Australian citizens can live overseas indefinitely, but restrictions apply to keeping Australian benefits (like pensions/tax breaks), voting, and returning permanently, depending on your visa type (WHV up to 12 months, PR has travel limits) and tax residency, which involves tests like the 183-day rule; you must always check the specific visa rules for the country you're entering and inform Smartraveller (DFAT) and Services Australia.
183-day test
You will be a resident under this test if you're actually present in Australia for more than half the income year, whether continuously or with breaks. unless it is established that your 'usual place of abode' is outside Australia and you have no intention of taking up residence here.
Yes, you can withdraw your superannuation if you're no longer going to remain in Australia.
The full amount of age pension that a person is eligible for is payable while overseas for 26 weeks. However, once overseas for longer than 26 weeks, the amount of age pension payable to a person is dependent upon the person's length of residency in Australia.
Yes, you generally lose access to Australian Medicare benefits if you move out of Australia, especially for long periods (over 12 months), as Medicare is for Australian residents, though Australian citizens can retain eligibility for up to 5 years. Medicare doesn't cover you overseas (except for limited reciprocal agreements) and you'll need to re-enrol upon return, potentially after a waiting period if absent for 5+ years, but you stop paying the levy as a foreign resident.
Australian citizens can live overseas indefinitely without losing their citizenship, as there's no time limit on how long you can stay abroad, but long-term absences affect tax residency and eligibility for some Australian payments like the Age Pension, requiring you to check rules for Centrelink, ATO, and AEC when planning extended stays or potential returns.
In very simple terms, if you are moving away from Australia on a permanent basis then you will usually be a non-resident, provided the ATO would be satisfied that you have a home in another country. If you are only going overseas on a short-term basis then you continue to be considered an Australian tax resident.
Pension Credit
This may be extended up to eight weeks if you're away because of the death of a close relative. If you're going abroad for medical treatment, you may be able to receive Pension Credit for up to 26 weeks. You can't keep receiving Pension Credit if you move abroad permanently.
Leaving Australia and your superannuation
For Australian citizens or permanent residents, the super rules stay the same if you're moving overseas. You usually can't use your super until you reach age 60 and retire. Or you meet one of the other rules to access super.
For Centrelink payments and services, you can call our multilingual phone service. If you or your children leave Australia to live in another country, your payment will stop when you depart. If you or your children's travel is short term, you'll normally still get your payment for up to 6 weeks.
The 3-year bring-forward rule allows Members in an SMSF to contribute more than the Non-Concessional Contribution (after-tax Contributions) cap of $120,000 during a 3-year financial period from 1 July 2024. From 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024, the non-concessional contributions cap was $110,000.
Most banks in Australia will permit you to keep your account as a foreign non-resident.
Description of the rule
The rule rests on the premise that after ten years of residency, non-citizens have become part of the Australian community and that this should be recognised, even if they commit a serious offence.
Yes – this is called dual residence. In some situations, the 2 countries can have a double taxation agreement. This will decide: Which country you're regarded as resident in.
You must notify the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) if you plan to move overseas for six months (183 days) or more in a twelve-month period. You must do this within 7 days from the date of leaving Australia. Update your contact details via myGov. If you already live overseas, you must notify the ATO.
You may be able to get Age Pension for the whole time you're outside Australia, even if you're leaving to live in another country. If you leave within 2 years of returning to Australia to live, your payment may stop if you: came back to Australia to live.
Here are some of the top destinations where Australians are choosing to retire to:
The Passenger Movement Charge (PMC) is an AUD70 cost for the departure of a person from Australia to another country regardless of whether the person returns to Australia.
Australian pensioners can stay up to 6 weeks overseas and receive their Australian pension normally before their return to Australia. If you're moving overseas or your travel plans exceed 6 weeks, you'll need to let Services Australia know, and your pension payments may be affected.
If you are retiring abroad, you can continue to receive your UK State Pension. You can get pension increases yearly if you live in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or a country which has a social security agreement with the UK.
Generally, we cannot pay Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits to noncitizens after their sixth calendar month outside the United States. However, you might qualify for an exception, which could allow you to receive benefits without visiting the United States.
Permanent residents can live outside Australia indefinitely, but travel rights are limited after five years.
If you are going overseas to live but you remain an Australian resident for tax purposes, you'll still need to lodge an Australian tax return. If you're unsure of your tax situation, see Your tax residency. If you work while living overseas, you must declare: all your foreign employment income.
If you have superannuation in Australia, even from temporary work, that account remains when you move overseas.