A departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) is how former temporary residents get their super paid out after leaving Australia. You can claim once you have left the country, your temporary visa has expired or been cancelled and you hold no other Australian visa. The fund withholds a final tax first, usually 35% of the taxed part of your balance, or 65% if you were a working holiday maker.
Plenty of students, skilled workers and backpackers fly home with super still sitting in one or more funds. The money is yours, but it doesn’t arrive in your bank account on its own. You have to claim it.
This guide covers who can claim, how to apply, how much tax comes out and what happens if you leave it too long, with a worked example showing the difference the visa type makes.
Key takeaways
- You can only submit a DASP claim after you have left Australia and your temporary visa has expired or been cancelled.
- Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens can’t claim DASP.
- Tax withheld is 0% on the tax-free component, 35% on the taxed element and 45% on the untaxed element. Working holiday makers pay 65% on the taxable component.
- DASP is taxed at source. It doesn’t go in your Australian tax return.
- If you don’t claim within 6 months of leaving (and your visa has ceased), your fund can send the money to the ATO. You can still claim it from there.
Departing Australia superannuation payment at a glance
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| Who can claim | Former temporary visa holders (not subclass 405 or 410) who have left Australia and hold no active Australian visa |
| Who can’t claim | Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens |
| When you can submit | After you leave Australia and your visa has expired or been cancelled |
| Tax withheld (most visas) | Tax-free 0%, taxed element 35%, untaxed element 45% |
| Tax withheld (working holiday makers) | Tax-free 0%, taxable component 65% |
| How to apply | ATO online DASP application system, or paper form NAT 7204 (fund-held) or NAT 74880 (ATO-held) |
| Usual processing time | Generally within 28 days of a complete application |
| Payment summary | Issued within 14 days of payment |
| Unclaimed super | Can be transferred to the ATO 6 months or more after you leave, once your visa has ceased |
What is a departing Australia superannuation payment?
While you worked here, your employer generally had to pay super for you. The ATO says this doesn’t depend on your visa, as long as you had work rights. The super guarantee rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings for 2025-26 and 2026-27, so even a year or two of work can build a meaningful balance.
Normally super is locked away until retirement. DASP is the exception for people who came on a temporary visa and have now gone. It lets you take the balance as a lump sum once you have left, minus a final withholding tax.
It is a different process from an early release on hardship or compassionate grounds. If you are an Australian resident trying to access super early, our superannuation withdrawal support team can explain which release conditions might apply.
Who can claim DASP?
Eligibility for a departing Australia superannuation payment is all-or-nothing. According to the ATO’s DASP guidance, you must meet every one of these conditions:
- You built up super while in Australia on a temporary resident visa issued under the Migration Act 1958, other than subclass 405 or 410.
- Your visa has ceased to be in effect, because it expired or was cancelled.
- You have left Australia.
- You don’t hold any other active Australian visa.
- You are not an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident of Australia.
Watch out
Leaving Australia on its own isn’t enough. If you fly out while your visa is still current, or you have been granted another visa (including a bridging visa), you can’t submit the claim yet. Wait until no Australian visa is active.
If you later become a permanent resident, DASP is off the table and your super stays preserved until a normal condition of release applies. Our accountants for migrants and expats can help you work through where you stand.
New Zealand citizens can’t claim DASP. The ATO notes they may be able to transfer their Australian super to a KiwiSaver scheme provider, or have it paid directly to them if eligible. That is a separate process.
Your visa position decides whether you can claim, so be sure of it before you lodge. If you aren’t certain your visa has ceased, whether a bridging visa is still active, or you are thinking about applying for permanent residency (which would rule out DASP), talk to a registered migration agent first. Our sister firm, Nanak Migration Group, a registered migration agent (MARN 2619467), can review your visa history, while we look after the tax and super side.
How do you claim a departing Australia superannuation payment?
There are three ways to apply, depending on where your super is held right now:
- Online: the ATO’s DASP online application system is free and checks your immigration status with the Department of Home Affairs for you. You can start and save the application while still in Australia, then submit it once you are eligible.
- Paper form to your fund: Application for a departing Australia superannuation payment (NAT 7204) goes straight to the super fund holding your money.
- Paper form to the ATO: if your fund has already transferred your super to the ATO, use the Application for payment of ATO-held superannuation money (NAT 74880).
What documents will you need?
Have these ready before you start:
- The passport you used to enter Australia and your visa details
- Your tax file number, if you have one
- The name of each super fund and your member numbers
- Bank account details for the payment
If your balance with a fund is $5,000 or more, the fund may ask for certified copies of your ID. Under $5,000, other evidence of your departure and visa status may be enough. If you apply on paper and need to prove your immigration status, Home Affairs issues a certificate using Form 1194 Certification of Immigration Status, and charges a fee for it. The online system checks your status for free.
Tip
Worked for several employers? You may have more than one super account, and each fund needs its own claim. Sort out your records and finish any final Australian tax return before you leave. Our tax clearance services for migrants cover both.
How much tax is taken out of a DASP?
You don’t choose the tax rate on a departing Australia superannuation payment. The fund applies it based on the components of your balance and your visa history. These are the DASP tax rates published by the ATO, unchanged since 1 July 2017:
| Component | Most temporary visas | Working holiday makers |
|---|---|---|
| Tax-free component | 0% | 0% |
| Taxable component – taxed element | 35% | 65% |
| Taxable component – untaxed element | 45% | 65% |
The 65% rate applies to amounts linked to a working holiday maker visa, meaning subclass 417 (Working Holiday) and subclass 462 (Work and Holiday), plus associated bridging visas. If you held a working holiday visa and later another temporary visa, the fund looks at which contributions were made while you held the working holiday visa.
Your fund works out how your balance splits between the tax-free component and the taxed and untaxed elements, so ask the fund if you want to estimate the net amount before you claim. Our guide to non-resident withholding tax in Australia covers how other payments to people overseas are taxed.
Worked example: standard temporary visa vs working holiday visa
The facts
Priya and Tom both leave Australia with a super balance of $12,400. In each case $400 is a tax-free component (from after-tax contributions they made themselves) and $12,000 is a taxable component, all taxed element. Priya was on a temporary skilled visa. Tom was only ever on a subclass 417 Working Holiday visa.
Standard temporary visa (Priya)
- Tax-free component: $400 x 0% = $0
- Taxed element: $12,000 x 35% = $4,200
- Total tax withheld: $4,200
- Paid to Priya: $12,400 – $4,200 = $8,200
Working holiday visa (Tom)
- Tax-free component: $400 x 0% = $0
- Taxed element: $12,000 x 65% = $7,800
- Total tax withheld: $7,800
- Paid to Tom: $12,400 – $7,800 = $4,600
Same balance, but Tom’s departing Australia superannuation payment is $3,600 smaller purely because of his visa type. Fund fees or bank charges can reduce both amounts a little further.
What happens if you don’t claim within 6 months?
If you don’t apply, your fund will transfer your super to the ATO as unclaimed super money once both of these are true:
- it has been 6 months or more since you left Australia, and
- your visa has ceased to be in effect.
Funds report and pay these amounts to the ATO on its scheduled statement days of 31 October and 30 April each year. Your money isn’t lost. You can still claim your departing Australia superannuation payment from the ATO through the online DASP system or form NAT 74880. If you return to Australia as a permanent resident, you can ask the ATO to move it back into an Australian super fund by phoning 13 10 20.
Do you need to include DASP in your tax return?
No. A departing Australia superannuation payment is non-assessable non-exempt income with a final tax already withheld, so neither the payment nor the tax goes in your Australian return. The fund or the ATO must give you a DASP payment summary within 14 days of paying you. Keep it with your passport and fund records.
Your Australian tax return for the year you leave is a separate matter, and you may still need to lodge one for your wages. Our guide to tax residency rules explains how leaving changes your status, and the tax refund calculator gives a rough idea of any refund on that final return.
Watch out
The country you move to may tax the payment differently or expect you to declare it. Check the local rules before you spend it. If you are an Australian moving overseas instead, see our tax guide for Australian expats.
What mistakes delay a DASP claim?
- Submitting too early. Wait until you have left and your visa has ended.
- Forgetting about another visa. Any active Australian visa blocks the claim.
- Using the wrong form. NAT 7204 is for money still in a fund. NAT 74880 is for money already with the ATO.
- Leaving out part of your visa history. This can lead to the wrong tax rate or a request for more information.
- Missing a fund. Check whether each employer used a different fund.
- Mismatched details. Your name, date of birth and passport number need to match across your fund, ATO and immigration records.
If you are still working in Australia, it can be worth reading how super contributions work before you go, so you understand what your balance is made of.
Frequently asked questions about DASP
Can I apply for DASP while I am still in Australia?
You can start and save the online application before you leave, but you can only submit it after you have left Australia and your temporary visa has expired or been cancelled. If you still hold any active Australian visa, the claim won’t go through.
How long does a DASP take to be paid?
The ATO says a DASP will generally be paid within 28 days of the fund or the ATO receiving a completed application. Missing documents, name mismatches or a request for more information can push that out.
Can New Zealand citizens claim DASP?
No. New Zealand citizens are not eligible for a DASP. New Zealand citizens and residents may instead be able to transfer their Australian super to a KiwiSaver scheme provider, or have it paid to them directly if they are eligible.
What happens to my super if I never claim it?
Once it has been 6 months or more since you left Australia and your visa has ceased, your fund can transfer the balance to the ATO as unclaimed super. It is not lost. You can still claim it from the ATO through the online DASP system or the ATO-held super paper form (NAT 74880).
Do I pay tax on DASP in my tax return?
No. A final tax is withheld when the DASP is paid, and the payment is non-assessable non-exempt income. You don’t include the payment or the tax withheld in your Australian tax return. Your new country of residence may have its own rules, so check locally.
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Talk to a registered tax agent
Getting a departing Australia superannuation payment claim right means matching your visa history, fund records and identity documents, and lodging your final Australian return correctly. Speak with a registered tax agent at Nanak Accountants & Associates on 1300 626 258, or book a consultation with our team. We can help through our individual tax return service and our superannuation withdrawal support.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or tax advice. Information checked against ATO and Department of Home Affairs sources on 7 October 2026.
