Australian Aged Pension for New Zealand Citizens.
To get most Centrelink payments in Australia you must meet all of the following criteria:
- be an Australian resident.
- meet the eligibility rules for the payment.
- serve any waiting periods.
What is an Australian Resident for Centrelink purposes?
You’re an Australian resident if you live in Australia and are either:
- an Australian citizen.
- a permanent residence visa holder.
- a protected Special Category visa (SCV) holder.
If you live in Australia and have a Protected SCV you can claim all Centrelink payments.
If you live in Australia and have a Non Protected SCV you can claim a small range of Centrelink payments, that does not include the Aged Pension.
Australia has an agreement with New Zealand that allows New Zealand citizens living in Australia to claim the Age Pension.
To claim the Aged Pension you must have lived in Australia continuously for at least 10 years.