New Zealand · Guide
How to find a lost KiwiSaver from abroad
New Zealand's workplace-savings pillar is KiwiSaver, and the link between you and your provider sits with Inland Revenue (IRD). There are multiple KiwiSaver providers, but IRD holds the record of which one you are enrolled with. From overseas the trace begins with IRD; where a member had multiple enrolments over time, the walk is IRD-first, then provider by provider.
The official route
Inland Revenue (IRD), KiwiSaver contact. www.ird.govt.nz/contactus/kiwisaver
IRD's KiwiSaver contact page is the correct starting point from abroad. IRD confirms the current provider against your IRD number; from there, contact the identified KiwiSaver provider directly for balance, contributions history, and options for members overseas. There is a separate NZ Super entitlement handled through the Ministry of Social Development; that is out of scope for KiwiSaver tracing.
What this route can and cannot do
Route verdict: HUMAN-ONLY
IRD does not return the balance, only the link to the current provider. Where the member's history spans multiple providers, or the enrolment record is incomplete, the walk becomes provider-by-provider research. PensionHunter does this as prepare-and-guide, with a complete request pack at the Enhanced Pension Identification Report tier, written and ready for the customer to send under a signed Information Request Authority.
Steps you can take yourself
- Find your IRD number (on any NZ tax document or through myIR if you can still access it from abroad).
- Contact IRD's KiwiSaver team using the official contact page above; ask for the current KiwiSaver provider on your record.
- Contact the identified provider directly for balance, contributions history, and overseas-member options.
- If you have had multiple KiwiSaver providers over time, ask IRD for the enrolment history, then walk each historic provider in turn.
- For NZ Super entitlement, that is a separate route through the Ministry of Social Development, not KiwiSaver.
Where the DIY route stalls
- IRD returns the link, not the balance, a second step to the provider is always required.
- myIR access from abroad, some accounts lose the two-factor path once the phone number changes; the international IRD team is the workaround.
- Historic provider changes, where an employer switched KiwiSaver providers, older entitlements may sit with the previous one.
- Members who opted out early or contributed briefly, small dormant balances are common and easy to overlook.
- Cross-Tasman retirees, KiwiSaver-to-Australian-super transfer rules apply and complicate the picture on withdrawal.
Where PensionHunter fits
For KiwiSaver traces, PensionHunter's role is bounded and honest:
- Identification: in the Country Pension Identification Report, we prepare the IRD request and, once the provider is confirmed, identify the correct contact point at that provider.
- Search: we prepare a complete request pack for the identified provider(s), written and ready for you to send under your signed Information Request Authority. The deliverable is your Action Pack.
The balance and the withdrawal options always stay with the provider (and, for NZ Super, with MSD). PensionHunter identifies where it sits.
If your career spanned New Zealand plus other countries, the multi-country search covers every jurisdiction we operate in for a single fee.
Related guides
Frequently asked
Does IRD tell me my KiwiSaver balance?
No. IRD confirms the provider on record; the balance is held by that provider and must be requested from them.
Can I contact IRD about KiwiSaver from overseas?
Yes. IRD's contact page lists international channels and its overseas contact numbers.
What if I had more than one KiwiSaver provider?
Ask IRD for the enrolment history and then approach each historic provider. Older, dormant enrolments are common.
What does PensionHunter deliver at the end of a KiwiSaver search?
The identified provider on IRD's record and (at Search) the complete request pack for each provider, assembled as your Action Pack.
From $99. Full refund if we find nothing material. See pricing.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
PensionHunter operates consumer pension search across 41 active countries, with worldwide expansion underway. We also trace lost pension members worldwide on behalf of pension schemes, funds and trustees, see /trustees.