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Pension question, New Zealand

Can I get NZ Super if I live overseas?

Work and Income states that the amount a person gets while overseas depends on the number of months they lived in New Zealand between the ages of 20 and 65, this total being 45 years, or 540 months. For NZ Super the residence bar ratchets by birth date from 10 years to 20, and time spent overseas counts for none of it.

What to do next

  1. Write down the years you lived in New Zealand between age 20 and 65, with the dates you arrived and left.
  2. Note your date of birth against the residence rule, because it changes by birth date.
  3. Run our free check to see which other countries may hold a pension in your name.

Check your own working life for free

Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.

Run the free check

Questions people also ask

Is NZ Super backdated to age 65?

NZ Super is not backdated to the person's 65th birthday.

Do you give advice on what to do?

No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.