Pension question, New Zealand
Can I keep NZ Super if I move to Australia?
A person who permanently moves to Australia while receiving NZ Super or Veteran's Pension must apply for the Australian Age Pension (AAP) within 26 weeks of leaving New Zealand, and must separately apply to keep their NZ payment within 12 months of applying for the AAP. If already receiving the Australian Age Pension, the continuation application needs to be made within 26 weeks of leaving New Zealand.
What to do next
- Note the date you left, or will leave, New Zealand.
- Put 26 weeks after that date in your diary.
- Run our free check to see which other countries may hold a pension in your name.
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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.
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What if the applications are late?
The page states that if a person doesn't apply for these payments within the required timeframes, they'll need to pay back any payments received after they left NZ, and specifically, if already receiving AAP, they'll need to pay back the 26 weeks of NZ payment received after leaving NZ.
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.