KiwiSaver When You Move Overseas (2026)
Key takeaways
- You can apply for a permanent emigration withdrawal once you have been overseas (in a country other than Australia) for at least 12 months.
- You can take out your own contributions, your employer’s contributions, the $1,000 kick-start (if you got it) and investment returns — but not the Government contributions, which are returned to Inland Revenue.
- Moving to Australia is different: no cash withdrawal is allowed, but you may transfer your savings to an Australian complying super fund, or leave them in KiwiSaver.
- You can instead transfer your KiwiSaver to an approved foreign superannuation scheme, where one is available.
- You are not obliged to withdraw — leaving your money invested is often the simplest option, especially for shorter postings.
- Applications require a statutory declaration and proof you have permanently emigrated; expect provider processing time.
Who can take their KiwiSaver out when they leave New Zealand
KiwiSaver is designed to lock your savings in until you reach the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation (65). Permanent emigration is one of the limited exceptions that lets you access your money early. Under the scheme rules, you qualify for a permanent emigration withdrawal once you have permanently emigrated from New Zealand and have lived overseas for at least one year in a country other than Australia. Inland Revenue states plainly that “after you’ve been living overseas (not Australia) for 1 year, you can take most of the savings from your KiwiSaver account” — see Inland Revenue’s page on getting your KiwiSaver funds when you move overseas.
The one-year clock matters: you cannot apply the moment you land abroad. You must be able to show you resided at an overseas address at some point during the year following your departure, which is why the wait exists. Australia is deliberately carved out because the two countries operate a separate portability arrangement (covered below).
What you can and cannot withdraw
When your permanent emigration withdrawal is approved, you can generally take out everything except the Government’s money. That means you can withdraw your own contributions, your employer’s contributions, the original $1,000 kick-start (for members who received it before it was discontinued), any fee subsidies and all investment returns. What you cannot take is the Government (Crown) contributions — the annual “member tax credits” or Government contributions paid into your account. As Inland Revenue puts it: “You cannot take out the government contributions.” The withdrawal must be equal to or less than your accumulated balance excluding those Crown contributions, and your provider repays that Government portion to Inland Revenue. The detailed mechanics sit in the KiwiSaver scheme rules in Schedule 1 of the KiwiSaver Act 2006.
How to apply for a permanent emigration withdrawal
You apply directly to your KiwiSaver scheme provider (your fund manager), not to Inland Revenue. The provider will require an application in the form its trustees specify, together with a statutory declaration confirming that you have permanently emigrated from New Zealand and that you resided at an overseas address during the year following your departure. You will typically also be asked for supporting evidence such as overseas immigration or residence documents, proof of your overseas address, and identification. Because a statutory declaration must be witnessed by an authorised person (for example a notary, solicitor or other authorised witness in your new country), it is worth preparing this before you assume the money will arrive quickly. Once approved, funds are usually paid to a nominated bank account.
If you are moving to Australia (the Trans-Tasman rule)
Australia is treated separately. You cannot make a cash withdrawal of your KiwiSaver simply because you have moved across the Tasman. Instead, under the Trans-Tasman retirement savings portability arrangement, you may transfer your KiwiSaver balance to an Australian complying superannuation fund that accepts Trans-Tasman transfers. You are not required to do this — Inland Revenue notes “you do not have to transfer your KiwiSaver savings to Australia” and you can leave the money invested in your KiwiSaver scheme. If you do transfer, contact your KiwiSaver provider to start the process, and check that your chosen Australian fund accepts the transfer. The framework is described in Inland Revenue’s material on Trans-Tasman portability arrangements. Note that funds transferred from KiwiSaver to Australian super carry their own access and preservation rules once inside the Australian system.
Transferring to a foreign superannuation scheme
Outside Australia, cash withdrawal is the usual route, but the KiwiSaver Act also allows a member who has permanently emigrated to transfer their savings to an approved foreign superannuation scheme where one is authorised for that purpose. Whether this is available depends on the destination country and whether a suitable scheme has been approved under the regulations. If preserving your savings in a retirement wrapper abroad appeals to you, ask your provider whether an approved transfer is possible for your destination before you cash out — a transfer and a withdrawal can have very different tax and preservation consequences in your new country.
Should you withdraw at all?
Withdrawing is a choice, not an obligation. If your move might not be permanent, or you expect to return to New Zealand, leaving your KiwiSaver invested keeps it growing and preserves the Government contributions you have already earned. Cashing out forfeits those Crown contributions permanently. There can also be tax consequences in your new country: a lump sum received from a New Zealand retirement scheme may be taxable where you now live, and currency movements affect what you ultimately receive. Because Flyto cannot give personalised financial or tax advice, weigh the decision with a qualified adviser in your destination country, and confirm the current rules directly with Inland Revenue and your provider before acting.
How Flyto can help
Flyto moves households from New Zealand to Europe and worldwide, door-to-door; get a quote. We handle the logistics of your international move — packing, shipping, customs and delivery — so you can focus on the financial and legal admin, such as timing your KiwiSaver decision around your departure and settling-in dates.
Frequently asked questions
How long after leaving New Zealand can I withdraw my KiwiSaver?
You can apply for a permanent emigration withdrawal once you have lived overseas (in a country other than Australia) for at least one year and have permanently emigrated, per Inland Revenue.
Do I get the Government contributions back if I emigrate?
No. You can withdraw your contributions, employer contributions and returns, but not the Government (Crown) contributions, which your provider repays to Inland Revenue. See Inland Revenue’s guidance.
What if I move to Australia?
You cannot cash out. You may transfer your balance to an Australian complying super fund under the Trans-Tasman arrangement, or leave it in KiwiSaver, as explained by Inland Revenue.
Do I have to withdraw my KiwiSaver when I emigrate?
No. You can leave your savings invested until retirement, which keeps the Government contributions you have already earned, per Inland Revenue.
Who do I apply to for the withdrawal?
You apply to your KiwiSaver scheme provider, who requires a statutory declaration and proof of permanent emigration under the KiwiSaver scheme rules.
Can I move my KiwiSaver into a foreign pension scheme?
Possibly. After permanent emigration you may transfer to an approved foreign superannuation scheme where one is authorised for your destination — ask your provider, per the KiwiSaver scheme rules.
Sources
- Inland Revenue — Getting my KiwiSaver savings when I move overseas
- Inland Revenue — Getting my KiwiSaver savings early
- Inland Revenue (Tax Technical) — KiwiSaver scheme rules (KiwiSaver Act 2006, Schedule 1)
- Inland Revenue (Tax Technical) — Trans-Tasman portability arrangements
- Inland Revenue — I am leaving New Zealand
- Inland Revenue — KiwiSaver