Minister of Foreign Affairs signs Working Holiday agreement between Chile and Iceland

In the context of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Chile and Iceland, Foreign Affairs Minister Alberto van Klaveren and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Thórdis Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, signed today a memorandum of understanding on Working Holiday.

The signature of the instrument marks an important milestone in the strengthening of bilateral relations and aims to establish a working vacation program for young people from both nations that will enable them to have a better understanding of the culture, society and languages of the other country.

Applicants must be nationals of Chile or Iceland, between 18 and 30 years of age at the time of application. The permit granted by both countries - which will determine the number of beneficiaries on an annual basis - may be granted for a maximum of two consecutive 12-month periods.

The agreement will enter into force once both States notify the other that the domestic requirements for its implementation have been met.

Chile currently has 17 Working Holiday agreements in force and one Intern Exchange Agreement, details of which are attached at the end of the text.

Minister van Klaveren is in Geneva, Switzerland, on the occasion of the signing of a Protocol of Amendment modernizing the Free Trade Agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states, whose member states are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.