By Chaice Paterson, CEO & Founder, Low Deposit Homes | Updated July 2026
Yes — under the Trans-Tasman Retirement Savings Portability Scheme (in effect since 1 July 2013), New Zealand citizens permanently moving to Australia can transfer their entire KiwiSaver balance to an Australian superannuation fund tax-free. The transfer typically takes 2-6 weeks, must include the full balance (no partial transfers), and lands in your Australian super as a non-concessional contribution subject to the $120,000 per year cap. Once it’s in your Australian super, the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) lets you release eligible voluntary contributions — but with an important constraint: only $15,000 of any single year’s contributions (including the KiwiSaver transfer itself) counts toward FHSSS release per financial year, with a $50,000 lifetime cap per person. This guide is part of our complete guide to moving from New Zealand to Australia.
How does the Trans-Tasman Retirement Savings Portability Scheme actually work?
The scheme is administered jointly by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Inland Revenue New Zealand. The core mechanics:
Who is eligible:
- You must have permanently emigrated to Australia (you’ll sign a statutory declaration confirming this)
- Your KiwiSaver provider must participate in Trans-Tasman portability (most major providers do, but confirm)
- Your receiving Australian super fund must be APRA-regulated and complying (most major Australian super funds — but not SMSFs)
What you can transfer: your entire KiwiSaver balance (no partial transfers). The transferred amount lands in your Australian super, tracked separately as the “NZ-sourced amount”.
What it costs: the transfer itself is tax-free in both countries. Some providers charge a small administration fee (typically $0-$100) — check both sides.
How long it takes: typically 2-6 weeks from initiation to funds landing. It can take longer if a provider is slow with paperwork or documentation is missing. Start early — don’t wait until you need the deposit.
How does the KiwiSaver transfer become deposit money?
Your KiwiSaver lands in your Australian super as a non-concessional contribution. From there, eligible voluntary contributions can be released via the First Home Super Saver Scheme to fund your deposit — but with a critical per-year cap most Kiwis don’t realise:
- $15,000 per financial year of voluntary contributions can count toward release (the binding constraint)
- $50,000 lifetime maximum release per person
- The release includes eligible contributions plus deemed earnings calculated by the ATO
The $15,000 cap is the constraint that catches Kiwis. Per ATO guidance, amounts transferred from a KiwiSaver scheme count toward the $15,000 annual FHSSS limit for the year they’re transferred, and you cannot split a single transfer across years to avoid the limit. So if you transfer $80,000 of KiwiSaver in a single year, only $15,000 counts toward FHSSS that year. The remaining $65,000 stays in your Australian super — not lost (it counts toward retirement), but not immediately accessible as deposit either.
Timing rules: apply for an FHSSS determination via myGov (provided instantly). For determinations made on or after 15 September 2024, you have 90 days from contract signing to notify the ATO. The release request can happen before signing (you request, then have a window to sign), and the release takes 15-25 business days to process.
What does this look like for a first home buyer?
Take an illustrative Kiwi family who moved to South East Queensland with $95,000 of KiwiSaver between two partners ($50K + $45K) plus $30,000 cash, debt-free. Their strategy: both start Australian healthcare employment within weeks of arrival; initiate the KiwiSaver transfer on arrival (~4 weeks); after a few months of Australian payslip history, apply for pre-approval; apply for FHSSS determinations via myGov before contract signing; sign a land contract for a Burpengary new build around $870K. Each spouse releases $15,000 + deemed earnings (~$16,000 each) via FHSSS = approximately $32,000 combined; plus $30K savings = ~$62,000 on hand, covering the 5% deposit (~$43,500) plus ~$4,000 fees with a buffer. The remaining ~$63,000 of combined KiwiSaver stays in Australian super for retirement.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I have to transfer my KiwiSaver to Australia? Can I just leave it in NZ?
You can leave it in NZ — there’s no requirement to transfer. But if you intend to use those funds for your first Australian home, the transfer is the only path to FHSSS release.
Q: What if I return to NZ later — can I transfer back?
Yes, the scheme works both ways under the same Trans-Tasman portability framework.
Q: My partner has KiwiSaver too — should we transfer both?
Yes, typically. Each of you has separate Australian super accounts and separate FHSSS caps ($50,000 lifetime per person).
Start your Australian first home buyer journey
Book a free 15-minute consultation — book your free call | 1800 920 172. Check what you qualify for with the free Grant Eligibility Calculator, and see what repayments look like with the Borrowing Power Calculator. For real deposit numbers suburb by suburb, see our first home buyer guides for Springfield Lakes and Yarrabilba in QLD, or Truganina and Clyde North in VIC — examples of the growth corridors we build in across QLD and VIC.
Low Deposit Homes operates under Winning Homes Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 633 321 758). All calculations are indicative. This is not financial advice.