The Working Holiday Visa is a type of residence permit that is specifically for young people between the ages of 18 and 30 years old (35 for Canadians). There are other names for this residence permit as well: Working Holiday Agreement, Youth Mobility Visa, and Working Holiday Visa Programme. Effectively, they are all the same thing with some small differences.
The purpose of the Working Holiday Visa is to create a bilateral opportunity for young people from two countries to experience each other's cultures and to develop a mutual understanding. Unlike most residency permits, there are no professional qualifications or requirements needed to qualify.
Germany has a Working Holiday Visa agreement with:
While there's a distinct difference between a visa and a residence permit, the Working Holiday Visa exists on a blurry line in between both. A visa typically is for less than 90 days and does not require you to work, while a residence permit is typically for longer than 90 days and expects you to work — the Working Holiday Visa is for a year, but does not require you to work if you don't want to.