🕊️ Financial PlanningNZ Superannuation: age, residence rules and how much you get
New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) is the government pension. Unlike the state pension in most countries, it is not based on how much you earned or contributed — it is a flat payment to everyone who meets an age and residence test. It is paid fortnightly, it is taxed as income, and it is not income- or asset-tested, so you can receive it while still working. On top of NZ Super, KiwiSaver is the layer that builds an extra retirement nest egg. This guide covers the eligibility rules and the rates.
Age and residence
You can get NZ Super from age 65 if you are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident (or hold a residence class visa) and are ordinarily resident in New Zealand when you apply. You must also have lived in New Zealand for a minimum number of years since age 20, with a minimum of those years since age 50.
The residence requirement has been increasing: it was 10 years total (5 since age 50) for people born before mid-1959, and rises in steps to 20 years total for people born in 1977 or later. From July 2026 further tightening applies. Time lived in some countries New Zealand has a social security agreement with (including Australia) can count. Check your personal requirement with Work and Income.
How much NZ Super pays
The rates are adjusted every 1 April in line with wages. From 1 April 2026, the after-tax rate (at the M tax code) is about $1,110 a fortnight for a single person living alone, about $1,025 a fortnight for a single person sharing, and about $854 a fortnight each for a couple who both qualify (a combined $1,708). These are the standard rates before any other income is taxed.
NZ Super is taxable. If you have other income — a salary, KiwiSaver drawdown, rental income — your NZ Super uses a secondary tax code and the total is taxed at your marginal rate, so the amount in your hand is lower than the headline rate suggests. There is no reduction in NZ Super itself for having other income, only the normal income tax.
How KiwiSaver fits in
NZ Super is designed as a floor, not a full retirement income. For most people it replaces around 40% of the average wage. KiwiSaver — which you contribute to from every pay, with employer and government contributions on top — is the main way New Zealanders build the extra income and lump sum on top of NZ Super.
You can withdraw your KiwiSaver from age 65 (if you joined before 65 and have been a member long enough), either as a lump sum, regular payments, or a mix. Many people leave it invested and draw it down gradually. Use our retirement calculator to project how a regular contribution grows by age 65.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the NZ Super age?
- 65. There have been proposals to raise it to 67, but as of now it remains 65. NZ Super is not income- or asset-tested, so you can work and receive it, though the total is taxed as income.
- How many years do I need to have lived in New Zealand?
- It depends on your birth date. It was 10 years since age 20 (5 since age 50) for older cohorts and rises in steps to 20 years total for people born in 1977 or later, with further tightening from July 2026. Time in Australia and some other agreement countries can count.
- Does having KiwiSaver or other savings reduce my NZ Super?
- No. NZ Super is not income- or asset-tested. Other income does not reduce the NZ Super payment itself — it only means your total income, including NZ Super, is taxed at your marginal rate.
Informational content, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check amounts, limits and current rules directly with the official sources (Work and Income, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Inland Revenue, the Depositor Compensation Scheme) before making a decision.
