New Zealand Superannuation clients moving to or applying from Korea

Under the agreement with Korea clients can be paid New Zealand Superannuation while they are living in Korea.

Clients can apply for New Zealand Superannuation to be paid in Korea before their departure from New Zealand, or from Korea. Payment cannot be backdated so clients should be encouraged to apply before they leave New Zealand.

To get New Zealand Superannuation paid in Korea, a client must:

• be entitled to or getting New Zealand Superannuation at the time they apply
• be ordinarily resident and present in New Zealand or Korea at the time they apply for payment
• have the intention of remaining ordinarily resident in Korea for at least 26 weeks and
• have had a continuous period of at least 12 months working age residence in New Zealand

The client can use their periods of residence in Korea to meet the residence qualification for New Zealand Superannuation (10 years residence and presence in New Zealand since age 20, with 5 years residence and presence since age 50).

If a client leaves New Zealand intending to live in Korea for 26 weeks or more, they have up to 26 weeks to take up residence in Korea. Clients may go to other countries before they get to Korea, but they must arrive in Korea within 26 weeks from the date they left New Zealand to be considered as ordinarily resident in Korea on the date they left New Zealand.

Example

A client may want to have a three-month holiday in the United Kingdom before taking up residence in Korea. In this example, the client would be considered ordinarily resident in Korea for the purposes of deciding their application for payment of New Zealand Superannuation into Korea.

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

For more information contact International Services.

When MSD matches a client's information with information from Korea, MSD must send a written notice of adverse action to the client.

A notice of adverse action is only required upon receipt of the first information match.