Superannuitants moving to Australia

Under the agreement with Australia a client can be paid New Zealand Superannuation when they are living in Australia, provided they meet the Australian Age Pension qualifications.

When a New Zealand resident is moving to Australia, they can get their New Zealand Superannuation payments in Australia if they:

• meet the New Zealand qualifications (except for being ordinarily resident in New Zealand)
• meet the qualifications for the Australian Age Pension (including the qualifying pension age and income or asset criteria)
• are a New Zealand citizen and able to get an Australian Special Category Visa, an Australian citizen, or an Australian Permanent Resident (New Zealand residence class visa holders will not automatically qualify)
• are present in Australia at the time they apply
• intend to live in Australia for at least 1 year or have been living in Australia for at least 26 weeks
• have had at least 12 months continuous residence in New Zealand since age 20 and
• have a total of 10 years residence in New Zealand and/or Australia working age residence since the age of 20, 5 years of which must be since the age of 50 (Australian residence that can be counted includes residence in Australia on a temporary residence visa or a non-permanent visa)

Note the qualifying pension age in Australia is different from the age for New Zealand Superannuation. The client must be the qualifying pension age in Australia to get their New Zealand Superannuation payments in Australia.

If the client is not entitled to an Australian Age Pension, the client is not entitled to any payment from New Zealand.

The client must contact Services Australia - International Services within 26 weeks of leaving New Zealand to apply for the Australian Age Pension and for their New Zealand Superannuation to be paid in Australia.

Their New Zealand Superannuation will continue being paid at the current rate until the beginning of the 27th week, or the date their Australian Age Pension payments start - whichever is the earliest date.

If the client does not apply for payment of New Zealand Superannuation in Australia within 26 weeks of leaving New Zealand, and they do not return to New Zealand within 30 weeks of leaving, they will have no entitlement for the whole period of absence from New Zealand.

If the client is intending to move to Australia and is not currently getting New Zealand Superannuation, their application can be made after they have left New Zealand under the portable agreement provisions.

However, entitlement must be established using New Zealand Superannuation qualifications before they can get their payments in Australia.

If the client has a partner, the partner must complete an application form and establish entitlement in their own right.

Clients in a relationship can be paid the married, civil union or de facto rate in Australia regardless of the sex or gender of either partner.

If a grandparented non-qualified partner is currently included in the client's New Zealand Superannuation, they will lose their grandparented non-qualified partner status after 26 weeks in Australia, or on the date the client starts getting their Australian Age Pension payments - whichever is the earlier date.

If the grandparented non-qualified partner returns to New Zealand, they will not be eligible for New Zealand Superannuation until they qualify in their own right.

For more information contact International Services