If you're leaving Australia to travel or live in another country, you need to tell us. Travelling outside of Australia may affect your payments. You can only add your travel details one trip at a time. You'll need to wait until you return from your first trip before you can add a new one.
If you leave Australia to live in another country, your payment will stop when you depart. If your travel is short term, your payment will stop when you depart, unless you're travelling for an approved reason. To get Special Benefit while you're overseas, you must travel for an approved reason.
Payments while overseas
If your payments can continue while you're outside Australia and you intend to be away for: less than 12 months, we'll continue to pay you every 2 weeks into your Australian bank account. more than 12 months, we'll pay you every 4 weeks into your Australian or overseas bank account.
Australian pensioners can stay up to 6 weeks overseas and receive their Australian pension normally before their return to Australia. If travelling for longer than 6 weeks, you'll need to let Services Australia know, and your pension payments may be affected.
You need to tell us if any of your or your partner's personal circumstances change. These changes could affect your payments. If you don't tell us, we may pay you too much. This means you may get a debt and you'll need to pay us back.
Centrelink has very wide powers to thoroughly investigate deposits that have been made into your account. For example, it has the power to obtain your information from other government agencies as well as accessing information from banks, building societies and credit union accounts.
You may get Age Pension for the whole time you're outside Australia. Even if you're leaving to live in another country. Your payment may stop if all of the following apply.
You can claim a Centrelink payment if you're living in a country we have an agreement with. If you claim a Centrelink payment while living in a country we don't have an agreement with, we'll reject it. You can submit a claim up to 13 weeks early.
If you move abroad before you start to take any pension income, you have two options: Stop paying into your pension and take your money at a later date – from age 55 at the earliest (this is due to change to 57 in 2028). Continue paying into your pension.
If you're not repaying your debt at a suitable rate, we may issue a Departure Prohibition Order. It'll stop you from leaving Australia until you either: pay your debt in full. enter into an acceptable payment arrangement.
Border arrangements
Unvaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents can leave and enter Australia without an individual travel exemption. Travellers entering or leaving Australia do not require a negative pre-departure test and cruise vessels can enter Australian territory.
There is no limit to the amount of physical currency that may be brought into or taken out of Australia. However, travellers entering and departing Australia must report any currency they are carrying of $10,000 or more in Australian dollars, or the foreign currency equivalent.
You can continue to get Universal Credit for up to 6 months if: you go abroad for medical treatment. you go abroad for a period of recovery that's been approved by a medical professional (also known as 'approved convalescence')
Income earned from overseas sources
If you are resident of Australia, you will be taxed on income earned overseas. This includes business income, international investment income, overseas employment income, foreign pension and annuities, or capital gains on overseas assets.
Don't worry – Centrelink can't remove funds from your bank account. However, they do have several means by which they can recover overpayments. They'll send you a letter with an Account Payable explaining how much you owe them and why. This letter will also outline when your payment is due and how you can pay it.
Medicare doesn't cover you while you're overseas. Make sure you have a plan for health care before you travel. Countries that have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with us may cover some of the cost. If your Medicare online account is linked to myGov you can update your details online.
Payments while overseas
If your payments can continue while you're outside Australia and you intend to be away for: less than 12 months, we'll continue to pay you every 2 weeks into your Australian bank account. more than 12 months, we'll pay you every 4 weeks into your Australian or overseas bank account.
According to the Federal Department of Social Services, there are estimated to be about 90,000 Australians who live overseas whilst still receiving their Age Pension entitlements.
Generally speaking, if your overseas holiday is less than six weeks, your pension rates remain unchanged. However, if you prolong to more than six weeks, meaning that you're away for almost two months, the government will reduce your Pension Supplement to the basic rate and your Energy Supplement will stop.
We check your bank account information is up to date. We do this to check we paid you the right payment and amount in the past.
Contrary to popular belief, Centrelink does not in fact have access to your bank account and doesn't monitor it when working out your payment rate. Instead, the rate of payment you receive from Centrelink is based on the assets and any work income you specified the last time you gave them your financial information.
You can request a Statement of Debt for any 5 year period going back to 1998. You can make more than one request.
The Work Bonus income bank is useful for pensioners who wish to work, particularly those who undertake intermittent or occasional work. Note: from 1 December 2022 to 31 December 2023, a one-off, temporary credit of $4,000 applies to Work Bonus income bank balances.