Social Security Agreement with Denmark - 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 Denmark, and
• you meet the 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 Danish residence to meet this criteria. 

Who can get Supported Living Payment

You may be able to get the Supported Living Payment for a health condition, injury or disability while you're living in NZ if:

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

You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get Supported Living Payment. If you haven't, you may be able to use your Danish residence 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 Denmark, and
• you meet the criteria for Sole Parent Support

You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get Sole Parent Support. If you haven't, you may be able to use your Danish residence to meet this criteria.

Who can get Danish payments

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

• Old Age Pension
• Anticipatory Pension
• Disability Benefit
• Labour Market Supplementary Pension.

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

Udbetaling Danmark decides who can get these Danish 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 Danish payment that you may qualify for and
• any other overseas payments that you may be able to get.

How to apply for Danish payments

You should apply through Udbetaling Danmark before you leave Denmark.

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 Udbetaling Danmark.

Udbetaling Danmark will decide whether you can get a Danish payment and let you know. This may take a few months.

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.

Danish payments

Udbetaling Danmark 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.

Danish payments

Contact Udbetaling Danmark to find out how Danish payments are paid.

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 Danish tax on your Danish payment. For more information, talk to the Danish Tax Agency. If your Danish payment is liable for tax in Denmark, you may be able to get a rebate on your New Zealand tax.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep copies of your bank records

Make sure you keep copies of all your banking records, as these may show your gross Danish pension 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.

Udbetaling Danmark decides when you get paid any Danish payments.

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.

Go to the 'Going overseas' section of our website to find out what will happen and if you need to tell us.

If you get a Danish payment, you need to contact Udbetaling Danmark before you leave NZ. They will tell you what will happen to your Danish payment.