Living overseas if you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
If you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension and plan to live overseas, you can't get these payments once you leave NZ unless you meet certain criteria. You must apply to keep these payments going.
If you're moving to Australia, there are different rules for getting your payment. This is because of the rules set out in the Social Security Agreement (SSA) we have with them.
Living in Australia if you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
To apply, call our International Services team at least 6 weeks before you leave.
You can't get any other payments from us while you're living overseas, e.g:
- Winter Energy Payment
- Accommodation Supplement
- Disability Allowance
- Temporary Additional Support.
Who can apply
You can apply to keep your NZ Super or Veteran's Pension payments going while you're living overseas if you:
- intend to live overseas, and
- are not moving to the United Kingdom (UK).
If you're living in the UK, you can't get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension. You may be able to get a UK benefit or pension instead under the UK Social Security Agreement - living in the UK.
Social Security Agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) - living in UK
If you used an SSA country to meet residence criteria
When you applied for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, you may have had to use a Social Security Agreement (SSA) country to help you meet the residence criteria.
This means you may have included time you spent:
- living in a country that NZ has a SSA with, and/or
- contributing to a SSA country's pension scheme.
If you used an SSA country to meet the residence criteria, you can live in that country (except the UK). If you're not going to live in the SSA country you used, you need to meet the residence criteria without using the time spent from that country.
For example
If you included time in Canada to meet the residence criteria, you can live in Canada. If you're not going to live in Canada, you need to meet the residence criteria without using your time in Canada.
Using SSA countries to meet residence criteria for NZ Super and Veteran's Pension
Humanitarian work
If you're going overseas to do humanitarian work, it needs to be unpaid, voluntary work that's full-time. It also cannot take away another person's paid employment.
It must be through a recognised aid agency as determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), e.g:
- Red Cross
- United National Volunteers
- Volunteer Services Abroad
- World Vision.
The recognised aid agency's main purpose must be providing aid and assistance to less advantaged communities.
You also need to be ordinarily resident in New Zealand while you're doing humanitarian work overseas.
If you're still using an SSA country to meet the residence criteria, you may not be able to keep getting your payments while doing humanitarian work. It depends on the agreement we have with that country.
Your partner is included in your payments
If your have a partner who is included in your NZ Super or Veteran's Pension payments, their payments will stop when you leave New Zealand. This is because they won't qualify for their payments. Their payments won't stop if you're going overseas to do humanitarian work.
If you're going to a country we have a Social Security Agreement with, your partner can apply for a payment in that country.
How much you can get
How much you get depends on:
- what country you're going to live in
- what arrangement or agreement New Zealand (NZ) has with that country.
When you apply, we'll let you know how much you can get.
If you get an overseas pension, this could be affected. You need to contact the agency you get the pension from to let them know you're going overseas.
Living in a country NZ has a Social Security Agreement (SSA) with
Some countries have their own SSA with New Zealand. The SSA sets out the rules around how much you can get. It also sets out the rules for any overseas pension you receive.
Social Security Agreements and special arrangements with Pacific countries
Living in a Pacific country NZ has an arrangement with
New Zealand has a special portability arrangement with 22 Pacific countries. The arrangement sets out the rules around how much you can get.
You'll get the full basic rate or a percentage of the basic rate. It depends on the number of years you've lived in New Zealand since age 20.
The basic rate is either:
- if you're single, $1,191.14 gross per fortnight, or
- if you have a partner, $984.28 gross per fortnight.
Since age 20, if you've lived in NZ for... |
You'll get... |
| 20 years or more | The full basic rate |
| Between 10 and 20 years | 5% of the basic rate for each year you've lived in NZ since age 20 |
| For 10 years | Half (50%) of the basic rate |
If you get an overseas pension, your payments will be affected.
Social Security Agreements and special arrangements with Pacific countries
Living in another country
If you're going to live in a country that doesn't have a SSA or arrangement with NZ, you may be able to get your full NZ Super or Veteran's Pension payment. It depends on the number of months you lived in New Zealand between the ages of 20 and 65.
This is the same for people who are travelling overseas for more than 26 weeks. For full details of how much you can get, see the Travelling for more than 26 weeks page.
If you get an overseas pension, your payments will not be affected.
How to apply
You should apply at least 6 weeks before you leave New Zealand.
Call our International Services team to let us know about your plans.
Complete the application form and gather your documents:
- your plane ticket or travel itinerary showing the departure date, and
- proof of your overseas bank account number (if you want payments to go into this).
Email the application form and documents to us at international_services@msd.govt.nz
If your travel dates change, you'll need to let us know and email us your new plane ticket or travel itinerary.
If your application is approved, we'll let you know how much you'll get while you're living overseas.
Humanitarian work for 156 weeks or less
If you're going to do humanitarian work for 156 weeks (3 years) or less, you don't need to complete the application form.
You need to call us and book an appointment to come in and see us.
You'll need to bring proof of:
- the recognised aid agency you're working for
- how long you'll be working for them
- what the work is for, and
- that the work is unpaid, voluntary and full-time.
How you're paid
If you're not doing humanitarian work, you can choose to have payments made directly to either your:
- NZ bank account every 2 weeks, or
- overseas bank account every 4 weeks.
If you choose to be paid to your overseas bank account:
- it can take around 4-6 weeks to change your payments to this account
- don’t close your New Zealand account until you receive your first payment into your overseas account.
If you're doing humanitarian work, your payments will be made to your NZ bank account every 2 weeks.
Taxes
If you're not doing humanitarian work, you will not have to pay New Zealand tax on the payments you get from us. You may have to pay tax in the country you're going to live in. You'll need to contact their tax department for information about this.
We'll send you a tax certificate every April. This will be sent to your overseas address and you'll also be able to see it in MyMSD. It will show what you have been paid during the previous financial year while you have been overseas.
If you're doing humanitarian work, you will continue to pay NZ tax on the payments you get from us.
Temporarily returning to New Zealand
If you're visiting New Zealand temporarily or on holiday, you can continue to get the same payments as you get when overseas.
Confirming your circumstances
If you are paid NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension and live overseas, we must review your circumstances every 52 weeks (one year). This helps us make sure you’re paid the right amount.
When it's time for your review, we'll send you a letter and a form asking you to confirm your circumstances. The form will cover information we need to make sure your payments are correct.
We may also ask you to provide documents to support what you have told us.
It is important you fill out and return your form and any supporting documents before the due date or your payments will automatically stop. This helps to make sure your payments will continue without interruption.
In some situations, we may be able to give you more time to complete your form, or give you an exemption (if you are unable to respond to the review). You need to contact us before your due date to discuss your situation or your payments will stop on the due date.
Make sure you contact us by calling the International Services team on +64 4 978 1180
Automated decision-making
Please complete and return your form and supporting documents to us before the due date.
If we do not hear from you, we will use an automated decision-making process to automatically stop your payments.
We’ll always let you know when we’ve used automated decision-making to make a decision that affects you. We'll also let you know what you can do if you don't agree with a decision made in this process.