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You must contact our International services team before you travel

The rules for getting benefits or pensions when you travel can be complex but we're here to help.

International Services specialise in international social security. They can explain how the rules affect you and help you get your correct entitlement. You may miss out on payments if you don't let them know before you travel.

Contact us if you intend to go to other countries for less than 26 weeks.

Contact our International Services team directly if you intend to live in another country for longer than 26 weeks.

Moving to another country to live

The rules for getting New Zealand pension payments and the amount you get paid depends on whether you move to:

• a country that has a social security agreement with New Zealand
• certain Pacific countries
• any other country.

In most cases, unless we have a social security agreement with the country you are going to, you must apply for your New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension before you leave New Zealand.

Extra income support

If you live overseas, we can't give you extra income support such as the Disability Allowance or Accommodation Supplement.

You may be able to get extra help from the country you move to. You'll need to ask about this at the agency responsible for benefits and pensions in that country.

Spouse or partners

If you have a spouse or partner, they can only get New Zealand Superannuation or the Veteran's Pension payments overseas if they qualify in their own right. This means they can't be 'included' in your payments if they have not reached the New Zealand qualifying age of 65.

If you are going to a country that has a social security agreement with New Zealand, your spouse or partner may be entitled to payment from that country once they have reached the appropriate qualifying age.

You'll need to ask about this at the agency responsible for benefits and pensions in that country.

Overseas benefits or pensions

If you can get a state social security benefit or pension from another country you must tell International Services. It may affect the amount you're paid for New Zealand benefits or pension.

You must apply for any overseas state social security benefits or pensions that you're entitled to because your New Zealand payments may be reduced by the amount you're entitled to get from overseas countries.

Contact our International Services team and they will help you check your overseas state social security benefit and pension entitlements and explain your options.

Moving to a country that has a social security agreement with New Zealand

New Zealand has social security agreements with a number of countries which may:

• make it easier to move to that country and get a benefit or pension from New Zealand, from that country, or from both
• allow you to count the time spent in New Zealand towards getting a benefit or pension in that particular country.

The rules are different for each agreement country so please refer to the following guides for the country you’re going to or live in.

Download in PDF format:

Download in RTF format:

You may also like to read our factsheet:

Moving to certain Pacific countries

We have an arrangement which covers 22 Pacific countries. You can move to any one of these countries and continue to get some or all of your payments. You must apply before you leave New Zealand. You are able to get a special pension rate if you move to one of these 22 Pacific countries.

The countries covered by the arrangement are:

• American Samoa
• Cook Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• French Polynesia
• Guam
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Nauru
• New Caledonia
• Niue
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Pitcairn Island
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tokelau
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu
• Wallis and Futuna

Moving to a Pacific country means that you must intend to live there for a year or more.

The amount you get paid depends on how long you’ve lived in New Zealand.

Exceptional circumstances

You must apply for these payments before you leave New Zealand or we can’t pay you.

The only exception is if you’ve gone to a Pacific country temporarily but have had to stay because of circumstances that were unexpected and beyond your control (such as a sudden illness or death in the family).

In these circumstances contact our International Services team within 30 weeks of leaving New Zealand to see if you can continue to be paid under this arrangement.

This guide is also available in:

Moving to any other country – General portability

General portability covers countries not covered by social security agreements or our arrangement which covers 22 Pacific countries. It allows you to continue to get up to half your New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran’s Pension paid overseas provided that you:

• apply for these payments before you leave New Zealand
• are going for longer than 26 weeks
• intend to live in one of these countries.

Going overseas temporarily

You may be able to go overseas and still get your pension. It depends on how long you go for and your reasons for travelling.

Going overseas for 26 weeks or less

When you go to another country you can get your full New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension for the first 26 weeks, provided that:

• you return to New Zealand within 30 weeks
• you normally live in New Zealand.

If you receive extra financial help such as Disability Allowance, you may be able to get this for 28 days after you leave New Zealand. You must contact us about this before you go.

If you’re away for more than 30 weeks, you might be able to get your full New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran’s Pension for the first 26 weeks. However, this is only where something beyond your control that you weren’t aware of before you left New Zealand, prevented your return within 30 weeks.

Going overseas to do humanitarian work

If you go overseas temporarily to do full-time voluntary or unpaid humanitarian work, you may be able to get your New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension for up to 156 weeks. You must check with our International Services team before you go.

Returning to New Zealand

If you return to New Zealand for a short time or on holiday, any payments you already get from us don't change. If you intend to return to New Zealand permanently you need to contact our International Services team. They will make sure you get your correct entitlement.

How to apply to get your benefit or pension payments paid overseas

We recommend that you apply for your New Zealand payments before you go overseas unless you're going to Australia or the United Kingdom.

Applying from New Zealand

To apply in New Zealand for payments overseas, you need to arrange a meeting with us at least four to six weeks before you leave New Zealand. To do this, please contact us.

You, and your spouse or partner, will need to bring your passport, another form of identification and your travel itinerary or tickets to that meeting. You will also need to complete an application form to have your pension paid overseas.

Applying from overseas

In most cases you can only apply from overseas from countries that have social security agreements with New Zealand.

For Australia and the United Kingdom you need to apply when you get there through either:

• Australia: Centrelink Australia
• United Kingdom: United Kingdom Department for Work and Pensions

For the following countries you can contact their social services organisations to complete a New Zealand application form:

• Canada
• Denmark
• Greece
• Republic of Ireland
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• the Netherlands.

Social services contacts for these countries are listed in our brochure:

Our International Services team specialise in international social security. They are the best people to contact for questions about travelling overseas. We strongly suggest you contact them before you travel. They can explain the rules so you’ll know what to expect.

In some cases, if you don't tell International Services about your travel plans before you leave New Zealand, you will miss out on payments.

For more information

These pages are a guide only. For more information you may like to read the following or contact our International Services team:

Contact us

Everyone's situation is different. We're here to help if you need it.

Our International Services team specialise in international social security. They are the best people to contact for questions about travelling overseas. We strongly suggest you contact them before you travel. They can explain the rules so you’ll know what to expect.

In some cases, if you don't tell International Services about your travel plans before you leave New Zealand, you will miss out on payments.

Although we may refer you to International Services for some questions, please contact us if you:

• would like assistance
• aren't sure if you can get assistance
• are struggling to support yourself or your family
• would like more information.