If you've worked in Australia, you have superannuation savings. Here's how to get your money back when you leave.

What Is Superannuation?

Super is retirement savings paid into a fund for eligible workers. The contribution rate and eligibility rules can change, so check the linked ATO super-guarantee guidance before relying on a percentage.

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How Much Do I Have?

Check Your Super Balance

1. Log into myGov and link ATO
2. Go to the ATO portal then Super tab
3. You'll see all your super accounts and balances

Common Issue: Multiple Accounts

If you've had multiple jobs, you might have multiple super accounts. Consider consolidating them into one to avoid paying multiple fees.

Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP)

Who Can Claim?

You can claim your super if:

• You're leaving Australia permanently
• Your visa has expired or been cancelled
• You were a temporary resident (student visa, working holiday, etc.)
• You're not an Australian or NZ citizen or permanent resident

How Much Will You Get?

Important: A tax rate of 65% applies to DASP for working holiday visa holders, and 35-45% for student visa holders on the taxable component.

How to Apply

1. Leave Australia — your visa must be expired/cancelled
2. Wait 6 months after departure (recommended for smoother processing)
3. Visit ato.gov.au and search "DASP"
4. Complete the online application
5. Provide identity documents:
   • Passport copy
   • Visa evidence
   • Super fund details
   • Australian bank account (or overseas account)

Processing Time

• Usually 28 days to process
• Payment via electronic transfer
• May take longer if verification needed

Tips to Maximize Your Super

While Working

• Choose a low-fee super fund
• Consolidate multiple accounts
• Check your employer is actually paying super (they must by law)

Before Leaving

• Note down your super fund details
• Keep all payslips
• Ensure your address is updated
• Keep your TFN accessible

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to claim (your super stays in Australia forever otherwise)
• Not consolidating accounts (losing money to fees)
• Applying before your visa expires (will be rejected)

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Bottom line: Your super is YOUR money. Don't leave Australia without claiming it. Even a few months of work can add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars.

What super is and who gets it

Superannuation is compulsory retirement savings your employer pays on top of your wage. As of 2026 the Superannuation Guarantee rate is 12 percent of ordinary time earnings, and it applies to almost every employee including casual staff and international students. There is no minimum monthly earnings threshold anymore - if you are paid wages, super is payable.

It is not deducted from your pay. If your payslip shows super being taken out of your hourly rate, that is wrong and worth querying.

Check you are actually being paid it

1. Every payslip must show the super amount and the fund it is going to.
2. Employers only have to transfer the money quarterly, so allow a lag.
3. Log into your fund (or myGov, ATO, Super) and confirm the contributions have landed.
4. If they have not, use the ATO's unpaid super enquiry form. Unpaid super is one of the most common forms of underpayment affecting student workers, and the ATO pursues it.

Avoid ending up with five accounts

Every new job will offer to open a new fund. Do not let them. Since stapling was introduced, your existing fund follows you automatically - just give each new employer a superannuation standard choice form with your existing fund details.

Multiple accounts mean multiple sets of administration fees and insurance premiums eating a balance you will eventually withdraw. Consolidate through myGov in a few minutes.

Also review the insurance inside your fund. Default death and disability cover can cost several hundred dollars a year, which is money out of a balance you plan to take home. Some funds let you opt out; weigh that against your own circumstances.

Claiming your super when you leave: DASP

When you leave Australia permanently and your temporary visa has expired or been cancelled, you can claim a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment.

Requirements:

• You held a temporary visa (student 500 counts)
• You have left Australia
• Your visa has ceased to be in effect
• You are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident

How to apply:

1. Use the ATO's free DASP online application system. Never pay an agent - there are paid services charging 20 to 30 percent for a form you can complete yourself.
2. Apply after you have departed and your visa has ceased. You can start the application while still in Australia but it cannot be finalised.
3. Provide your passport, TFN, visa details and fund member numbers.
4. If your balance is under 5,000 dollars, you generally do not need certified documents.

Tax on DASP - the number that surprises people

DASP is taxed at the point of payment:

Component	Tax rate
Taxed element (most student super)	35%
Untaxed element	45%
Working Holiday Maker (417/462) contributions	65%

The 65 percent rate applies only if you ever held a working holiday visa - and once it applies, it applies to the whole payment. If you moved from a WHV to a student visa, be aware of this before you plan around the balance.

Payment usually arrives within 28 days of a complete application, to an Australian bank account or by cheque or international transfer.

If you stay

If you get permanent residency, your super stays invested and becomes your actual retirement savings. Consolidate, check the fees, and look at the investment option - most funds default to a balanced option which is reasonable for a long horizon.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to claim? If you do not claim within six months of your visa ceasing and departing, your fund transfers the money to the ATO as unclaimed super. You can still claim it from the ATO, but it stops earning investment returns.

Do I get super on overtime and weekend shifts? Super is payable on ordinary time earnings. Weekend penalty rates on ordinary hours count; genuine overtime generally does not.

I never gave my employer a fund. Where is my money? Either in a stapled fund you already had, or in the employer's default fund. Check myGov, ATO, Super - it lists every account in your name.