This change is coming into effect under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income (Fair Residency) Amendment Act.

Current residence criteria

Currently, to get NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension, you must have lived in NZ for at least 10 years since you turned 20. The 10 or more years must include 5 years since you turned 50.

When we say ‘have lived in NZ’, we mean you were:

• resident in NZ, i.e. you permanently made your home in NZ, and
• physically present in NZ.

To determine this, we’ll look at things like:

• your involvement in NZ society
• the number of times you left NZ, why you left and how long you left for.

If you haven’t lived in NZ for at least 10 years, you may be able to use other countries to meet the residence criteria.

***Read the full current criteria for NZ Super

Read the full current criteria for Veteran’s Pension

New residence criteria

From July 2024, the number of years you must have lived in NZ since you turned 20 will gradually increase from 10 years to 20 years. This must include 5 years since you turned 50.

The number of years you must have lived in NZ will be based on your date of birth when you apply (see table below).

If you haven’t lived in NZ the whole time, you may be able to use other countries to meet the residence criteria.

Using other countries to meet the residence criteria

You may be able to use other countries to meet the residence criteria if:

• they are a country that has a Social Security Agreement with NZ, or
• they are a NZ realm country (the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau).

Using Social Security Agreement countries to meet residence criteria

Using time spent in NZ realm countries to meet residence criteria

Arrived in NZ as a refugee

The changes to the residence criteria are different if you arrived in NZ as a refugee.

How we work out the number of years you need depends on your age when you arrived in NZ as a refugee.

Residence criteria for refugees

Number of years in NZ

The residence criteria increase from 10 years to 20 years will be gradual, from July 2024 to 2042. It will be based on your date of birth when you apply.

Using Social Security Agreement countries to meet residence criteria

The number of years you need to meet the residency criteria is between 10 and 20, depending on your date of birth.

This may include time you’ve spent:

• living in a country that NZ has a Social Security Agreement (SSA) with, and/or
• contributing to a SSA country’s pensions scheme.

You might have to live in the country and contribute to their pensions scheme, or you might only have to do one of these. It depends on the agreement.

Some agreements also have other criteria you have to meet if you include time from their country.

You can only include time from one of the SSA countries. You cannot combine time across multiple SSA countries.

For a list of countries NZ has a SSA with, see: Countries NZ has a Social Security Agreement with

Example – lived in Australia (SSA country)

You were born in NZ on 1 November 1967 and moved to Australia at age 30. You move back to NZ at age 65 and apply for NZ Super.

Based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 15 years since you turned 20. The 15 years must include 5 years since you turned 50.

The SSA with Australia states that you can include time you’ve lived in Australia to meet the above residence criteria for NZ Super. This means you can add together:

• the number of years you lived in NZ since you turned 20, and
• the number of years you lived in Australia since you turned 20.

However the Social Security Agreement with Australia also has a rule about this. It states that if you include the time you lived in Australia, you also need to meet the age criteria for Australian Age Pension.

You must be 67 to get Australian Age Pension. This means you need to wait until you turn 67 before you can meet the residence criteria for NZ Super.

Example – lived in South Korea (SSA country)

You were born in NZ on 10 October 1963 and moved to South Korea at age 27. You contributed to the Korea Old Age Benefit from age 30. You move back to NZ at age 65 and apply for NZ Super.

Based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 13 years since you turned 20. The 13 years must include 5 years since you turned 50.

The SSA with South Korea states that you can include time you’ve contributed to the Korea Old Age benefit to meet the above residence criteria for NZ Super. This means you can add together:

• the number of years you lived in NZ since you turned 20, and
• the number of years you contributed to the Korea Old Age benefit since you turned 20.

This means you will meet the residence criteria for NZ Super when you turn 65.

Using time spent in NZ realm countries to meet residence criteria

The number of years you need to meet the residency criteria is between 10 and 20, depending on your date of birth.

Of those 10-20 years, you need to have lived in NZ for at least 10 years since you turned 20. For the rest of the years, you can include time you’ve spent living in a NZ realm country. That is the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.

When we say ‘have lived in a NZ realm country’, we mean you were:

• resident in a realm country, i.e. you permanently made your home in a realm country, and
• physically present in a realm country.

To determine this, we’ll look at things like:

• your involvement in the realm country’s society
• the number of times you left the realm country, why you left and how long you left for.

Example – moved to the Cook Islands at 25

You were born in NZ on 12 May 1978 and moved to the Cook Islands at age 25. You remain in the Cook Islands and apply for NZ Super (from the Cook Islands) when you turn 65.

The residence criteria states that based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 20 years since you turned 20. The 20 years must include 5 years since you turned 50. To meet the residence criteria, you can use the time you’ve lived in the Cook Islands.

Of the 20 years, you must have lived:

• at least 10 years in NZ, and
• the rest of the years in NZ or the Cook Islands.

In this example, you have:

• 5 years living in NZ from age 20-25
• 40 years living in the Cook Islands from age 25-65.

You would not meet the residence criteria for NZ Super as you have only lived in NZ for 5 years since you turned 20.

Example – moved to Tokelau at 30

You were born in NZ on 12 May 1963 and moved to Tokelau at age 30. You move back to NZ at age 65 and apply for NZ Super.

The residence criteria states that based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 12 years since you turned 20. The 12 years must include 5 years since you turned 50. To meet the residence criteria, you can use the time you’ve lived in Tokelau.

Of the 12 years you must have lived:

• at least 10 years in NZ
• the rest of the years in NZ or Tokelau.

In this example, you have:

• 10 years living in NZ from age 20-30, and
• 35 years living in Tokelau from age 30-65.

This means you meet the residence criteria for NZ Super because you have:

• 10 years living in NZ and
• the rest of the years living in Tokelau. This includes the 5 years over 50.

Example – moved to Tokelau at 60

You were born in NZ on 1 February 1979 and moved to Tokelau at age 60. You apply for NZ Super when you turn 65 (from Tokelau).

The residence criteria states that based on your date of birth, you must have lived in NZ for at least 20 years since you turned 20. The 20 years must include 5 years since you turned 50. To meet the residence criteria, you can use the time you’ve lived in Tokelau.

These 20 years must be made up of:

• at least 10 years living in NZ
• the other 10 years living in NZ or Tokelau.

In this example, you have:

• 40 years living in NZ from age 20-60, and
• 5 years living in Tokelau from age 60-65.

This means you meet the residence criteria for NZ Super because you have:

• 10 years living in NZ and
• the rest of the years living in NZ and Tokelau. This includes the 5 years over 50.

Residence criteria for refugees

The changes to the residence criteria are different for people who arrived in NZ as a refugee.

How we work out the number of years you need depends on your age when you arrived in NZ.

You may still be able to use other countries to meet this residence criteria if:

• they are a country that has a Social Security Agreement with NZ, or
• they are a NZ realm country (the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau).

Using Social Security Agreement countries to meet residence criteria

Using time spent in NZ realm countries to meet residence criteria

Arrived in NZ as a refugee before age 45

If you arrived in NZ before age 45, we’ll use your date of birth to work out how many years you need to meet the residence criteria.

Example – arrived in NZ at age 40

You arrived in NZ as a refugee at age 40 and apply for NZ Super when you turn 65.

You were born on 15 February 1980 so you must have lived in NZ for at least 20 years. The 20 years must include 5 years since you turned 50.

You have lived in NZ for 25 years, including 5 years since you turned 50. This means you meet the residence criteria for NZ Super.

Arrived in NZ as a refugee between age 45-55

If you arrived in NZ between age 45-55, the total number of years you need to meet the residency criteria is the shorter time of either:

• the number of years from when you arrived in NZ to your 65th birthday, or
• the number of years (10-20) based on your date of birth.

And 5 of these years must have been since you turned 50.

Example – arrived in NZ at age 50

You arrived in NZ as a refugee at age 50 and apply for NZ Super when you turn 65. Your date of birth is 10 September 1978.

The total number of years you must have lived in NZ is the shorter time of either:

• the 15 years from when you arrived in NZ to your 65th birthday, or
• 20 years (based on your date of birth).

The shorter of these is 15 years so this is the number of years you would need. The 15 years must include 5 years since you turned 50.

This means you would meet the residence criteria for NZ Super.

Arrived in NZ as a refugee after age 55

If you arrived in NZ after age 55, you must have lived in NZ for at least 10 years. The 10 years must include 5 years since you turned 50.

Example – arrived in NZ at age 60

You arrived in NZ as a refugee at age 60 and apply for NZ Super when you turn 65.

You’ve only lived in NZ for 5 years, from 60-65. This means you won’t meet the residence criteria for NZ Super until you turn 70.