NZ Super eligibility: age 65 and the residence rule

You can get NZ Super from age 65 if you are a New Zealand resident and have lived here for long enough since you turned 20, including at least 5 years since you turned 50. How long is "long enough" now depends on your date of birth: 10 years for people born on or before 30 June 1959, rising by a year for every two-year birth band to 20 years for anyone born on or after 1 July 1977. It is not means tested: your income, savings and home do not matter. Rules checked 12 November 2026.

Age 65, and when to apply

The qualifying age is 65. Work and Income lets you apply up to 12 weeks before your 65th birthday. If you apply on or before your birthday, payments start from your birthday. If you apply after it, they start from the date you apply, so a late application costs you money that is not back-paid.

NZ Super is not income or asset tested for the person getting it. You can keep working full time, own several properties and have a large KiwiSaver balance and still get the full rate. The exceptions are narrow: an overseas government pension can reduce it, and the old partner-included rate (closed to new applicants since November 2020) is income tested. See working after 65 and NZ Super and tax.

Raising the age to 67 has been proposed by some parties. That is NOT LAW; the age today is 65. See NZ Super and the 2026 election.

The residence rule, by date of birth

To qualify you must have lived in New Zealand for a set number of years since age 20. The years do not need to be in a row. At least 5 of them must be after you turned 50. For many years the total was 10. Since 1 July 2024 it has been rising in steps, under the Fair Residency changes passed in 2021. People already getting NZ Super before 1 July 2024 are not affected.

Source: Work and Income, "Who can get NZ Super" (updated 22 July 2026). The "Turns 65" column is our own, worked out from the birth dates. Work and Income's own example: someone born on 28 March 1961 needs at least 11 years in New Zealand from age 20, including 5 from age 50.

If you do not meet the requirement at 65, you are not shut out for good. You can apply as soon as you do.

The five years after 50

The second test catches people who lived here when young, moved away, and came back late. Even with decades of New Zealand residence in your twenties and thirties, you need at least 5 years in New Zealand after your 50th birthday. If you return at 62, the earliest you can meet that is 67, whatever your total.

The two tests run side by side. You qualify at whichever is later: 65, the date your total reaches the number in the table, or the date you have 5 years since 50.

Worked examples

We ran these through the residence check in our engine, which assumes you live in New Zealand from now on.

Priya: arrived at 58

Priya was born on 15 September 1966 and moved to New Zealand at 58. She is 60 now with 2 years here. Her birth date puts her in the 14-year band. At 65 she will have 7 years, enough for the "5 since 50" test but not the total. She reaches 14 years at 72, seven years after her 65th birthday, and can get NZ Super from then if she stays.

Mark: home after 14 years away

Mark was born on 15 May 1962 and lived in New Zealand for 28 years from age 20 before working overseas from 48. He came home at 62 and is now 64. His total is 30 years, far above the 12 he needs. But he has only 2 years since turning 50, so he must wait until he has 5: he qualifies at 67, not 65.

Aroha: lifelong resident

Aroha was born on 15 January 1972 and has lived in New Zealand all her life. She needs 17 years, has more than 30 already, and will qualify on her 65th birthday on 15 January 2037.

The NZ Super calculator runs the same check for you: enter your age and the years you have lived here since 20. The when can I retire calculator then plans around the date NZ Super actually starts, which matters for the bridge years.

Other routes: overseas time and social security agreements

Some time outside New Zealand can count. Work and Income lists:

• Social Security Agreement countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey, Malta, the Netherlands, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Time there can help you meet the residence test, and the agreement may decide how much New Zealand pays.
• The Realm of New Zealand: time in the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau can count.
• Refugees and protected persons have a different method. Ask Work and Income.

If you receive a pension from another country, it may be deducted from your NZ Super. If you plan to live overseas after 65, different rules apply again; see NZ Super and moving overseas.

What this means for your plan

For anyone who has lived in New Zealand most of their adult life, nothing changes: you qualify at 65. The rising requirement matters most for people who migrate here in their 40s or later, and for New Zealanders who spend much of their 50s overseas.

If you will qualify after 65, your savings must carry you for longer. A single person living alone misses $555.15 a week after tax for each year without NZ Super, which is $28,867.80 a year. A couple where only one partner qualifies gets $427.04 a week for that partner. Build those years into your plan rather than assuming 65.

A few more points worth knowing:

• Your partner's eligibility is separate. A younger partner, or one with fewer years here, qualifies on their own timetable.
• Citizenship is not currently required. NZ First proposed limiting NZ Super to citizens, and the Green Party proposed restoring a 10-year requirement. Both are NOT LAW.
• Keep records of when you arrived and left. Passport stamps, visas and travel history make the application quicker.

This is general information, not financial advice. Work and Income decides eligibility when you apply.

Questions

How many years do I need to live in NZ to get NZ Super?

It depends on your date of birth: from 10 years (born on or before 30 June 1959) up to 20 years (born on or after 1 July 1977), counted from age 20, and always including 5 years since age 50.

Do the years have to be in a row?

No. Work and Income adds up all the time you have lived in New Zealand since age 20. Only the 5 years after 50 have a fixed window.

Can I get NZ Super if I am still working?

Yes. NZ Super is not income or asset tested for you. Your tax code may change, but the entitlement does not.

What if I do not meet the residence rule at 65?

You can apply as soon as you meet it. Until then you would rely on savings, work, or other Work and Income support you may qualify for.