Departing Australia superannuation payment: how to claim your super

If you worked in Australia on a temporary resident visa, you can usually claim eligible super as a departing Australia superannuation payment, or DASP, after you leave and your visa has ceased. Prepare before departure, but wait to submit until you are outside Australia and no longer hold an active Australian visa. This guide covers the practical order of steps, from checking DASP eligibility and finding lost accounts to understanding tax, payout methods, and the safest way to move the money after approval.

This is general information only, not personal tax, migration, legal, or financial advice, and you should check the latest ATO and Home Affairs guidance before acting.

Key takeaways

• You can usually claim a DASP if you built up super while working in Australia on an eligible temporary visa, have now left Australia, and your visa has expired or been cancelled.
• You cannot submit a claim just because you booked a flight or finished work. Your departure and visa status both matter.
• It is worth tracing every super account before you leave, especially if you changed employers or have old member numbers missing.
• DASP tax is withheld before payment. Non-WHM and working holiday maker cases can be taxed very differently.
• ATO-held super can still be claimed, but payment options are narrower than some super fund payouts.
• Exchange costs, receiving fees, and account closures can reduce what you end up with.

This guide is for temporary residents, not everyone leaving Australia. If you need wider background on how super fits into the retirement system, see Pensions in Australia.

Step 1: Check whether you can claim a DASP

Start with the eligibility rules and your current visa position. A wrong assumption here can waste time later.

Who can claim and who cannot?

You can generally claim a departing Australia superannuation payment if you built up super while working in Australia on an eligible temporary resident visa, have now left Australia, and your visa has ceased. The ATO rule applies to temporary resident visas under the Migration Act, excluding subclasses 405 and 410, and you must not hold another active Australian visa when you submit the claim.

You cannot claim DASP if you are an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen. New Zealand citizens may need the Trans-Tasman retirement savings transfer route instead, depending on their circumstances.

Checklist:

• You worked in Australia on an eligible temporary visa.
• Employer super was paid into a super fund.
• You have left Australia.
• Your visa has expired or been cancelled.
• You do not hold another active Australian visa, including a tourist visa.

How does visa status affect timing?

Gather your details before you go, leave Australia, confirm that the visa has ceased, and then submit the claim. You can prepare or save information early, but you cannot lodge the claim while you are still in Australia or while an eligible visa remains active.

You can check whether a visa is still in effect through VEVO. If cancellation may apply to your case after departure, use the Home Affairs visa cancellation guidance and follow the official process.

Step 2: Find all your super and confirm nothing is missing

If you worked several jobs, treat this as a money-recovery step, not a formality. Temporary residents often leave money behind in small or forgotten accounts.

How do you find all your super accounts?

The ATO says you may have more than one super account if you worked for multiple employers. A missing member number does not usually end the process, because you can still trace accounts through the DASP online application system, ATO-linked services, or old fund statements.

A TFN is helpful because it can make matching easier, especially if you changed jobs often. Also keep old payslips, employer names, and any super emails or statements you still have.

Checklist:

• Check the DASP system for linked super accounts.
• Review myGov or ATO-linked super records if you still have access.
• Search old emails, statements, and payslips for fund names.
• List each fund, member number, and last known balance.

What should you check before you submit?

Confirm that each employer has paid the super they owed. Some contributions can still be in transit, so submitting too early may mean you claim one account while a later payment lands elsewhere.

Compare your fund records with your passport details as well. If the money stays unclaimed for 6 months after you left Australia and your visa ceased, the fund will generally transfer it to the ATO. You can still claim it there, but the payout route is usually narrower than a live fund payout. Tax residency and visa status are separate tests, and Non-resident tax in Australia explains that wider tax context.

• Check recent employer contributions.
• Match your name and date of birth across records.
• Confirm each member number.
• Note whether a balance is still with a fund or already ATO-held.

Step 3: Prepare your claim before you leave Australia

Prepare the claim while you are still in Australia, even though you cannot submit it yet. This is the easiest point to sort documents, certification, and payout details.

What documents and details do you need?

Most claims run more smoothly when you prepare one clean set of details before departure. The ATO recommends starting early, and some funds may ask for extra proof if records do not match or if the balance is higher.

Certified ID is the part many people underestimate. If a fund wants it, sorting it in Australia can be simpler than finding an accepted certifier overseas.

You will usually want:

• Passport details
• Visa details
• Super fund name
• Member number
• Account details for payout
• TFN, if available

If your super balance is AUD 5,000 or more, a fund may ask for certified ID. Fund-specific evidence rules vary, so check directly with each fund if you have more than one account.

When does online, paper, or representative help make sense?

The free online DASP route is usually the easiest choice because it can confirm immigration status automatically with Home Affairs. Paper claims are still available, but they can mean more documents, manual checks, and fees. If you make a paper claim directly to a super fund and the withdrawal benefit is AUD 5,000 or more, you generally need a Certification of Immigration Status from Home Affairs using Form 1194.

An authorised representative can help if you cannot manage the paperwork yourself, but you still need to give written authority and choose someone carefully.

Route	Best for	What you need	What to watch for
Online DASP system	Most straightforward claims	Passport, fund details, visa details, payout details	You can save early, but only submit after leaving and visa cessation
Paper form	Cases where online is not suitable	Certified ID, correct form, supporting evidence	Super funds may charge a fee and ask for more documents
Authorised representative	People who need practical help	Written authority and supporting records	They can update information on your behalf, so choose carefully

Step 4: Submit your claim through the right route

Once you are overseas and the visa has ceased, the focus shifts to entering matching details and answering any follow-up fast.

How do you submit a DASP claim online?

The online route is the main path for most people, and the ATO says it is free to use. It also reduces friction because Home Affairs status is checked in the process.

What if the fund or ATO asks for more evidence?

A follow-up request usually means a detail does not match, the balance is higher, or the fund wants certified ID before releasing the money. It does not automatically mean the claim has failed.

If you are already overseas, ask the fund who they accept as a certifier before you book anything. Reply quickly and keep copies of everything you send.

• Recheck names, dates of birth, and passport numbers.
• Ask exactly which document is missing or unclear.
• Confirm who can certify documents in your country.
• Send the reply promptly and keep copies.

Step 5: Understand tax, timing, and how your payout works

After approval, you still need to know how much tax is withheld, how long payment takes, and how the money will arrive.

How is DASP taxed?

DASP tax is withheld when the payment is made. At a high level, the payment can include a tax-free component, a taxed element, and in some cases an untaxed element. The ATO also applies a different DASP rate to working holiday maker cases.

Payment component	Non-WHM rate	WHM rate
Tax-free component	0%	0%
Taxable component, taxed element	35%	65%
Taxable component, untaxed element	45%	65%

A simplified example shows why this matters. If an AUD 10,000 DASP were entirely a taxed element, a non-WHM case would have AUD 3,500 withheld, leaving AUD 6,500 before any fund or transfer fees. A WHM case with the same fully taxed component would have AUD 6,500 withheld, leaving AUD 3,500. Your actual outcome can differ if part of the balance is tax-free or untaxed. If you held both a working holiday maker visa and another type of visa, the WHM rate can apply to the entire DASP when the payment includes super attributable to contributions made while you held the WHM visa.

DASP is not included in your Australian tax return as normal assessable income. The payer should issue a DASP payment summary within 14 days of payment. If you think too much tax was withheld, the dispute route depends on who paid the DASP, and you should not assume a refund is automatic.

For broader background, see The tax system in Australia.

How and when is the money paid?

The ATO says DASP is generally paid within 28 days of receiving a complete application. Delays usually come from incomplete forms, mismatched identity details, or extra document checks.

Payment options vary by route. Super funds may offer more choice than ATO-held super, which is why it helps to plan the payout before you submit.

• EFT to an Australian bank account is usually the simplest route.
• Some super funds can issue an Australian dollar cheque.
• Some super funds support international money transfer.
• ATO-held super is usually limited to an Australian bank account in your name or a cheque.

Step 6: Choose the safest way to receive and move the money

After tax is withheld, the remaining variables are delay, bank charges, and exchange rates. The rules on claiming are clear, but deciding how to receive the money is often the more practical part.

Which payout route makes most sense for your situation?

If the fund supports EFT to an Australian account, that is often the cleanest option. The risk is closing your Australian banking setup too early. Some people keep an account with a major local bank such as Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, or NAB open a little longer so the payout can land locally first. If you need a refresher on local account basics, see Banking in Australia or How to open a bank account in Australia.

International transfer can suit you if you no longer want an Australian account, but not every fund offers it and exchange costs can reduce the final amount. If you are comparing ways to receive money after payout, Best way to receive money from abroad in Australia gives broader context on bank transfers and cross-border options.

Route	When it may suit	What to watch for	Next check
Keep an Australian bank account open	Your fund pays by EFT and you want the simplest receipt route	Account closure timing and later transfer costs	Confirm the account can stay active long enough
Take an international transfer from the fund	Your fund supports it and you want money sent overseas directly	Fund fees, exchange costs, and slower handling	Ask the fund exactly which countries and account formats it accepts
Claim ATO-held super	Your money has already moved to the ATO	Fewer payout options, often no direct overseas route	Check whether you will need an Australian account or cheque handling

Where can a Wise account help after payout?

If your DASP has already been paid and you now need to hold AUD, convert to another supported currency, or send money abroad, a Wise account may be useful in some situations. Wise is a financial institution, not a bank, and features and availability vary by country. Fees apply, so check the current Wise account features and pricing and Wise Fees & Pricing before you choose a route.

Do not assume Wise can always receive DASP directly. That depends on the super fund or ATO payout method and the account details they accept, so verify the route first. For a closer look at the product itself, see Expatica’s Wise review in Australia.

• Hold AUD after payout if you are not ready to convert straight away.
• Convert to a supported currency when you know where the money needs to go.
• Send money abroad after the payout has reached an accepted account.
• Compare fees and available account details before relying on any one route.

Conclusion

Claiming a DASP is mainly about getting the sequence right: prepare before departure, leave Australia, confirm your visa has ceased, and then submit the claim through the appropriate route. Before lodging, trace every super account, check that recent employer contributions have arrived, and make sure your identity and fund records match. Tax withholding and payout options can materially affect the amount and route you ultimately receive. Keep your Australian payment setup open long enough if your fund or ATO route requires it, and verify any overseas transfer option before relying on it. For tax, migration, or complex fund questions, use the latest official guidance and professional advice where appropriate.

Sources

Expatica’s experts are all about providing the most up to date and accurate information. All guides are fact checked, and whenever we use external sources (like government websites or research papers) we’ll make a note of them here so you can check them out too.

1. DASP eligibility, timing, claim routes, tax rates, payment methods, and processing guidance, checked on 2 October 2026, Australian Taxation Office — Departing Australia superannuation payment
2. Online application route for departing Australia superannuation payments, Australian Taxation Office — DASP online application system
3. When former temporary resident super is transferred to the ATO and how ATO-held balances can still be claimed, checked on 2 October 2026, Australian Taxation Office — ATO-held super
4. Official guidance on voluntary visa cancellation after departure, checked on 2 October 2026, Department of Home Affairs — Cancelling a visa
5. Checking visa details, conditions, and whether a visa remains in effect, checked on 2 October 2026, Department of Home Affairs — VEVO
6. KiwiSaver transfer rules for New Zealand citizens and permanent moves to New Zealand, checked on 2 October 2026, Australian Taxation Office — Trans-Tasman retirement savings transfers
7. Official post-departure overview and support information, checked on 2 October 2026, Department of Home Affairs — Before and after you leave Australia
8. Wise Australia pricing, receiving options, account fees, and feature caveats used in the post-payout section, checked on 2 October 2026, Wise Fees & Pricing