Social Security Agreement with Malta - living in New Zealand
If you've lived in Malta and now live in New Zealand, you may be able to get some payments. This is because New Zealand (NZ) has an agreement with Malta 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 Maltese payments (paid by the Maltese Department of Social Security).
NZ payments covered by this agreement are:
- New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super)
- Veteran's Pension.
Maltese payments covered by this agreement are:
- Retirement Pension
- Survivor's Pension
- Non-contributory Old Age Pension.
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 Maltese payments
If you already get a Maltese payment and move to NZ, contact the Maltese Department of Social Security. They'll change the payment if needed.
Contact the Maltese Department of Social Security
If you're not already getting a NZ or Maltese 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 Malta, 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 contributing to the Maltese insurance scheme to meet this criteria.
To include this time, you must:
- have at least 1 year of continuous NZ working age residence, and
- be ordinarily resident in NZ.
Using SSA countries to meet residence criteria for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
Who can get Maltese payments
You may be able to get Maltese payments while you're living in NZ. These are the:
- Retirement Pension
- Survivor's Pension
- Non-contributory Old Age Pension.
You may need to have lived in Malta for a certain amount of time to get a Maltese payment. If so, you may be able to use periods of residence in New Zealand to meet this criteria.
The Maltese Department of Social Security decides who can get these Maltese 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.
You also need to apply for:
- any Maltese payment that you may qualify for and
- any other overseas payments that you may be able to get.
Check What You Might Getexternal
How to apply for Maltese payments
You should apply through the Maltese Department of Social Security before you leave Malta.
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 the Maltese Department of Social Security.
The Maltese Department of Social Security will decide whether you can get a Maltese 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.
Maltese payments
The Maltese Department of Social Security decides how much you will be paid.
How you'll be paid
NZ payments
NZ Super and Veteran's Pension payments are paid into your nominated NZ bank account fortnightly.
Maltese payments
Contact the Maltese Department of Social Security to find out how Maltese payments are paid.
Contact the Maltese Department of Social Security
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 NZ tax on your Maltese payment. This is regardless of whether it's paid to a bank account in Malta or NZ.
- You may have to pay Maltese tax on your Maltese payment. For more information, talk to the Maltese tax authority. If your Maltese payment is liable for tax in Malta, you may be able to get a rebate on your New Zealand tax.
We recommend you discuss your tax liabilities with the relevant tax agency.
Tax & Customs Administration Maltaexternal
Keep copies of your bank records
Make sure you keep copies of all your banking records, as these may show your gross Maltese pension payments required for tax purposes.
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 this will be in the letter we send you, once your application's approved.
The Maltese Department of Social Security decides when you get paid any Maltese payments.
Travelling from NZ to another country (not Malta)
Before you leave New Zealand you need to contact:
- our International Services team
- the Maltese Department of Social Security, if you get a Maltese payment.
Department of Social Security Malta
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 the Maltese Department of Social Security for information about what will happen to your Maltese payment.