Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Claim the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment vs Leave the superannuation in the fund
A temporary visa holder who leaves Australia and whose visa has ended or been cancelled can claim the superannuation as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment, taxed at 35 per cent for most and 65 per cent for working holiday makers, within six months of departure before the fund sends it to the Tax Office as unclaimed; or leave it in the fund, where it grows untaxed on the way out until preservation age and is paid as retirement income, which is the better arithmetic for anyone who may return, become a permanent resident or simply wait. A permanent resident or citizen cannot claim the payment at all. Claim it if the amount is small and the return unlikely; leave it if either is otherwise.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Who can claim
- A former temporary visa holder who has left Australia and whose visa has ceased or been cancelled · Anyone; the money stays
- Tax
- 35% on the taxed element for most; 65% for working holiday makers · Nothing on the way out until retirement, then concessional
- Timing
- Claim after departure; after 6 months the fund transfers it to the Tax Office, where it is still claimable · No deadline
- If you return or become permanent
- Gone; a permanent resident cannot claim later · Still yours, and it keeps growing
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Claim the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment | Leave the superannuation in the fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can claim | A former temporary visa holder who has left Australia and whose visa has ceased or been cancelled | Anyone; the money stays |
| Tax | 35% on the taxed element for most; 65% for working holiday makers | Nothing on the way out until retirement, then concessional |
| Timing | Claim after departure; after 6 months the fund transfers it to the Tax Office, where it is still claimable | No deadline |
| If you return or become permanent | Gone; a permanent resident cannot claim later | Still yours, and it keeps growing |
| Watch out | Claiming while the visa is still in effect is refused | Fees on a small balance; insurance premiums inside the fund |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
A temporary visa holder who leaves Australia and whose visa has ended or been cancelled can claim the superannuation as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment, taxed at 35 per cent for most and 65 per cent for working holiday makers, within six months of departure before the fund sends it to the Tax Office as unclaimed; or leave it in the fund, where it grows untaxed on the way out until preservation age and is paid as retirement income, which is the better arithmetic for anyone who may return, become a permanent resident or simply wait. A permanent resident or citizen cannot claim the payment at all. Claim it if the amount is small and the return unlikely; leave it if either is otherwise.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Claim the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment or Leave the superannuation in the fund — which is better?
A temporary visa holder who leaves Australia and whose visa has ended or been cancelled can claim the superannuation as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment, taxed at 35 per cent for most and 65 per cent for working holiday makers, within six months of departure before the fund sends it to the Tax Office as unclaimed; or leave it in the fund, where it grows untaxed on the way out until preservation age and is paid as retirement income, which is the better arithmetic for anyone who may return, become a permanent resident or simply wait. A permanent resident or citizen cannot claim the payment at all. Claim it if the amount is small and the return unlikely; leave it if either is otherwise.
What is the main difference between the Claim the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment and the Leave the superannuation in the fund?
Who can claim: Claim the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment — A former temporary visa holder who has left Australia and whose visa has ceased or been cancelled; Leave the superannuation in the fund — Anyone; the money stays. Tax: Claim the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment — 35% on the taxed element for most; 65% for working holiday makers; Leave the superannuation in the fund — Nothing on the way out until retirement, then concessional. Timing: Claim the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment — Claim after departure; after 6 months the fund transfers it to the Tax Office, where it is still claimable; Leave the superannuation in the fund — No deadline.
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