Age Pension for migrants — the 10-year residence rule and international agreements

The 10-year rule

To qualify for the Australian Age Pension, you generally need to:

• Have been an Australian resident for at least 10 years in total
• Have had at least 5 consecutive years within that 10

Australian residence covers Australian citizens, permanent residence visa holders, and Special Category Visa (SCV) holders living in Australia. Time spent on a temporary visa (tourist, student, TSS 482, bridging) doesn't usually count.

This rule sits separately from the standard 4-year Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Period — Age Pension has its own residence test built into the qualification.

Why this matters for migrants

If you arrived in Australia in your 40s, 50s, or later, the 10-year residence test can be the binding constraint — not your age. Even if you turn 67 (the current Age Pension age), you can't claim until your residence years tick over.

There are three ways around this:

1. Live in Australia long enough — straightforward but slow
2. Use an international social security agreement if your country has one with Australia
3. Qualify for an exemption (mainly refugees and former refugees)

International social security agreements

Australia has bilateral social security agreements with around 30 countries. Per the DSS list of international agreements, they include: New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Greece, India, Japan, USA, Canada, Korea, Chile, Belgium, Croatia, Switzerland, Slovak Republic, Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Hungary, Slovenia, Portugal, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Spain, Denmark, Serbia, and others.

Under most of these agreements:

• You can combine residence or contribution periods between Australia and the agreement country to meet the 10-year minimum
• You don't need to be an Australian resident at the time of claim — you can apply from the agreement country
• The Age Pension amount payable is proportional to your years of Australian residence between age 16 and Age Pension age (Australian Working Life Residence, or AWLR)

So a 67-year-old who lived in Australia for 8 years and in the UK for 30 years would: (a) qualify under the agreement by combining the periods, but (b) receive a pension proportionalised to the 8 Australian years. The UK government pays its own portion based on UK National Insurance contributions.

Australia–New Zealand specifics

The Australia-NZ Social Security Agreement is the most common one NestWise families hit. Key points for Age Pension:

• Residence in NZ from age 20 onward can count toward the Australian 10-year minimum
• Same applies in reverse — Australian residence counts toward NZ Superannuation eligibility
• The amount payable is proportional to your actual Australian residence
• You can lodge an Australian Age Pension claim from New Zealand (and vice versa)

For NZ citizens who've spent time in both countries, the agreement usually means you qualify — even if you're well short of 10 years in Australia.

The refugee exemption

Per DSS Social Security Guide §3.4.1.10, refugees and former refugees are exempt from the 10-year residence rule for Age Pension. This means:

• You're treated as having met the residence requirement from the day you arrived
• Subject to age and the means tests, you can claim Age Pension immediately upon turning 67
• Your spouse may also benefit from the exemption in certain cases

Specific visa subclasses that carry the exemption: 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 449, 785, 790, 851, 852 — and historical refugee visas no longer issued.

Travel and portability

Once you're receiving Age Pension and you travel overseas:

• First 6 weeks of any absence — full rate continues
• After 6 weeks — the rate becomes proportional to your AWLR (years between age 16 and Age Pension age you lived in Australia)
• Permanent move overseas — Age Pension continues at the AWLR-proportional rate indefinitely if you move to an agreement country

Move to a non-agreement country and the Age Pension stops paying after 26 weeks of absence (with limited exceptions).

What this means for your planning

Three practical takeaways:

1. Count your years carefully — total Australian residence + the consecutive-5-year test are the gates. Use Services Australia's residence calculator to be precise.
2. Check the agreement country list early — if you've worked in the UK, NZ, Canada, USA, Germany, Italy, or one of the other 30+ agreement countries, you may qualify through combined periods even if you're short on Australian years.
3. Lodge a pre-claim before age 67 if you're close to the threshold — Services Australia can confirm your residence status in advance so you're not surprised at the application.

Related guides in this cluster

• Centrelink and family entitlements when you migrate to Australia — the top-level NARWP map
• NZ citizens in Australia — Special Category Visa rules + the Australia-NZ Agreement specifics
• FTB and CCS for newly arrived residents — family-payment rules during the residence wait

For the full picture of Age Pension itself, see The Age Pension — what you get, how it's tested, what you actually take home.

Sources

• Services Australia — Residence rules for Age Pension
• DSS Social Security Guide §3.4.1.10 — Qualification for Age
• DSS Social Security Guide §3.1.1.10 — Residence requirements
• DSS — International social security agreements
• DSS Social Security Guide §7.1.6 — Portability for former Australian residents
• Services Australia — Travel outside Australia rules for Age Pension

Not financial or migration advice. The residence rules + agreement-country logic are precise. Services Australia's International Services line (132 469) is the right place for a definitive assessment of your specific situation.