Social Security Agreement with Canada - living in New Zealand

Who can get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension

You may be able to get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension while you're living in NZ if:

• you've lived in Canada, and
• you meet the NZ criteria for NZ Super or 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 your Canadian creditable periods to meet this criteria.

Who can get Supported Living Payment

You may be able to get the Supported Living Payment while you're living in NZ if:

• you've lived in Canada, and
• you meet the NZ criteria for Supported Living Payment.

You need to have lived in New Zealand for at least 2 years to get Supported Living Payment. If you haven't, you may be able to use your Canadian creditable periods to meet this criteria. 

Who can get Sole Parent Support for widows or widowers

You may be able to get Sole Parent Support as a widow or widower while you're living in NZ if:

• you've lived in Canada, and
• you meet the NZ criteria for Sole Parent Support

You need to have lived in New Zealand for at least 2 years to get Sole Parent Support. If you haven't, you may be able to use your Canadian creditable periods to meet this criteria.

You can also use your late partner's 'Canadian creditable periods' that they contributed to the Canada Pension Plan. Any overlapping periods can only be counted once.

Who can get Canadian payments

You may be able to get Canadian payments while you're living in NZ. These are the:

• Old Age Security Pension
• Canada Pension Plan.

You may need to have lived in Canada for a certain amount of time to get a Canadian payment. If so, you may be able to use periods of residence in New Zealand to meet this criteria.

Service Canada decides who can get these Canadian payments.

How to apply for NZ payments

Use our Check What You Might Get tool to find out what NZ payments you can get and how to apply.

You also need to apply for:

• any Canadian payment that you may qualify for and
• any other overseas payments that you may be able to get.

How to apply for Canadian payments

You should apply through Service Canada before you leave Canada.

If you already live in New Zealand, contact our International Services team. They'll send you an application form to complete and you'll need to send it back to them. Then they'll forward that to Service Canada.

Service Canada will decide whether you can get a Canadian payment and let you know. This may take a few months.

Service Canada

Have previously worked in Quebec

If you've previously worked in Quebec, you need to apply for the Quebec Pension Plan (if you're not already getting it). You need to apply to the last Canadian province you lived in.

If the last province you lived in was:

• Quebec, you can get an application form on the Régie de rentes Quebec website.
• a Canadian province other than Quebec, contact our International Services team for an application form.

You'll need to provide proof of your Canadian residence. These must be original documents. If you don't have original documents, you'll need to apply to Immigration Canada for this information.

New Zealand payments

We'll decide how much you will be paid based on certain criteria. If you get an overseas pension, it's usually deducted from your New Zealand payment.

Generally, the amount you're paid is about equal to what you would be paid if you had lived all your life in New Zealand.

Canadian payments

Service Canada decides how much you will be paid.

NZ payments

NZ payments are paid into your nominated NZ bank account.

NZ Super and Veteran's Pension are paid fortnightly. All other NZ payments are paid weekly.

Canadian payments

Contact Service Canada to find out how Canadian payments are paid.

Service Canada

Taxes

• You have to pay NZ tax on your NZ payments. We'll withhold your NZ tax based on the tax code you're using and pay this directly to the NZ tax department, Inland Revenue.
• You may have to pay Canadian tax on your Canadian payment. For more information, talk to the Canada Revenue agency. If your Canadian payment is liable for tax in Canada, you may be able to get a rebate on your New Zealand tax.

You may have to pay NZ tax on your Canadian payment, it depends what NZ payment you get.

Paying NZ tax on Canadian payment if you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension

You may have to pay NZ tax on your Canadian payment. This is regardless of whether it's paid to a bank account in Canada or NZ.

Paying NZ tax on Canadian payment if you get a main benefit

If you get a main benefit and a Canadian payment, you will not have to pay NZ tax on your Canadian payment.

If your Canadian payment is more than your benefit, you won't get your main benefit and you'll only get the Canadian payment. In this case you may have to pay NZ tax on your Canadian payment.

Keep copies of your bank records

Make sure you keep copies of all your banking records, as these may show your gross Canadian payments required for tax purposes.

Talk to the NZ tax agency

We recommend you discuss your tax liabilities with Inland Revenue (New Zealand).

NZ payments will start from the date of your application or the entitlement date - whichever is later.

Service Canada decides when you get paid any Canadian payments.

Before you leave New Zealand you need to contact:

• our International Services team
• Service Canada, if you get a Canadian payment.

You may keep getting your NZ payment but it depends on:

• where you're going
• how long you're going for, and
• what type of payment you're getting.

Our International Services team will talk you through this when you call.

Talk to Service Canada for information about what will happen to your Canadian payment.

Service Canada