After leaving Australia

Your pension after leaving Australia

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) holds the records for Australia. Lost super is checked by logging in to ATO online services through myGov, then selecting Super and Fund details. The ATO publishes a Searching for lost super form in its forms and instructions list.

Source: ato.gov.au, read 17 October 2026
Source: ato.gov.au, read 1 September 2026

PensionHunter is independent and not affiliated with the institutions named here.

AUD 21.2bn across 7,484,000 lost/ATO-held accounts (30 Jun 2026, published by the ATO on 19 Aug 2026, avg ~A$2,833), payable forever with no time limit, but earning only CPI; and the myGov wall (SMS 2FA to dead Australian numbers) locks departed expats out of the very reunification system.

Start a $99 Country Pension Identification Report

Full refund if we find nothing material.

Verified country facts

Every line below comes from our country research. Where we have not found a published source, we say so rather than fill the gap.

Time-critical dates

Temp-resident sweep: 6 months post-departure/visa-expiry → super swept to the ATO (DASP itself has no deadline)
Inactive low-balance: 16 months → ILBA sweep + insurance auto-cancel
Proof-of-life (80+ overseas): 2-year cycle (13-week window → suspension → cancellation)
Pre-age application: Age Pension can be applied for up to 13 weeks before age; no backdating
Published form for searching lost super: The ATO publishes a Searching for lost super form in its forms and instructions list.Official source, checked 17 October 2026

How records are reached

Getting your own record: myGov / TFN, HIGH for departed expats (SMS 2FA to a dead Australian number)

The state runs the reunification register (ATO Lost Super), but it is myGov-walled; no employer→fund mapping exists

Cross-border

AU↔NZ trans-Tasman; AU↔UK (terminated-agreement, highest-misinformation corridor); IE, ZA.

Primary sources: ato.gov.au (lost super / DASP) · servicesaustralia.gov.au (Age Pension)

Everything above is drawn from the verified Australia dossier. The Australia country page sets out what we identify, what it costs and who it is for.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still draw my Australia pension if I live abroad?

Workarounds exist for departed expats locked out of myGov, but they are slow, paper-based or phone-based, and there is no official pre-departure checklist (a confirmed gap)

What happens to a Australia pension if I do nothing?

Lost super is payable forever but CPI-eroded at the ATO; the Age Pension is the single most expensive do-nothing, no backdating, every fortnight nobody applies for permanently gone, and non-agreement-country expats who never return may be permanently unable to lodge.

Do you give financial advice on what to do with a Australia pension?

No. We identify the scheme and access route. We do not advise on transfer, consolidation, drawdown, or taxation, those decisions belong with a regulated adviser in your country of residence.

What if you find nothing?

Full refund. Our report is a fixed $99 fee, paid up front. If we find nothing material, we refund you in full.