Using NZ Realm countries to meet residence criteria for NZ Super and Veteran's Pension
You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension. If you haven't, you may be able to use time you've lived in NZ Realm countries to meet this criteria. NZ Realm countries are the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.
Residence criteria
You must have lived in NZ for a certain number of years from age 20. This must include 5 years from age 50.
The total number of years you need is based on your date of birth. If you're a refugee or protected person, this may be different depending on the age you started living in NZ.
These years (including the 5 years from age 50) do not need to be consecutive.
Work out how many years you need
Residence criteria in other languages
You can read the residence criteria in Cook Island Māori, Niuean or Tokelauan.
Residence criteria in other languages
Using a NZ Realm country to meet residence criteria
Of the total number of years, you need to have lived in NZ for at least 10 years from age 20. For the rest of the years, you can include time you've spent living in NZ, the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau (or a combination of these).
When we say 'have lived in a NZ realm country', we mean you were 'resident' and 'physically present' in the realm country at the same time.
How to meet the residence criteria
Add together your time in:
- NZ from age 20 (must be at least 10 years), and
- the NZ Realm country (or countries) from age 20.
This needs to add up to the total number of years you need to meet the residence criteria. The total must include 5 years from age 50 (you can use your time in the NZ Realm country, or countries, for the 5 years too).
If you want to talk about your situation, contact our International Services team.
If you don't meet residence criteria using NZ Realm countries
You may have spent time living in, or contributing to the pension scheme of, a Social Security Agreement (SSA) country. If so, you may be able to use this time to meet the residence criteria as well.
If you're ordinarily resident in a NZ Realm country when you apply for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, you usually cannot use time from an SSA country. You may be able to use time from some SSA countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Malta and the Netherlands) if you meet certain criteria.
If you want to talk about your situation, contact our International Services team.
Resident in a realm country
Being resident in a realm country means you permanently made your home in the realm country. In most cases, you'll be resident in a realm country if you lived there on a permanent basis for the required number of years.
In other cases, we may need to consider other things to work out if you've been resident in a realm country. To do this, we'll look at your involvement in the realm country's society, e.g. your:
- employment
- community activities
- club memberships, and
- local churches.
Physically present in a realm country
To work this out, we'll look at if you were physically in the realm country for the required number of years. If you left the realm country, you weren't physically present in that realm country for that period of time.
For example, if you went on holiday for:
- 25 days, you weren't physically present in the realm country for 25 days. This means you would need to have lived in the realm country for an extra 25 days to make up what is required
- 14 days every year for 10 years, that's 140 days in total. This means you weren't physically present in the realm country for 140 days. So you would need to have lived in the realm country for an extra 140 days to make up what is required.
Examples
Moved to the Cook Island at 25
You were born in NZ on 12 May 1978. At age 25 you moved to the Cook Islands and you still live there. You apply for NZ Super (from the Cook Islands) when you turn 65.
Based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 20 years from age 20. The 20 years must include 5 years from age 50. To meet the residence criteria, you can use the time you've lived in the Cook Islands.
Of the 20 years, you must have lived:
- at least 10 years in NZ, and
- the rest of the years in NZ or the Cook Islands.
In this example, you have:
- 5 years living in NZ from age 20-25
- 40 years living in the Cook Islands from age 25-65.
You would not meet the residence criteria as you have only lived in NZ for 5 years from age 20.
Moved to Tokelau at 30
You were born in NZ on 12 May 1963. You moved to Tokelau at age 30. You move back to NZ at age 65 and apply for NZ Super.
Based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 12 years from age 20. The 12 years must include 5 years from age 50. To meet the residence criteria, you can use the time you've lived in Tokelau.
Of the 12 years you must have lived:
- at least 10 years in NZ
- the rest of the years in NZ or Tokelau.
In this example, you have:
- 10 years living in NZ from age 20-30, and
- 35 years living in Tokelau from age 30-65.
This means you meet the residence criteria for NZ Super because you have:
- 10 years living in NZ and
- the rest of the years living in Tokelau. This includes the 5 years over 50.
Moved to Niue at 60
You were born in NZ on 1 February 1979. You moved to Niue at age 60. You apply for NZ Super from Niue when you turn 65.
Based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 20 years from age 20. The 20 years must include 5 years from age 50. To meet the residence criteria, you can use the time you've lived in Niue.
These 20 years must be made up of:
- at least 10 years living in NZ
- the other 10 years living in NZ or Niue.
In this example, you have:
- 40 years living in NZ from age 20-60, and
- 5 years living in Niue from age 60-65.
This means you meet the residence criteria for NZ Super because you have:
- 10 years living in NZ and
- the rest of the years living in NZ and Niue. This includes the 5 years over 50.