiday Visa. Covers the UK Youth Mobility Scheme, Ireland WHA, Canada IEC, Japan WHV, and the inverse: Aussie 462/417 visa-holders working in Australia.
Safety and health
Schoolies safety: hotspots, surf, drink spiking and support services
Practical safety guide for Year 12 leavers attending Schoolies week on the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, the Victorian coast or Western Australia. Covers Surf Life Saving patrols, Red Frogs support, drink spiking and what to do if things go wrong.
Travel insurance for under-25s
What travel insurance actually covers, why under-25s should always buy it for scooter, ski, surf and adventure trips, and why parent credit card insurance often fails when you travel solo.
Destinations
23 countries. Each page lists the visa options open to an Australian passport-holder, typical cost of living, money tips and the link to Smartraveller.
Asia
China
CNY | cost 50% of SydneyChina has no WHV with Australia. Tourist visa is required for most stays. Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Shanghai is the standard first-trip circuit.
No WHV with Australia (tourist entry only)
Hong Kong
HKD | cost 110% of SydneyHong Kong's WHV is open to Australians 18-30 for 12 months. High wages in finance and hospitality, very high rents, but the MTR makes it a small city to live in.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
India
INR | cost 30% of SydneyNo WHV. India offers some of the longest tourist visas going (5-year multiple entry). Goa, Rishikesh and the Himalayas are the main school-leaver circuits.
No WHV with Australia (tourist entry only)
Indonesia
IDR | cost 40% of SydneyIndonesia includes Bali, the single most popular Australian destination for school leavers. The WHV is real but the quota is small; most travellers use the 30-day VoA.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Japan
JPY | cost 70% of SydneyJapan's WHV is one of the most popular for Aussies: 12 months, no quota for Australian applicants. Niseko ski jobs, Tokyo English teaching and Osaka hospitality are the typical paths.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Malaysia
MYR | cost 45% of SydneyMalaysia has a Work and Holiday Programme with Australia (small quota) and a 90-day visa-free tourist entry. KL, Penang and Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak) are the typical Aussie circuits.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Philippines
PHP | cost 40% of SydneyNo WHV with Australia. The Philippines is best known to Aussies for diving (Coron, El Nido, Apo Reef), surfing (Siargao) and the easy 30-day visa-free entry.
No WHV with Australia (tourist entry only)
Singapore
SGD | cost 105% of SydneySingapore's Work Holiday Programme is narrow: 6 months, full-time university students or recent grads only, ages 18-25. Common base for an Asia trip due to safety and English.
WHV available for Australians (18-25 (university students only), up to 6 months)
South Korea
KRW | cost 75% of SydneyKorea's H-1 WHV is 12 months with full work rights for Australians 18-30. Annual quota (about 200 for Australia) fills early.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Taiwan
TWD | cost 70% of SydneyTaiwan's WHV is 12 months with strong job availability in English-teaching, hospitality and tourism. Public health insurance is mandatory and excellent.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Thailand
THB | cost 40% of SydneyThailand's Work and Holiday Programme runs as a 12-month visa for Australians 18-30 (small quota). Most Aussies travel tourist-only; cost of living is among the lowest in popular destinations.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Vietnam
VND | cost 35% of SydneyVietnam has no Working Holiday Visa with Australia. The 90-day eVisa is generous for travel. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City overland is one of the most popular long-trip routes for Aussie school leavers.
No WHV with Australia (tourist entry only)
Europe
France
EUR | cost 90% of SydneyFrance's VVT lets Australians 18-35 stay 12 months with work rights. Ski seasons in the Alps and summer hospitality on the south coast are typical job markets.
WHV available for Australians (18-35, up to 12 months)
Germany
EUR | cost 85% of SydneyGermany's WHV is generous: 12 months, work rights, no quota, low cost of living outside Munich. Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne are popular bases.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Ireland
EUR | cost 100% of SydneyIreland's 24-month Working Holiday Authorisation has no annual cap and processes quickly. Dublin rents are brutal; cork, Galway and Limerick are far more affordable.
WHV available for Australians (18-35, up to 24 months)
Italy
EUR | cost 80% of SydneyItaly's WHV is small (annual cap) and bureaucratic, but its cost of living outside Rome and Milan is some of the lowest in Western Europe.
WHV available for Australians (18-30, up to 12 months)
Switzerland
CHF | cost 160% of SydneySwitzerland does not have a WHV with Australia. It is one of the world's most expensive countries to visit. Best done as a 5-10 day Schengen leg, not a long stay.
No WHV with Australia (tourist entry only)
United Kingdom
GBP | cost 105% of SydneyThe UK Youth Mobility Scheme lets Australians aged 18-35 live and work for up to three years. London rents are high; the rest of Britain is cheaper than Sydney.
WHV available for Australians (18-35, up to 36 months)
North America
Canada
CAD | cost 95% of SydneyThe Canadian IEC Working Holiday is a 2-year open work permit for Australians 18-35. Quotas are oversubscribed; profile early in the year.
WHV available for Australians (18-35, up to 24 months)
United States
USD | cost 100% of SydneyThe US does not run a generic working-holiday visa. Australians work via sponsored J-1 categories (4 months summer work, longer for interns and trainees) or under student / exchange streams. Most school leavers go for J-1 Summer Work Travel.
WHV available for Australians (18-30 (varies by category), up to 4 months)
Middle East
Turkey
TRY | cost 45% of SydneyNo WHV with Australia. Turkey offers a cheap, accessible 90-day e-visa. Istanbul, Cappadocia and the Turquoise Coast are the standard circuit. Gallipoli is a meaningful pilgrimage for many Aussies.
No WHV with Australia (tourist entry only)
United Arab Emirates
AED | cost 95% of SydneyNo WHV. The UAE is mostly relevant to Aussies as an Emirates / Etihad stopover, or for Dubai-based hospitality / cabin-crew careers. 30-day visa-on-arrival makes a short stop trivial.
No WHV with Australia (tourist entry only)
ExamExplained is not a travel agent, registered migration agent or licensed financial adviser. Visa rules and tax thresholds change; verify with the relevant government source linked on each country page before relying on the data. Cost-of-living figures are indicative only.