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General portability : Contents

Entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation

Only clients who qualify for New Zealand Superannuation in their own right can get this payment under General Portability rules. Grandparented non-qualified partners have no entitlement and their New Zealand Superannuation stops once they leave New Zealand.

If a client is not already getting New Zealand Superannuation they should make an application for New Zealand Superannuation and payment overseas before they leave New Zealand. This means a client must be entitled to New Zealand Superannuation before leaving New Zealand.

MSD must assess the New Zealand Superannuation application and decide whether a client is entitled to New Zealand Superannuation. This will involve deciding whether the client is ordinarily resident in New Zealand on the date of application.

To get General Portability of New Zealand Superannuation, a client must:

  • be entitled or will be entitled to get New Zealand Superannuation before leaving New Zealand
  • be ordinarily resident and present in New Zealand on the date they apply for payment overseas and
  • make an application stating the country or countries in which they intend to live and the period for which they intend to live in each country or countries or
  • make an application stating the country or countries in which they intend to travel

Note clients must complete an application form for payment overseas before they leave New Zealand. All applications for payment overseas and ongoing payments are processed by International Services.

Change in circumstances

Clients have an obligation to advise MSD of any changes in their circumstances that may affect their entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation paid under General Portability or the rate payable (e.g., if they intend to leave their country of residence to live in another country).

Mandatory Reviews

Clients getting New Zealand Superannuation under General Portability will need to complete a Mandatory Review 52 weeks from when the payment under General Portability commenced, and 52 weeks from when the client's last Mandatory Review was completed.

For more information see:

Legislation

  • Age section 7 New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001
  • Residency section 8 New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001
  • Payment overseas section 26 New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001
  • Entitlement to payment overseas section 26B 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
  • Income and liabilities schedule 3(2)(16) Social Security Act 2018
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The contact details for International Services are:

From New Zealand 0800 777 227 (free calling within New Zealand only)

From Australia 1800 150 479

From other countries +64 4 978 1180

Email international_services@msd.govt.nz

Postal

International Services
Ministry of Social Development
PO Box 27178
Wellington 6141
New Zealand

Fax 04 918 0159

Note when calling from overseas replace the '+' with the international direct dial prefix for the country you are in.

A grandparented non-qualified partner is any person who was included in a New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension as a non-qualified partner before 9 November 2020 and is still included after 9 November 2020.

Non-qualified partner - before 9 November 2020

A non-qualified partner is the partner of a New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension client who did not qualify for New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension in their own right before ...