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What happens to Medicare and health insurance when Australians retire overseas?An Australian permanent resident who moves overseas stays enrolled in Medicare for 12 months from the date they first left Australia, according to Services Australia. A permanent resident who lives ov…
What happens to the Age Pension and estate when a pensioner dies overseas?The death of an Australian overseas can be reported to the nearest Australian embassy, high commission or consulate, or to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) Consular Emergency Centr…
Retiring overseas from Australia: tax residency, super and Age Pension rulesA retiree who moves overseas stops being an Australian resident for tax purposes when they no longer reside in Australia and do not meet any of the three statutory tests, according to the Australian T…Section 01 · Payment frequency
How often is the Age Pension paid to people living overseas?
The Age Pension is paid every four weeks to people who live outside Australia long term, according to Services Australia1. A recipient who intends to be away for less than 12 months continues to receive fortnightly payments into an Australian bank account, while a recipient who intends to be away for more than 12 months is paid every four weeks into an Australian or overseas bank account2.
Each four-weekly payment covers the four weeks ending the day before its issue date. For example, the payment issued on 15 October 2026 covers 17 September to 14 October 20261. A direct deposit is available within six days of issue. If a payment has not arrived within 10 days, Services Australia directs recipients to contact their bank first, followed by Centrelink International Services.
The payment schedule has 16 issue dates from 15 October 2026 to 9 December 2027, including 13 in 20271. Each listed direct deposit date is six days after its issue date.
According to the Department of Social Services Social Security Guide, most recipients paid by Centrelink International Services receive direct deposits into an overseas bank account3. Payment by cheque to an overseas address is possible in exceptional circumstances where cheques are accepted in the recipient's country.
The Age Pension can be paid outside Australia for any length of time, provided the recipient continues to qualify and the pension remains payable4.
The maximum basic rate for a single person living outside Australia is A$29,520.40 a year from 20 September 2026, equivalent to the fortnightly maximum basic rate of A$1,135.40 over a full year51. This equals A$2,270.80 per four-weekly payment, before any reductions under the income and assets tests or for a shorter period of Australian residence5.
A couple who are both eligible can receive a combined maximum basic rate of A$44,506.80 a year outside Australia1.
When do Age Pension payments change after leaving Australia?
The Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement paid in Australia stop from the date a recipient leaves to live in another country, and the Pensioner Concession Card is cancelled6.
From departure
Leaving to live in another country
The outside Australia rate applies from the date of departure.
From departure
Absence intended to last more than 12 months
Payments are made every four weeks into an Australian or overseas bank account.
6 weeks
Temporary absence of 6 weeks or more
The Energy Supplement stops and the Pensioner Concession Card is cancelled.
12 weeks
Temporary absence of 12 weeks or more
The Pension Supplement stops.
26 weeks
After 26 weeks outside Australia
The rate depends on Australian working life residence, the time lived in Australia between age 16 and Age Pension age. With 35 years or more, the rate generally does not change, and with 10 years it is generally 10/35ths of the full rate.
Source · Services Australia, When you leave Australia if you get Age Pension; Payments while outside Australia.
| Age Pension four-weekly payment schedule for people living outside Australia, October 2026 to December 2027 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Issue date | Direct deposit available | Period the payment covers |
| 15 October 2026 | 21 October 2026 | 17 September to 14 October 2026 |
| 12 November 2026 | 18 November 2026 | 15 October to 11 November 2026 |
| 10 December 2026 | 16 December 2026 | 12 November to 9 December 2026 |
| 7 January 2027 | 13 January 2027 | 10 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 |
| 4 February 2027 | 10 February 2027 | 7 January to 3 February 2027 |
| 4 March 2027 | 10 March 2027 | 4 February to 3 March 2027 |
| 1 April 2027 | 7 April 2027 | 4 March to 31 March 2027 |
| 29 April 2027 | 5 May 2027 | 1 April to 28 April 2027 |
| 27 May 2027 | 2 June 2027 | 29 April to 26 May 2027 |
| 24 June 2027 | 30 June 2027 | 27 May to 23 June 2027 |
| 22 July 2027 | 28 July 2027 | 24 June to 21 July 2027 |
| 19 August 2027 | 25 August 2027 | 22 July to 18 August 2027 |
| 16 September 2027 | 22 September 2027 | 19 August to 15 September 2027 |
| 14 October 2027 | 20 October 2027 | 16 September to 13 October 2027 |
| 11 November 2027 | 17 November 2027 | 14 October to 10 November 2027 |
| 9 December 2027 | 15 December 2027 | 11 November to 8 December 2027 |
Source · Services Australia, Payment schedule and rates for people outside Australia.
The maximum rates, income limits and asset limits that apply outside Australia are set out in how much Age Pension is paid to Australians living overseas.
Section 02 · Bank accounts
Which bank accounts can receive the Age Pension outside Australia?
Age Pension recipients living outside Australia can receive payments by direct deposit into an Australian or overseas bank account, according to Services Australia1.
An overseas account is registered using the international bank account form (AUS178) for the country where the account is held. A bank document confirming the account details is also required7. The account must be in the recipient's name or be a joint account with another person8. Some countries require additional identification details, and the details provided must match the bank's records7.
Banks in some countries also require information such as the recipient's home address, telephone number or personal identification7. Missing information can delay payments, or result in a bank rejecting them.
Recipients paid into an overseas account are responsible for any fees or bank charges associated with accessing their funds outside Australia2.
A payment nominee who receives the pension on a recipient's behalf must complete the international bank account form (AUS178) and the form authorising someone to act on the recipient's behalf outside Australia (AUS221)8.
Services Australia may not be able to make payments to recipients in six countries with payment restrictions: Cuba, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Sudan and Syria7.
| Age Pension paid outside Australia into an Australian or an overseas bank account | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feature | Australian bank account | Bank account outside Australia |
| Currency paid | Australian dollars | Local currency, euros or US dollars, as stated on the AUS178 form for the country |
| Currency conversion | Not converted; paid in Australian dollars | Organised by the Reserve Bank of Australia at the exchange rate at the time of payment |
| Payment frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 4 weeks |
| Time to reach the account | Available within 6 days of issue | Available within 6 days of issue, usually 2 to 6 days |
| Form for the account | Not applicable | AUS178 form for the country, with a bank statement |
| Fees | Not stated | Recipient pays any fees or bank charges, including any fee the bank charges to receive the payment |
Source · Services Australia, Payment schedule and rates for people outside Australia; Payments while outside Australia; International bank account form (AUS178).
Section 03 · Currency conversion
Which currency is the Age Pension paid in outside Australia?
Age Pension payments into an overseas bank account are made in local currency, euros or US dollars, depending on the country7. The six international bank account forms (AUS178) list 233 countries and regions, and each form states the currency of payment. There are 164 entries on the local currency forms, 36 on the US dollar forms and 35 on the euro forms. Two places appear on more than one form.
Payments to accounts in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and New Zealand are made in local currency, while payments to accounts in the Philippines, China and Cambodia are made in US dollars7. Accounts in Spain, Italy, Greece and the other countries and regions listed on the euro forms receive payments in euros.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) arranges the currency conversion using the exchange rate at the time of payment2. Payments usually reach an overseas account in two to six days. Pension rates are set in Australian dollars, so the amount paid in another currency varies with the exchange rate1.
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the end-of-month value of A$1 ranged from US$0.6533 in November 2025 to US$0.7166 in August 2026, according to the RBA9. At those indicative rates, a payment of A$2,270.80 would have been worth US$1,483.51 in November 2025 and US$1,627.26 in August 2026, a difference of US$143.75. These amounts are illustrative calculations and do not represent the exchange rate applied to an actual pension payment.
Among the six currencies compared from October 2025 to September 2026, the Thai baht recorded the widest range in the value of A$19. Its highest end-of-month value was 13.0% above its lowest, compared with 6.9% for the Malaysian ringgit, which had the narrowest range.
Over the longer period from January 2010 to September 2026, the US dollar value of A$1 ranged from US$1.0954 in July 2011 to US$0.6175 in March 20209.
| Value of A$1 in six payment currencies, lowest and highest end-of-month rates, October 2025 to September 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currency | Example countries | Lowest | Highest | Range (%) |
| US dollar | United States, the Philippines, China | 0.6533 November 2025 | 0.7166 August 2026 | 9.7 |
| Euro | Spain, Italy, Greece | 0.5638 November 2025 | 0.6182 August 2026 | 9.6 |
| Pound sterling | United Kingdom | 0.4935 November 2025 | 0.5331 May 2026 | 8.0 |
| Thai baht | Thailand | 21.02 November 2025 | 23.76 August 2026 | 13.0 |
| Malaysian ringgit | Malaysia | 2.6981 November 2025 | 2.8841 August 2026 | 6.9 |
| New Zealand dollar | New Zealand | 1.1425 November 2025 | 1.2351 September 2026 | 8.1 |
Source · Reserve Bank of Australia, Exchange Rates, Monthly, Statistical Table F11; Services Australia, International bank account form (AUS178).
The effect of exchange rate movements on the pension's value in other currencies is covered in how exchange rates change the value of the Age Pension overseas.
Section 04 · Reporting changes
Which changes must Age Pension recipients report while living overseas?
Age Pension recipients living overseas must report changes in their circumstances to Services Australia within 14 days, as recipients in Australia must10. Some changes can affect their payment or concession cards while overseas2.
Nine changes must be reported:
- a change or correction of name
- a change of address
- the sale of the principal home
- a change in the recipient's income or assets
- a change in a partner's income or assets
- no longer living with a partner
- marrying or starting to live with a partner
- the death of a partner
- leaving the country, temporarily or to live somewhere else10.
A recipient who does not report a change on time may be overpaid and required to repay the money10. Deliberately failing to report a change can lead to a fraud charge. Recipients with employment income while overseas must report it by phone2.
Services Australia provides separate forms for reporting some changes. These include the Separation details outside Australia form (AUS184), Partner details form (AUS174) and international bank account form (AUS178) for new or changed overseas accounts11.
What is the Proof of Life review for recipients over 80?
Recipients over 80 who live overseas may be sent a Proof of Life Certificate to sign in person in front of an authorised person and return by the due date12. Payments stop if the certificate is not returned on time. A new form is sent every two years.
According to the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), Proof of Life reviews apply to recipients over 80 who have lived continuously outside Australia for at least two years13. Between 2021–22 and 2023–24, 44,091 reviews were completed. Reviews began in January 2020, were paused in July 2020 and restarted in July 2021.
| Forms used to report changes from outside Australia | |
|---|---|
| Change or situation | Form |
| Paying the pension into a bank account outside Australia, or changing it | International bank account form (AUS178) |
| Telling Services Australia about a partner | Partner details (AUS174) |
| Separating from a partner | Separation details outside Australia (AUS184) |
| Authorising someone to enquire or act on the recipient's behalf | Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf (outside Australia) (AUS221) |
| Confirming location in a country with a social security agreement | Certification of location (AUS172) |
| Confirming periods of working life residence in Australia | Verification of working life residence in Australia (AUS027) |
| Recipients older than 80 living overseas, when sent | Proof of Life Certificate |
Source · Services Australia, International forms for individuals; Proof of Life compliance reviews.
Section 05 · Keeping in touch
How do Age Pension recipients overseas contact Services Australia?
Age Pension recipients outside Australia can call Centrelink International Services using free-call numbers available in 23 countries, according to Services Australia14. Recipients in other countries, or those unable to use a listed free-call number, can call +61 3 6222 3455, which is not free. The lines are open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, or Australian Eastern Daylight Time during daylight saving months.
Services Australia may stop a recipient's payment or cancel their concession card if it cannot contact them while they are outside Australia2. For recipients undergoing Proof of Life reviews, outdated contact details may prevent Services Australia from reaching them, which can result in payments stopping12.
Recipients need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov before leaving Australia to access letters and online services while overseas2. Centrelink International Services also accepts written contact by fax on +61 2 6124 8813 from outside Australia or by post to PO Box 7809, Canberra BC ACT 261015.
A recipient can authorise a person or organisation outside Australia to deal with Services Australia on their behalf using the AUS221 form1. Within Australia, Centrelink International Services can be contacted on 131 67314.
| Centrelink International Services free-call numbers by country | |
|---|---|
| Country | Free-call number |
| Austria | 0800 295 165 |
| Canada | 1888 2557 493 |
| China (north) | 10 800 6100 427 |
| China (south) | 10 800 2611 309 |
| Denmark | 8088 3556 |
| Germany | 0800 1802 482 |
| Greece | 0080 0611 26209 |
| India | 000 800 61 01098 |
| Indonesia | 001 803 61 035 |
| Ireland | 1800 200 333 |
| Italy | 800 781 977 |
| Korea, Republic of | 003 081 32326 |
| Netherlands | 0800 0224 364 |
| New Zealand | 0800 441 248 |
| Philippines | 1800 1611 0046 |
| Poland | 00800 6111 220 |
| Portugal | 800 861 122 |
| Singapore | 800 6167 015 |
| Spain | 900 951 547 |
| Thailand | 001 800 611 4136 |
| Turkey | 00 800 6190 5703 |
| United Arab Emirates | 800 061 04319 |
| United Kingdom | 0800 1695 865 |
| United States of America | 1866 3433 086 |
| All other countries | +61 3 6222 3455 (not free) |
Source · Services Australia, Phone us.
Section 06 · Tax
Is the Age Pension taxed when the recipient lives overseas?
The Age Pension is a taxable payment, according to Services Australia5. Australian pensions may need to be declared in an Australian tax return by recipients who are foreign residents for tax purposes, unless an exemption applies under Australian tax law or a tax treaty, according to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)16.
Foreign residents for tax purposes cannot claim the tax-free threshold and do not pay the Medicare levy16. For the 2025–26 income year, the foreign resident tax rate was 30% on taxable income up to $135,000, 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000 and 45% on taxable income above $190,00017.
The tax on an Age Pension paid overseas depends on the recipient's residency for tax purposes and on any tax treaty between Australia and the country of residence16. Services Australia does not automatically deduct tax from the Age Pension, and a recipient can request deductions as a percentage of the payment or a fixed dollar amount18.
| Foreign resident tax rates, Australia, 2025-26 | |
|---|---|
| Taxable income | Tax on this income |
| $0 – $135,000 | 30c for each $1 |
| $135,001 – $190,000 | $40,500 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000 |
| $190,001 and over | $60,850 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000 |
Source · Australian Taxation Office, Tax rates for foreign residents.
How Australia's tax treaties allocate the taxing of a retiree's pension in selected retirement destinations is covered in how Australia, Thailand, Poland and Malaysia tax a retiree's pension and investment income.
Section 07
Age Pension paid overseas: quick answers
How frequently is the Age Pension paid to recipients living abroad?
The Age Pension is paid every four weeks to people who live outside Australia long term, and each payment covers the four weeks before its issue date. A direct deposit payment is available within six days of being issued, according to Services Australia.
Can the Age Pension be paid into an overseas bank account?
The Age Pension can be paid into a bank account held outside Australia, in local currency, euros or US dollars depending on the country, or into an Australian account in Australian dollars. An overseas account is registered with the international bank account form (AUS178) for the country, with a copy of a bank document showing the account details.
What exchange rate is used to convert the Age Pension paid overseas?
The Reserve Bank of Australia arranges the conversion using the exchange rate at the time of payment. A payment usually reaches an overseas account in two to six days, and the recipient pays any bank fees or charges.
Do Age Pension recipients living overseas have to report changes?
Age Pension recipients living overseas must report changes in circumstances, such as a new address, a change in income or assets or a change in relationship, within 14 days. Recipients over 80 who live outside Australia may also be sent a Proof of Life Certificate every two years, and the payment stops if it is not returned by the due date.
How do Age Pension recipients overseas contact Centrelink?
Centrelink International Services has free-call numbers in 23 countries and can be called on +61 3 6222 3455 from any other country, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, or Australian Eastern Daylight Time when daylight saving applies. Recipients can also write, fax or use a Centrelink online account linked to myGov.
Do Age Pension recipients living overseas pay Australian tax on the pension?
The Age Pension is a taxable payment, and foreign residents for tax purposes may need to declare Australian pension income unless an exemption applies under Australian tax law or a tax treaty. Foreign residents have no tax-free threshold, and the 2025–26 foreign resident tax rate was 30% on taxable income up to $135,000.
How many Age Pension recipients live overseas?
Services Australia and the Australian National Audit Office do not publish a count of the Age Pension recipients who live outside Australia. Services Australia reports that about 75,550 people received an Australian pension under an international social security agreement at 30 June 202519, without stating how many of them lived overseas.
References
- Services Australia, Payment schedule and rates for people outside Australia: Age Pension · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c d e f g h
- Services Australia, Payments while outside Australia (Age Pension) · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c d e f g
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 3.10.3.40 · guides.dss.gov.au ↑
- Department of Social Services, Social Security Guide 7.1.2, Payments with unlimited portability · guides.dss.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, How much Age Pension you can get (rates from 20 September 2026) · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c
- Services Australia, When you leave Australia if you get Age Pension · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, International bank account form (AUS178) · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c d e f
- Services Australia, International bank account form (AUS178): Local currency account - all (August 2026) · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b
- Reserve Bank of Australia, Exchange Rates: Statistical Table F11 (monthly) · Reserve Bank of Australia ↑ b c
- Services Australia, Change of circumstances when you get Age Pension · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b c
- Services Australia, International forms for individuals · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, Proof of Life compliance reviews if you're older than 80 and live overseas · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b
- Australian National Audit Office, Administration of the Age Pension, Auditor-General Report No. 20 2025-26 · anao.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, Phone us · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑ b
- Services Australia, Write to us · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑
- Australian Taxation Office, Foreign and temporary resident income · ato.gov.au ↑ b c
- ATO, Tax rates: foreign residents · ato.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, Deduct tax from your payment · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑
- Services Australia, Annual Report 2024-25 · servicesaustralia.gov.au ↑