NETHERLANDS-NEW ZEALAND WORKING HOLIDAY SCHEME

The Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and New Zealand, Wim Kok and Jim Bolger, were delighted to announce today agreement on a working holiday scheme between the two countries. It will come into force early in 1998. Under the scheme, young New Zealanders and Dutch will be able to spend up to 12 months on holiday in the other country and will be able to work incidental to the holiday.

The age limit for the scheme is 18-30 years. New Zealanders aged between 26 and 30 wishing to take advantage of the scheme in the Netherlands will be subject to the Netherlands "special circumstances" provisions. This means that each application will be considered favourably but under a separate category.

Both the Netherlands and New Zealand attach considerable importance to promoting people to people exchange between the two countries especially given the long standing personal links that already exist through migration. The scheme will enable young people to gain knowledge and experience of life in the other country.