Youth Mobility Scheme: Every Eligible Country
The Youth Mobility Scheme is available to citizens of specific countries. This guide lists all eligible nationalities, their age limits, ballot requirements, and any caps on places.
- Section
- Youth Mobility
- Reading time
- 7 min
- Last checked
- 2 September 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- 13 countries and territories are listed for 2026, including India through the separate India Young Professionals Scheme.
- Age limits: 18-30 for most, 18-35 for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Korea.
- Hong Kong, Taiwan and India use a ballot; every country has an annual allocation of places.
- No EU member state is in the scheme; UK-EU negotiations on a youth experience scheme were authorised in 2025 but nothing is open.
- The list is updated regularly — check GOV.UK for the latest.
The UK Youth Mobility Scheme is based on bilateral agreements with specific countries. The list has grown in recent years, with India (through its own scheme), Andorra and Uruguay joining, but no EU member state takes part. This guide provides the complete list for 2026 with country-specific details.
Full List of Eligible Countries (2026)
The places for each country are the 2026 allocations in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals of the Immigration Rules. Every country has an allocation; only three use a ballot.
No Ballot (18-35 age limit)
- Australia (38,500 places)
- Canada (10,000 places)
- New Zealand (8,000 places)
- South Korea (5,000 places)
No Ballot (18-30 age limit)
- Andorra (100 places)
- Iceland (1,000 places)
- Japan (6,000 places)
- Monaco (1,000 places)
- San Marino (1,000 places)
- Uruguay (500 places)
Ballot Required (18-30 age limit)
- Hong Kong, with an SAR passport (1,000 places)
- Taiwan (1,000 places)
- India (3,000 places), through the separate India Young Professionals Scheme visa, which has extra requirements such as an eligible qualification. Both 2026 ballots (February and July) have closed.
British Nationals Without the Right of Abode
British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens and British nationals (overseas) can also apply, aged 18 to 30.
EU Member States: Not Currently Eligible
EU member states such as France, Germany, Spain, and Italy are not currently part of the Youth Mobility Scheme. In June 2025 the EU authorised the opening of negotiations with the UK on a youth experience scheme, but no scheme is open. Andorra, Iceland, Monaco, and San Marino do take part, but these are small European countries, not EU members. Check GOV.UK for any future changes.
Age Limits by Country
- 18-35: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea
- 18-30: All other eligible countries
GOV.UK says you must be 18 or over when your visa starts, and 30 or under (or 35 or under, depending on your country) when you apply. See our YMS requirements guide for full eligibility criteria.
Ballot System
For Hong Kong, Taiwan and India, the Immigration Rules use "invitation to apply" arrangements: you submit an expression of interest during a published window, the Home Office selects at random from everyone who entered, and those selected receive an invitation to apply that is valid for a set period. The Home Office publishes the ballot dates on GOV.UK.
The other countries allow direct applications at any time, up to 6 months before you travel and while places remain in that year's allocation, subject to meeting the requirements.
Recent Additions
The Youth Mobility Scheme list has grown in recent years:
- 31 January 2024: Andorra (100 places) and Uruguay (500 places) joined; the upper age limit for Australia, Canada and South Korea rose to 35; and Japanese and South Korean citizens no longer had to enter a ballot.
- India: takes part through the separate India Young Professionals Scheme visa (3,000 places a year, ballot).
- 2026: the annual allocations were updated in the Immigration Rules (last updated 3 August 2026). No EU country has been added.
The UK government has expressed interest in expanding the scheme further. Check GOV.UK for the latest additions.
Next Steps
If your country is on the list, check the requirements and costs to start your application.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Which countries are eligible for the UK Youth Mobility Scheme in 2026?
The Immigration Rules list 13 countries and territories for 2026: Andorra, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, San Marino, Taiwan and Uruguay. India takes part through a separate visa, the India Young Professionals Scheme. British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens and British nationals (overseas) can also apply. No EU member state is on the list.
Do all countries have the same age limit?
No. GOV.UK gives an age range of 18 to 35 for Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea, and 18 to 30 for everywhere else. You must be 18 or over when your visa starts, and 30 or under (or 35 or under) when you apply.
Do some countries require a ballot?
Yes. GOV.UK says applicants from Hong Kong (with an SAR passport) and Taiwan must be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before applying, and Indian citizens must be selected in the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot. Every country has an annual allocation of places, but the others, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, do not use a ballot.
Can EU citizens apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme?
Not currently. EU member states such as France, Germany, and Spain are not part of the Youth Mobility Scheme. In June 2025 the EU authorised negotiations with the UK on a youth experience scheme, but no scheme is open. Some small European countries — Andorra, Iceland, Monaco, and San Marino — do take part, but these are not EU members. Check GOV.UK for the latest position.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.