Ireland's application is NOT a web form or a PDF you download from the internet: first you reserve a place by email and, if you get in, the embassy sends you by email the form you have to print and submit. The official guide says, verbatim, that you must print «the form provided to you on the email»: don't use any PDF you find lying around, because the ones in circulation are from other countries in the programme (verified September 2026).
Application platform: Form WHAA1 (Irish Immigration Service, Department of Justice) — on paper, submitted in person at VFS Global Buenos Aires after winning the quota place by email.
🪜 Step by step
1
Write the place-reservation email
Before opening day, have an email ready for irishwhargentina@vfshelpline.com. Subject: 'WHA 2026 program'. Body: your full first name and surname, a contact phone number and a sentence saying you want to take part in the Working Holiday programme. Only one per person: if you send several, you may be disqualified.
2
Send the email at the exact time
On opening day (usually 1 June, 9:00 Argentina time) hit 'send' as soon as it hits 9:00. The first 200 emails received get in. Don't send it earlier: it may be invalidated.
3
Download the WHAA1 form
Once you've been shortlisted, download the WHAA1 (Working Holiday Authorisation Application 2026) from the Irish Immigration Service website. Complete it by typing and ticking the relevant boxes; ALL sections must be completed.
4
Section 1 — Applicant's personal details
Enter your surname (Surname) and first names (Forename) EXACTLY as in your passport, date of birth (DD MM YYYY), gender, nationality (Argentina), place of birth, address, phone number and email. Answer whether you have previously been in Ireland on a Working Holiday, whether you have any criminal convictions and whether you have ever been refused a visa or entry to any country.
5
Section 2 — Passport / travel document details
Tick 'National Passport', and enter the document number, the issue date and the expiry date (DD MM YYYY), exactly as they appear in the passport.
6
Section 3 — Your proposed stay in Ireland
State your planned arrival date, the length of the trip, a tentative itinerary, what type of job or course you plan to look for, whether you have checked its availability, and the details of a contact person in Ireland if you have one.
7
Section 4A — Privacy Notice
Read the Department of Justice privacy notice, sign, print your name in block letters and add the date (DD MM YYYY).
8
Section 4B — Declaration
Read the declaration (that the information is true, that you have funds, that the authorisation cannot be extended, and that if you stay beyond 90 days you will register for the IRP). Sign, print your name and date it. Giving false information can block you from making new applications for up to 5 years.
9
Section 5 — Documentation required
Check that you attach everything requested: complete passport photocopy, passport-size photos, bank statement showing the funds, apostilled criminal record check and 12-month insurance certificate.
10
Submit at the VFS appointment
Bring the signed WHAA1 and all the documentation (originals and copies) to your appointment at VFS Global Buenos Aires. There you pay the consular fee and the VFS service fee in pesos.
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending the reservation email before the time or sending several emails: it may invalidate your application (it's one per person).
- Not having the email written in advance and losing key seconds on opening day: the 200 places run out in minutes.
- Getting the criminal record check without an apostille, or more than 3 months old at the time of the appointment.
- Entering a name or passport number different from the one on the document.
- Submitting insufficient funds, or funds in someone else's name without explaining it.
- Taking out insurance that does not cover the full 12 months or does not include repatriation.
🧰 Tools that will help you
🏙️
Which city should I move to?
See which city in Ireland you will fit into best.
Open →
📋
What documents do I need?
The exact list for Ireland according to your citizenship, so you can tick items off.
Open →
🎯
Which country suits me?
Filter by age, language, degree and cost, and find your best destination.
Open →
📢
What opened and what closed?
The quotas that opened, ran out or were paused, with the date and the official source.
Open →
🤝
Pacific Alliance
The agreement between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, and what it entitles you to.
Open →
🗓️
When does the quota open?
Month by month, when each country opens or renews. Several run out within hours.
Open →
🚗
Is my license valid there?
Whether you can drive with your country's license, for how long and whether they exchange it without a test.
Open →
🗣️
How do they speak there?
The real slang of Ireland: what it means, how it is pronounced and when to use it.
Open →
🛡️ Getting sick far from home shouldn't cost you thousands of USD
Abroad, getting sick is more than a bad day. In many destinations public healthcare depends on appointments, queues and availability, and private care is paid upfront. An emergency can cost thousands of USD, right when you are far from home and on a tight budget. That is why I recommend you never leave without travel assistance.
I recommend GO! Assistance because it covers what matters: medical care, emergencies, medication and hospitalization depending on the plan. It protects you 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world, with real-time solutions on the ground. GO! 365 ECO and GO! 365 give you USD 45,000 of global coverage: the first with a USD 100 deductible, the second with none.
If you quote from Argentina, in October GO! also offers 12 interest-free instalments on selected products.
Ad - paid Remitly Ambassador.
Remitly · Send money home in minutes, with low fees
When you work in another country, sooner or later you will want to send money home: to help your family, cover a bill or put your savings away. That is what I use Remitly for, and why I recommend it. It is very fast: it connects to any local account in your home country and the money arrives in minutes.
You can choose between different ways to send, depending on what suits you, and the fees are low. On top of that, my ambassador code AMB6M8 gets you USD 20 off your first transfer. It applies to transfers from the countries where Remitly operates, so check in the app whether the code works in yours before you send.
