Unless you are from the country where the course of internship takes place, you will need some form of travel visa to join a snowboard or ski instructor course. The good news is that visas are often quick and easy to get.
Visas for Snowboard & Ski Instructor Courses:
Canada – Unless you are from Canada, you will need a visitor visa to do a ski instructor course. Citizens in many countries are eligible to apply online for an electronic travel authorisation which is a simple online process that can be completed either before, or after you have booked a course – but you must have applied before you travel. A decision is usually instantaneous and the ETA costs $7, once approved this holiday permit is valid for 5 years.
Some countries do not have an ETA agreement with Canada, in this scenario the participant must apply for a visitor visa via the Canadian Embassy in the country of residence. Visitor permits are usually valid for 6 months of travel.
New Zealand – Many countries have a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand, which means you do not need a visa to do an instructor course. List of countries with a visa waiver agreement. If your country is not on the list you will need to apply for a visitor permit to travel in NZ for the duration of your course, applications can be made online via the Immigration NZ website.
Europe – Citizens of EU member states do not need a visa to do a ski instructor course in Europe.
Citizens from outside the EU may need to apply for a travel permit to attend a course in France depending on their country of citizenship.
Visas For Ski Instructor Internships
Unless you have citizenship in the country in which the internship takes place, then you will need a working holiday visa to do a snowboard or ski instructor internship.
Working holiday visas are available for citizens of many countries who want to work in Canada, New Zealand and Japan. Please see our working holiday visa page for more information.
