Travelling Overseas

If you are receiving New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) or a Veteran's Pension (VP) and you want to travel outside New Zealand, you may still receive full or partial payments.  How much you will be paid will depend on how long you have resided in New Zealand and how long you will be travelling for.  Contact us  before you travel overseas, to make sure you get the right payment.

Leaving New Zealand for 26 weeks or less

If you are receiving NZ Super or VP and you want to travel outside New Zealand for 26 weeks or less, your payment can continue as if you were in New Zealand.  Make sure you contact us before you go.

If you are away unexpectedly for more than 26 weeks, you may still be able to receive payment for the first 26 weeks, providing you return to NZ within 30 weeks.  If you are not able to return to New Zealand as planned because of circumstances that were unexpected and beyond your control, you should contact us as soon as possible. 

Travelling to one or more countries for more than 26 weeks

If you are planning to travel to one or more countries for more than 26 weeks you can apply for your NZ Super or VP to be paid to you while you are overseas.  You must apply before you leave New Zealand.

You may be able to get your payments if:

• you qualify for NZ Super or VP in your own right before you leave New Zealand
• you are ordinarily resident and present in New Zealand on the date you apply for payment overseas of NZ Super or VP 
• you are going overseas to travel in another country or countries for more than 26 weeks
• you make an application stating the country or countries in which you intend to travel.

If you have a spouse or partner, they can only get NZ Super or the VP payments overseas if they qualify in their own right.  This means they can't be 'included' as a non-qualified spouse or partner in your payments once you leave New Zealand.

You will need to complete forms we will send you and return these to us so that we can ensure your details and payments are correct.  Please also tell us if your circumstances change or you return to live in New Zealand.

Rate of payment when travelling for more than 26 weeks

The amount you get paid while overseas will be calculated using the number of months you have resided in New Zealand between the ages of 20 and 65.

When calculating your rate of payment we may be able to count time spent outside of New Zealand as periods of New Zealand residence, if your absence was because of reasons such as:

• Missionary work.
• Time serving in the New Zealand Defence Forces.
• Specialist medical treatment.
• Working as a mariner on New Zealand registered ships.
• Serving as a volunteer with Volunteer Service Abroad.

Examples of how the payment rate is calculated when travelling in one or more countries for more than 26 weeks are:

Payments can be made into an overseas bank account every four weeks or into a New Zealand bank account every fortnight.

You must apply to receive your NZ Super of VP payments overseas before you leave New Zealand and provide us with an itinerary. If your itinerary changes please tell us.

Extra financial assistance

Any extra assistance you may get in New Zealand can not be paid overseas, including the Living Alone Payment, Disability Allowance or Accommodation Supplement.  These payments will stop from the day after you leave New Zealand.

Tax

Payments are made at a gross rate when you are travelling for more then 26 weeks. You will need to contact New Zealand Inland Revenue  to determine your tax liability.

We will send you a tax certificate every April.  This will show what you have been paid while you have been overseas during the previous financial year.

Need more information?

If you are deaf or hearing impaired you can send a message to our Deaf Link free-fax 0800 621 621.