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Which countries have a social security agreement with Australia?A social security agreement lets a person lodge a claim for certain pensions from Australia or the other country, regardless of which of the two countries they live in, according to the Department of…
How much Age Pension is paid to Australians living overseas?An Age Pension paid to a person who has been outside Australia for more than 26 weeks is generally paid without a residence-based reduction only if the person has 35 years of Australian working life r…
How do exchange rates change the value of the Age Pension overseas?The Age Pension for a single person living outside Australia is set in Australian dollars, with a maximum basic rate of A$29,520.40 a year from 20 September 2026, according to Services Australia. The…Section 01 · Portability
Does the Age Pension continue for pensioners who move overseas?
The Age Pension can generally continue to be paid for as long as a recipient is outside Australia, whether the absence is temporary or permanent, provided the person continues to qualify under the income and assets tests1.
For a temporary absence, payments can change at three points after departure, at 6, 12 and 26 weeks2.
Four circumstances can change the Age Pension rate outside Australia:2
- the length of the absence
- a change in income or assets
- the years of Australian residence between age 16 and Age Pension age
- payment under a social security agreement with another country.
Less than 6 weeks outside Australia
The Age Pension rate generally stays the same.
6 weeks
The Energy Supplement stops and the Pensioner Concession Card is cancelled.
12 weeks
The Pension Supplement stops.
26 weeks
The rate depends on Australian working life residence, and Rent Assistance stops. Less than 35 years of residence generally means a proportional rate.
Source · Services Australia, When you leave Australia if you get Age Pension; Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.1.1 and 7.1.2.
Section 02 · After 6 weeks
When do the Energy Supplement and Pensioner Concession Card stop overseas?
On a temporary absence, the Energy Supplement stops once an Age Pension recipient has been outside Australia for 6 weeks, and the Pensioner Concession Card is cancelled at the same point24. The Energy Supplement is $14.10 a fortnight for a single pensioner from 20 September 2026, and $10.60 a fortnight for each member of a couple5.
A replacement card can be issued after the person returns to Australia, provided they still qualify for it1.
Pensioner Concession Card holders pay the concessional co-payment for medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). In 2026, a concession card holder pays up to $7.70 for a PBS prescription, compared with up to $25.00 for a general patient6.
The PBS Safety Net threshold in 2026 is $277.20 for concession card holders, compared with $1,748.20 for general patients6. Once a concession card holder reaches the threshold, further PBS prescriptions are generally free for the rest of the calendar year.
Other concessions linked to the card, such as state, territory and local government discounts, vary by state and territory and are not covered on this page.
| PBS patient co-payments and Safety Net thresholds, Australia, 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Measure | General patient | Concession card holder |
| Co-payment per PBS prescription | $25.006 | $7.706 |
| Safety Net threshold | $1,748.206 | $277.206 |
| Co-payment after reaching the Safety Net | $7.70 | Nil |
Source · Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Fees, patient contributions and safety net thresholds.
Section 03 · After 12 weeks
When does the Pension Supplement stop for Age Pension recipients overseas?
The Pension Supplement stops once an Age Pension recipient has been outside Australia for 12 weeks2. The maximum Pension Supplement is $88.20 a fortnight for a single pensioner from 20 September 2026, and $66.50 a fortnight for each member of a couple5.
From 20 September 2026, the full Pension Supplement is paid for up to 12 weeks of a temporary absence, up from 6 weeks7. After 12 weeks, the supplement stops completely1. Before 20 September 2026, a recipient who stayed overseas for more than 6 weeks kept the basic amount for the whole absence7.
For a single pensioner on the maximum rate, the fortnightly payment falls from $1,237.70 to $1,223.60 after 6 weeks outside Australia5. It falls to $1,135.40 after 12 weeks, a decrease of $102.30, or 8.3%. For each member of a couple, the payment falls from $933.00 to $922.40 and then $855.90.
| Maximum Age Pension per fortnight by time outside Australia, from 20 September 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time outside Australia | Single ($) | Couple, each ($) | Paid on top of the basic rate |
| Less than 6 weeks | 1,237.705 | 933.00 | Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement |
| 6 to 12 weeks | 1,223.60 | 922.40 | Pension Supplement |
| 12 to 26 weeks | 1,135.405 | 855.90 | Neither supplement |
Source · Services Australia, How much Age Pension you can get.
Section 04 · After 26 weeks
How is the Age Pension proportional rate worked out after 26 weeks overseas?
After 26 weeks outside Australia, an Age Pension recipient with less than 35 years of Australian working life residence generally receives a proportional rate8. The rate is based on the person's months of Australian working life residence, plus one month, divided by 42028. A recipient with at least 35 years of that residence generally keeps their rate.
Australian working life residence is the time a person was an Australian resident between age 16 and Age Pension age9. It is based on residence, not whether the person worked or paid tax during that period.
The proportional rate is the person's rate under the income and assets tests, excluding the supplements, multiplied by their months of Australian working life residence plus one month, then divided by 420. The figure of 420 represents 35 years in months8.
For a single pensioner, the maximum rate for people living outside Australia is $29,520.40 a year from 20 September 2026, equal to the maximum basic rate of $1,135.40 a fortnight3.
Recipients already paid outside Australia on 1 July 2014 generally keep the earlier 25-year rule8. Under that rule, 300 months of residence gives the full rate, provided the person has not been back in Australia for more than 26 weeks since that date2.
Rent Assistance also stops after 26 weeks outside Australia, or earlier if the person no longer pays rent in Australia1.
A recipient with no Australian working life residence, such as a person who first came to Australia after reaching Age Pension age, has a proportional rate of nil, so the pension is no longer payable after 26 weeks overseas8.
Worked example · 20 years of Australian working life residence
This is an example based on the maximum rate for a single person outside Australia from 20 September 2026. A pensioner with exactly 20 years of Australian working life residence has 240 months. The formula adds one month, giving 241 months out of 420, or 57.4%8 of the rate.
The example's proportional rate is $651.50 a fortnight, or $16,939.09 a year, compared with $1,135.40 a fortnight on the full rate3.
| Illustrative Age Pension proportional rate for a single person by years of Australian working life residence, from 20 September 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years of residence | Months used in the formula | Share of the rate payable (%) | Per fortnight ($) | Per year ($) |
| 10 | 121 | 28.8 | 327.10 | 8,504.69 |
| 15 | 181 | 43.1 | 489.30 | 12,721.89 |
| 20 | 241 | 57.4 | 651.50 | 16,939.09 |
| 25 | 301 | 71.7 | 813.70 | 21,156.29 |
| 30 | 361 | 86.0 | 975.90 | 25,373.49 |
| 35 or more | 420 | 100.0 | 1,135.40 | 29,520.40 |
Source · Services Australia, Payment schedule and rates for people outside Australia; DSS Social Security Guide 7.2.2.
Payment rates, income limits and asset limits for pensioners living outside Australia are covered in the Age Pension overseas rate article.
Section 05 · Agreement countries
How do social security agreements affect the Age Pension overseas?
A new Age Pension claim can be lodged from any of the 32 countries that have a social security agreement with Australia, according to the Department of Social Services, but not from a country without one1112. Under an agreement, a person can generally claim a pension from Australia or the partner country while living in either. Residence in Australia and contributions made in the partner country can also be combined to help meet the minimum qualifying period11.
A pension paid under an agreement follows the agreement's portability rules rather than the domestic rules, so the two-year rule for returning residents does not apply to it13. An Age Pension granted in Australia can still be paid in a country without an agreement, under the unlimited portability rules that apply to the Age Pension1.
Under the agreement with New Zealand, Age Pension payments can change from the date of arrival for a person who moves there or plans to stay more than 12 months, and otherwise after 26 weeks there2.
Australia signed an agreement with Uruguay on 26 August 2025, but it does not start until both countries complete the required legal and administrative steps14. Agreements with five more countries are under negotiation: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Lithuania, Mongolia and Sweden11.
Agreement country
A new Age Pension claim can be lodged from there
Residence in Australia and contributions there can be combined to qualify
A pension paid under the agreement follows the agreement's portability rules
Includes New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Ireland, Italy and Greece
There are 32 agreement countries
Non-agreement country
No new Age Pension claim can be lodged from there
A pension granted in Australia can continue to be paid
The 6-, 12- and 26-week rules apply
Includes the United Kingdom, whose agreement ended on 1 March 2001
This covers countries not included on Australia's agreement list
| Countries with a social security agreement with Australia, by region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Region | Agreement countries | Countries |
| Asia | India, Japan, Korea | 3 |
| Australasia | New Zealand | 1 |
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland | 25 |
| North America | Canada, United States of America | 2 |
| South America | Chile | 1 |
| Total | 3211 | |
Source · Department of Social Services, International social security agreements.
Section 06 · Claiming
Can the Age Pension be claimed after moving overseas?
The Age Pension can be claimed from overseas only by a person living in a country with a social security agreement with Australia, and a person moving to any other country cannot claim it from there12.
A person who is not yet receiving the Age Pension and is moving to a country without an agreement can claim before leaving Australia12.
A claim can be lodged up to 13 weeks before the person reaches Age Pension age, which is 671215. A person who claims before leaving must meet every qualification requirement on the day they reach Age Pension age12.
On the day of the claim, the person must generally be living in Australia, physically in Australia and an Australian resident, with exceptions for claims under a social security agreement16. The person also generally needs at least 10 years of Australian residence in total, including at least 5 years without a break.
A person who moves back to Australia, or to an agreement country, can then claim the Age Pension, provided they meet all the qualification rules12.
Section 07 · The two-year rule
What is the two-year rule for Age Pension recipients who return to Australia?
A former Australian resident who returns to live in Australia and is granted the Age Pension within two years generally cannot be paid the pension while overseas during the two years after resuming residence13. The rule has applied since 20 September 2000. A returning former resident can claim the Age Pension immediately on resuming residence, provided they meet the qualification rules16.
The two years start on the day the person becomes an Australian resident again13. Short trips while the person remains an Australian resident still count towards the two years.
A recipient who leaves Australia within the two years has the pension suspended on departure13. The pension can be restored if the person returns within 13 weeks of the suspension. After 13 weeks overseas, it is cancelled, and the person must claim again on return.
Section 08
Age Pension overseas: quick answers
Can you get the Australian Age Pension in New Zealand?
An Age Pension recipient can generally be paid in New Zealand under the social security agreement between the two countries. Under that agreement, payments can change from the date of arrival for a person who moves to New Zealand or plans to stay for more than 12 months, and otherwise after 26 weeks there.
How long can you travel overseas on the Age Pension?
The Age Pension can generally be paid during an overseas trip of any length, but the payment changes after 6, 12 and 26 weeks of a temporary absence. On the maximum rates from 20 September 2026, a single pensioner's fortnightly payment falls from $1,237.70 to $1,135.40 after 12 weeks outside Australia.
Do you lose your Pensioner Concession Card if you go overseas?
Yes, the Pensioner Concession Card is cancelled after 6 weeks of a temporary absence, or from the date of departure for a person who leaves Australia to live overseas. A replacement card can be issued after the person returns to Australia, provided they still qualify for it.
How much Age Pension do you get overseas with 20 years of residence?
A single pensioner with exactly 20 years of Australian working life residence generally receives 57.4% of their rate after 26 weeks overseas, based on 241 months out of 420. On the maximum rate from 20 September 2026, that is an illustrative $651.50 a fortnight, compared with $1,135.40 on the full rate.
Can you get the Australian Age Pension if you live in the UK?
An Age Pension granted in Australia can continue to be paid to a pensioner living in the United Kingdom, but a new claim cannot be lodged from there. Australia's social security agreement with the United Kingdom ended on 1 March 2001.
Can you claim the Age Pension from a country without an agreement?
No, a person living in a country without a social security agreement with Australia cannot claim the Age Pension from there, while a person living in one of the 32 agreement countries can. A person moving to a country without an agreement can claim before leaving Australia, up to 13 weeks before reaching Age Pension age, and generally needs to meet every qualification requirement on the day they reach that age.
References
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.1.2, Payments with unlimited portability · guides.dss.gov.au ↑ b c d e
- Services Australia, When you leave Australia if you get Age Pension · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c d e f g h i j
- Services Australia, Payment schedule and rates for people outside Australia: Age Pension · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c d
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.1.1, Portability table · guides.dss.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, How much Age Pension you can get (rates from 20 September 2026) · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c d e
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Fees, patient contributions and safety net thresholds · pbs.gov.au ↑ b c d e f
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.1.7, History of portability legislation · guides.dss.gov.au ↑ b
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.2.2, Proportional portability rate & AWLR · guides.dss.gov.au ↑ b c d e f
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 1.1.A.340, Australian working life residence (AWLR) · guides.dss.gov.au ↑
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.1.4, Portability extensions · guides.dss.gov.au ↑
- Department of Social Services, International social security agreements · dss.gov.au ↑ b c d e
- Services Australia, Retiring overseas · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c d e f g h
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.1.6, Portability for former Australian residents · guides.dss.gov.au ↑ b c d e
- Department of Social Services, International Social Security Agreement between Australia and Uruguay · dss.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, Who can get Age Pension · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, Residence rules for Age Pension · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b