If you’re leaving New Zealand permanently, your KiwiSaver savings don’t disappear — but how you access them depends on where you’re going. Australia has a separate set of rules from every other country, and timing matters.
The Two Scenarios: Australia vs Everywhere Else
| Destination | Can you cash out? | Wait period | Government contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (permanent emigration) | No: transfer to an Australian complying super scheme, or leave it in KiwiSaver | Once you’ve moved permanently and have an eligible super fund | Those received while you lived in NZ go with your savings |
| All other countries | Yes: cash withdrawal | 1 year after leaving NZ | Not paid out |
This is the most important distinction. If you’re moving to Australia permanently, you cannot receive your KiwiSaver as cash. Inland Revenue says you can transfer it to an Australian superannuation scheme, but you do not have to; you can leave it in KiwiSaver.
Leaving for Australia
The Trans-Tasman Transfer
If you permanently emigrate to Australia, you can transfer your KiwiSaver balance to an Australian complying superannuation scheme regulated by APRA. Not all Australian super funds accept KiwiSaver transfers, so check with your chosen Australian fund. Transferring is optional. Moving money from Australian super into KiwiSaver is covered in transferring Australian super to KiwiSaver.
What transfers:
- Your own contributions
- Employer contributions
- Investment returns
- Government contributions you received while living in NZ
If you leave your savings in KiwiSaver while living in Australia, you don’t get government contributions while you live there.
When can you apply? You can apply for a trans-Tasman transfer once you’ve moved to Australia and have an eligible super fund. You must have permanently emigrated.
How to apply:
- Open an eligible Australian super fund account
- Request your KiwiSaver provider’s transfer form (or your Australian fund may initiate it)
- Provide evidence of your Australian residency/permanent move
- Your KiwiSaver provider transfers the balance
What about temporary work in Australia? If you’re working in Australia only temporarily, such as on a working holiday or a fixed-term job, you are not permanently emigrating, so the transfer rules don’t apply. Your KiwiSaver stays in NZ and you can continue voluntary contributions.
Leaving for Any Other Country
The 1-Year Rule
If you permanently emigrate to any country other than Australia, you can withdraw most of your KiwiSaver balance after 1 year of having left NZ permanently.
Requirements:
- You must have left NZ permanently — not on an extended working holiday or temporary basis
- 1 year must have passed since your departure
- You cannot apply while still in NZ based on future emigration plans
What you can withdraw:
- Your own contributions
- Employer contributions
- Investment returns
What you CANNOT withdraw:
- Government contributions
Instead of a cash withdrawal, you can ask your provider to transfer your savings to an approved foreign superannuation scheme that meets the KiwiSaver Act’s requirements.
How to apply:
- After 1 year overseas, contact your KiwiSaver provider
- Request the permanent emigration withdrawal form
- Provide evidence of permanent emigration, such as a plane ticket or passport showing your departure, your overseas address, and a statutory declaration (your provider sets the exact list)
- Provider processes and pays to your nominated bank account (may need to be an NZ account initially)
Timeline: Processing time depends on your provider, so ask when you apply.
Government Contributions on Emigration
Government contributions (now up to $260.72 a year) are not paid out when you withdraw cash after emigrating to a country other than Australia; Inland Revenue says you cannot take them out. A transfer to an Australian super scheme includes the government contributions you received while living in NZ. How the government contribution works is covered in KiwiSaver government contribution.
What About Temporary Overseas Work?
If you’re working overseas temporarily (working holiday, contract work, secondment) and intend to return to NZ:
- Your KiwiSaver stays invested
- You can continue making voluntary contributions
- Your NZ employer contributions continue if you’re still on NZ payroll
- You do not qualify for an emigration withdrawal
“Permanent emigration” means leaving NZ permanently, not just an extended stay.
Student Loan Consideration
If you have an NZ student loan, it becomes interest-bearing once you are overseas-based, meaning you are in New Zealand for 31 days or less in a 184-day period; NZ-based borrowers pay no interest. The overseas-based interest rate is reviewed every 1 April: check the current rate at ird.govt.nz. This is separate from KiwiSaver; see KiwiSaver and your student loan.
Tax on Emigration Withdrawal
Investment returns are taxed inside the fund at your PIR. Some providers apply the highest PIR once you have been outside NZ for more than 325 days, because you are then a non-resident for tax purposes. Your new country’s tax rules may treat it differently, so check with a tax adviser there. Is KiwiSaver taxed? covers how KiwiSaver withdrawals are taxed in NZ. The other withdrawal types are in the KiwiSaver withdrawals section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I withdraw KiwiSaver before I leave NZ? No. You must have actually left NZ permanently; you cannot withdraw before departing.
What if I return to NZ after withdrawing on emigration grounds? If you withdraw as a permanent emigrant and then return to NZ to live, you can rejoin KiwiSaver (how re-enrolment works). You cannot reverse the withdrawal: the funds have been paid out.
Can I leave my KiwiSaver in NZ while living overseas? Yes. You can leave your KiwiSaver invested while living overseas, including in Australia. It stays invested in your fund, and you can withdraw it from 65 (see KiwiSaver at 65).
Do I need to notify IRD when I leave NZ? Not specifically for KiwiSaver, but keep your address details up to date with your KiwiSaver provider and IRD. If you’re stopping NZ employment, your automatic contributions stop anyway.
Can I transfer to an Australian super fund and then cash it out from Australia? No. Inland Revenue’s guidance on trans-Tasman portability says savings transferred from KiwiSaver to Australia remain locked in until the NZ Super age (currently 65), under Australian law.