Missionary work for charity under the Charities Act 2005
For overseas missionary work that began on or after 9 November 2020 to qualify towards being resident and present in New Zealand, the entity the client is doing work for must be registered in New Zealand as a charitable entity in the Charities Act 2005.
If the entity is not a registered charity, the periods spent overseas as a missionary cannot be counted as residence and presence in New Zealand.
Details of when a charity is registered, and any de-registration or periods of de-registration can be found in the Charities Register.
Client did overseas missionary work and the entity was registered the entire period | A client left New Zealand on 20 November 2020 and worked overseas as a missionary for 5 years and 8 months. As the missionary entity was registered as a charity in New Zealand for the period of 5 years and 8 months' work, the missionary can be treated as residence and presence in New Zealand for this period (if the client meets the other qualifications). |
Client did overseas missionary work and the entity was not registered for the entire period | A client left New Zealand on 21 December 2020 and worked as a missionary for 9 years. The missionary entity did not register as a charitable entity under the Charities Act 2005 until the last 3 years of the client's missionary work. Only the 3 year period during when the entity was registered as a charity can be treated as residence and presence in New Zealand (if the client meets the other qualifications). |
Client did overseas missionary work and entity lost registration during the period | A client left New Zealand for missionary work on 30 January 2021 for an entity that was a registered charity under the Charites Act 2005. The client worked as a missionary for 11 years, but the entity was de-registered from the Charities Register for the last 2 years of the client's missionary work. Only the first 9 years of the client's work can be treated as residence and presence in New Zealand (if the client meets the other qualifications). |
For more information see:
Legislation
- charitable entity (definition) section 4 New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001
- Treatment of periods of absence as missionary section 10 New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001
- MSD may refuse or cancel benefit if person not ordinarily resident in New Zealand section 204 Social Security Act 2018
