Am I entitled to superannuation if I'm not an Australian citizen?

Superannuation (also known as ‘super’) is a compulsory savings scheme through which a portion of your income is set aside for the years following your retirement. Different super funds offer different investment options to help you grow your nest egg.

If you’re an expatriate (expat) working in Australia, your employer may be required to make superannuation contributions on your behalf to a super fund of your choosing. This is known as the super guarantee (SG).

The SG is the minimum percentage of your salary that your employer is required to pay into your super fund. In 2022 the SG is 10.5 per cent and is legislated to rise by 0.5 per cent each year, until it reaches 12 per cent in 2025.

To find out if you’re entitled to super payments while visiting and working in Australia you can use the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) handy online tool to answer a few questions and receive a determination.

Can I choose my own super fund?

As an employee in Australia you have the right to nominate the fund in which your superannuation contributions are kept. You’ll want to select the fund that best aligns with your financial objectives.

For example, an expat that’s only planning to work in Australia for a short time may prefer a performance-focused super fund with a growth investment option.

Others may elect an ethical super fund, whose investment choices align with their values, or a super fund offering access to insurance, bonus features or other benefits that suit their lifestyle.

What happens to my super when I leave Australia?

If you’re an expat leaving Australia, you may be eligible to claim your super back as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). There are certain requirements you’ll need to meet in order to claim these funds.

Your DASP will be taxed before you receive it. The DASP tax rate is different for non-residents participating in the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) scheme. If you hold, or held, a 417 (Working Holiday) or 462 (Work and Holiday) visa you are classified as a WHM.

The ATO-produced video below explains how you can claim your super when leaving Australia:

Generally, you can claim a DASP if you meet the following conditions:

• You accumulated superannuation while working in Australia on a temporary resident visa issued under the Migration Act 1958 (excluding Subclasses 405 and 410)
• Your visa has ceased to be in effect (for example, it has expired or been cancelled)
• You have left Australia and you do not hold any other active Australian visa
• You are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or a permanent resident of Australia

What if it’s been a long time since I worked in Australia?

If you've been away from Australia for an extended period, it’s possible that you may have lost track of your super. 

Your superannuation fund may consider you a ‘lost member’ and hold your money until they find you. If they cannot track you down, they may transfer your unclaimed superannuation money (USM) to the ATO. You can check the ATO’s website to find out if you have any USM to your name.

How can you transfer your Australian super to New Zealand

If you’re a New Zealand citizen leaving Australia permanently, you may be able to transfer your super to a designated super fund under the New Zealand KiwiSaver scheme.

In order to transfer your retirement savings from an Australian super fund to a KiwiSaver scheme, you must:

• have money held by a complying Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) regulated super fund
• have permanently emigrated to New Zealand – you’ll need to sign a statutory declaration and provide proof of residence in New Zealand
• contact your Australian super fund and request the whole balance of your super savings be transferred to a KiwiSaver scheme
• have a KiwiSaver scheme ready to receive the transferred funds and ensure that the transfer will be accepted

It’s important to check with your super fund and KiwiSaver scheme to see if they will charge any transfer fees.

If you want to transfer ATO-held USM to your KiwiSaver scheme provider or nominated financial institution you must:

• be an Australian resident who has permanently emigrated to New Zealand who worked in Australia and received super or a New Zealand citizen who worked in Australia and received super
• have completed an application form and provided sufficient information to satisfy the Australian government that the money being held belongs to you

While completed applications are currently being accepted, payments will not be made until the end of 2022.

Can you keep super savings in an Australian fund after leaving?

If you’re an expat that wants to keep the super that you’ve earned in Australia in a local super fund - perhaps because you’re considering retiring in Australia - it would be sensible to research the fees that you’ll be charged and what investment options are available. 

If you or an employer aren’t making regular super contributions your funds may be considered USM and transferred to the ATO. You may be able to make non-concessional contributions from overseas but this will depend on the permissions of your Australian super fund.

Typically, a fund with lower fees will have less impact on your balance but it’s important to check all the conditions.

You no longer have to meet a ‘work test’ before making personal contributions to your super but you may want to consider any international tax implications. These will depend on your individual circumstances and any rules that may apply in the country you’re living in.

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