Bring your retirement money home
If you have worked overseas, a big piece of your retirement savings may still be sitting offshore in Australian super or a UK pension.
When your life is in New Zealand, it makes sense for your money to be here too. Leaving it overseas often means limited access, confusing rules and very little control. Bringing it home gives you visibility and one connected financial plan.
Why people transfer
Most clients we work with have no intention of moving back to Australia or the UK. For them, money left there is a loose end.
Others are frustrated by the lack of transparency. UK pensions in particular can be hard to track, difficult to access and full of rules that don’t suit life in New Zealand.
Consolidation is the other reason. With your KiwiSaver, investments and retirement savings in one place, they can be reviewed and managed as a whole.
How the two transfers compare
Australian super and UK pensions follow different rules. The table shows the main differences.
| Australian super | UK pension | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | A KiwiSaver scheme that accepts Australian transfers | A New Zealand QROPS, such as Booster SuperScheme |
| Tax on the transfer | None | New Zealand tax applies unless the funds arrive within your four year exemption. Booster can pay it from the funds at 28% of the taxable portion |
| When you can access it | Generally from 60, once you meet the Australian definition of retirement | From UK pension access age, 55 now and 57 from 6 April 2028 |
| First home withdrawal | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Finsol fee | $250 + GST or $500 + GST depending on complexity, invoiced once the funds arrive | Usually $1,000 + GST per person, plus 0.20% a year for ongoing advice |
Rules and fees are set out in full on our Australian super and UK pension pages.
What we do
We guide you through the whole transfer. We check your eligibility, review where the money will be invested, prepare the forms, explain what to sign and who witnesses it, and follow up with the providers until the money lands.
Australian super: not every KiwiSaver provider accepts super transfers, so we confirm the right pathway first. The whole balance of each account transfers, and the Australian money is held separately in your KiwiSaver.
UK pensions: we assess every pension from your statements before recommending anything. Defined benefit pensions are scrutinised in depth, and NHS and other unfunded public sector pensions can’t be transferred. If you move to another country within five full UK tax years, a 25% UK overseas transfer charge can apply.
Timing matters
UK pension transfers can be time sensitive. The taxable portion of a transfer rises each year once your four year exemption ends, so the longer you have lived here, the more tax may apply. We work with an accountant to confirm the figure before anything happens.
How Finsol can help
This is about more than moving money across borders. It is about taking ownership of your retirement savings and making sure they work together with the rest of your finances.
Call us on 0800 346 765 or book a free consultation.
Finsol is a financial advisory business founded in Hawke’s Bay in 2010, looking after more than 6,000 clients across New Zealand. This article is general information only and does not take your personal circumstances into account. Information checked against Inland Revenue, HMRC and ATO sources in October 2026.
