If your payment stops while you're overseas, we usually can't restore your payment until you return to Australia. It may be possible to have your payment extended if you can't return to Australia because of unexpected issues. These issues may include a serious illness or natural disaster.
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 may get Age Pension for the whole time you're outside Australia. Even if you're leaving to live in another country.
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.
If you leave Australia for more than 6 weeks
In most cases your payment will stop after 6 weeks of travel overseas. This includes the Energy Supplement you may get with your Carer Payment. If you can get Carer Payment after 6 weeks, you'll get an outside Australia rate. You won't get the Energy Supplement.
When you are granted your first permanent visa, you are usually permitted a 5-year travel facility. This means you can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like in the 5 years from the date your permanent visa was granted, as long as your visa remains valid. After 5 years, your travel facility expires.
Some foreign governments require visitors to carry passports with at least six months validity beyond their planned stay. You may be refused entry if you do not comply. Well before you travel, you should check the entry requirements of the countries you plan to visit or transit.
Australia's immigration department will tell us when you leave. They will also tell us when you return. To get your payment or concession card while outside Australia, you must continue to meet the qualification rules at all times.
You can request a Statement of Debt for any 5 year period going back to 1998.
You may have your payment suspended and get a demerit if you don't meet your mutual obligation or participation requirements. Before your payment can start again, you'll need to either: talk to your provider. call the Digital Services Contact Centre if you're with Workforce Australia Online.
As long as you've paid enough National Insurance, you can claim your State Pension while living abroad. The main difference is that if the State Pension increases, you may not benefit from the extra amount if you're living in certain countries.
The whole single age pension paid overseas is currently $25,038, lower than that paid to residents, as you only get the basic pension supplement of $681.40 a year and lose the energy supplement of $366.60.
You're an Australian resident if your domicile (the place that is your permanent home) is in Australia, unless we are satisfied that your permanent place of abode is outside Australia. A domicile is a place that is considered to be your permanent home by law.
Residents on a temporary visa who have worked and earned super in Australia can withdraw their super when moving overseas. This is referred to as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP), and this facility is available only for those who aren't citizens of Australia or New Zealand.
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.
Bank interest reviews. 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.
Having owned the property on one title for 20 years immediately prior to the date of assessment, and have continuously lived on that property, in more than one dwelling-house, for the last 20 years. Example: A pensioner has owned his farm on one title for more than 20 years.
You need to notify us, within 7 days of leaving Australia, if you intend to move or already reside overseas for 183 days or more in any 12-month period. To notify us, complete an overseas travel notification and update your contact details, including your mobile, international residential, postal and email addresses.
Home visits
Centrelink may also visit your home unexpectedly, but this is not common. They may do this if they are already investigating and believe that you are being dishonest. If a Centrelink officer comes to your home, you: do not have to let them in (unless they are with a police officer who has a warrant)
Travel for three months or longer
The Statutory Declaration must state you are making an application for travel exemption on the basis that you intend to be absent from Australia for more than three months. Evidence may include: confirmed flight itinerary, with return date of at least three months after departure date.
The passport six-month rule exists to ensure that travelers have a valid passport when traveling abroad and that they do not overstay their passports' validity. If your passport expires before the end of your trip, it can cause problems with immigration officials in other countries.
In Asia, nations like China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand enforce this rule. South American countries like Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia also need a passport that's good for six months. While it may seem like a hassle now, this a six- or three-month validity rule helps in case of emergency.