Social Security Agreement with Greece - living in New Zealand
If you've lived in Greece and now live in New Zealand, you may be able to get some payments. This is because New Zealand (NZ) has an agreement with Greece to share responsibility for social security coverage.
This agreement can help you if you either:
- are an NZ citizen
- are an NZ permanent resident, or
- have an NZ resident visa.
How this Social Security Agreement helps you
This agreement generally allows you to apply for certain NZ payments (paid by us) or Greek payments (paid by the e-EFKA, the Greek Social Security Institute).
NZ payments covered by this agreement are:
- New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super)
- Veteran's Pension
- Supported Living Payment, where you have a health condition, injury or disability
- Sole Parent Support for widows and widowers
- Orphan's Benefit
- Funeral Grant.
Greek payments covered by this agreement are:
- Old Age Benefit
- Invalidity Benefit
- Survivors Benefit
- Funeral Grants.
This agreement also allows you to add together your periods of residence in either country so you can meet certain criteria for these payments.
NZ and Greek payments
If you already get a Greek payment and move to NZ, contact e-EFKA. They'll change the payment if needed.
If you're not already getting a NZ or Greek payment, read the information below.
Who can get these payments
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 Greece, 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 time you've spent living in Greece from age 20 or contributing to the national insurance scheme to meet this criteria.
Using SSA countries to meet residence criteria for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
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 Greece, 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 time you've spent living in Greece from age 20 or contributing to the national insurance scheme 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 Greece, 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 time you've spent living in Greece from age 20 or contributing to the national insurance scheme to meet this criteria.
Who can get Orphan's Benefit
You may be able to get Orphan's Benefit while you're living in NZ if you meet the criteria for Orphan's Benefit.
Who can get a Funeral Grant
You may be able to get a Funeral Grant while you're living in NZ if you meet the criteria for a Funeral Grant.
Who can get Greek payments
You may be able to get Greek payments while you're living in NZ. These are the:
- Old Age Benefit
- Invalidity Benefit
- Survivors Benefit
- Funeral Grants.
You may need to have lived in Greece for a certain amount of time to get a Greek payment. If so, you may be able to use periods of residence in New Zealand to meet this criteria.
e-EFKA decides who can get these Greek payments.
How to apply for these 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.
Check What You Might Getexternal
You also need to apply for:
- any Greek payment that you may qualify for and
- any other overseas payments that you may be able to get.
How to apply for Greek payments
You should apply through e-EFKA before you leave Greece.
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 e-EFKA.
e-EFKA will decide whether you can get a Greek payment and let you know. This may take a few months.
How much you'll get
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.
Greek payments
e-EFKA decides how much you will be paid.
How you'll 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.
Greek payments
Contact e-EFKA to find out how Greek 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 Greek tax on your Greek payment. For more information, talk to the Greek Tax Authority (IAPR). If your Greek payment is liable for tax in Greece, you may be able to get a rebate on your New Zealand tax.
Greek Tax Authority (IAPR)external
You may have to pay NZ tax on your Greek payment, it depends what NZ payment you get.
Paying NZ tax on Greek payment if you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
You may have to pay NZ tax on your Greek payment. This is regardless of whether it's paid to a bank account in Greece or NZ.
Paying NZ tax on Greek payment if you get a main benefit
If you get a main benefit and a Greek payment, you will not have to pay NZ tax on your Greek payment.
If your Greek payment is more than your benefit, you won't get your main benefit and you'll only get the Greek payment. In this case you may have to pay NZ tax on your Greek payment.
Keep copies of your bank records
Make sure you keep copies of all your banking records, as these may show your gross Greek payments required for tax purposes.
Talk to the NZ tax agency
We recommend you discuss your tax liabilities with Inland Revenue (New Zealand).
When your payments will start from
NZ payments will start from the date of your application or the entitlement date - whichever is later. We'll let you know what date your payment will start in the letter we send you, once your application's approved.
e-EFKA decides when you get paid any Greek payments.
Travelling from NZ to another country (not Greece)
Before you leave New Zealand you need to contact:
- our International Services team
- e-EFKA, if you get a Greek 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 e-EFKA for information about what will happen to your Greek payment.