Superannuation (or super) is the money your employer pays into a retirement fund. On a temporary visa, you can claim it with the DASP (Departing Australia Superannuation Payment) once you have left Australia and your visa has ended. It is requested in the ATO online system. On a Working Holiday, the withholding is 65% of the taxable part.
This guide is general information, not financial or tax advice.
How much does the employer pay in?
- 12% of ordinary time earnings, on top of your wages. This is the figure in the law in force, compiled as at 1 July 2026.
- Who gets it: employees aged 18 or over. Those under 18, if they work more than 30 hours a week. Temporary residents are also entitled.
- When: from 1 July 2026 it is paid with each payslip and must reach the fund within 7 business days, with exceptions of up to 20 days.
- Contractors: it depends on the circumstances. This is explained in the ABN guide.
The Tourism Australia page still talks about a minimum of A$450 a month. That figure does not appear in this compilation of the law.
Who can claim the DASP?
According to Aware Super, HESTA and Tourism Australia, anyone who meets all of this:
- Worked on a temporary visa, apart from the retirement visas 405 and 410.
- Their visa has expired or been cancelled, and they have no other active one.
- They have left Australia.
- They are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or a permanent resident.
It depends on your country in one case: New Zealanders cannot claim it, but may be able to transfer the balance to a KiwiSaver account.
How much is withheld?
It is set by the DASP tax law, whose latest compilation is from December 2016:
| Part of the balance | Other temporary visas | Working Holiday (417 or 462) |
|---|---|---|
| Tax-free part | 0% | 0% |
| Taxable part that was already taxed in the fund | 35% | 65% |
| Taxable part that was not taxed in the fund | 45% | 65% |
For example, from A$2,000 taxable on a Working Holiday, A$1,300 is withheld and A$700 is left. The 65% applies to payments that include contributions made while you held that visa. According to Aware Super, the DASP itself is normally not declared.
What is the official route, and what does it cost?
The ATO online system is also used for money the ATO already holds. Its page mentions no fee, and neither do those of the funds we checked. The person lodges the claim themselves, so an intermediary is optional.
- Before you leave. Aware Super suggests checking that the contributions have arrived, that your details match your passport and preparing certified copies. The system lets you save a draft from Australia.
- After you leave, with your visa ended. You submit the claim. It takes about 30 minutes and asks for personal details, your passport and the fund's details, including its ABN. The TFN is shown as optional.
- Checking. Home Affairs checks whether you can claim and whether you have held a Working Holiday visa.
- Fund documents. These vary: Hostplus asks for its own form and certified copies of your passport if the balance is over A$5,000. Aware Super says that from that amount Home Affairs form 1194 is probably needed. HESTA asks for certified ID after approval.
- Payment. In general, within 28 days of the fund or the ATO having what it needs.
Two warnings from the system: a submitted claim cannot be changed, and follow-up is requested from the fund or the ATO. Aware Super adds that payments overseas may carry an exchange margin and bank fees.
What if six months pass?
Your money is not lost. If you do not claim within six months of leaving and your visa ending, the fund may transfer it to the ATO as unclaimed money. You then claim it from the ATO, in the same system.
What happens to the account?
It is closed when the DASP is paid, and any insurance included ends. The payment can go to an Australian account, to an overseas one that accepts Australian dollars or by cheque.
What we could not confirm
- The ATO page on the DASP (link): we could not check it.
- The word "free". It does not appear in the official system or in the funds we checked. All we can say is that they mention no fee.
- Anyone who held a Working Holiday and another visa. The law talks about payments that "include" those contributions, and Hostplus applies the 65% to the whole taxable part. The ATO's explanation is missing.
- If you have several funds. We have not confirmed how it is handled.
- Dates. The funds' pages show no update date.
Sources
Seen on 5 November 2026.
- ATO: DASP application system (official)
- DASP tax law, compilation of 2 December 2016 (law)
- Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992, compilation of 1 July 2026 (law)
- business.gov.au: superannuation (official)
- Tourism Australia: work questions (official; no clear date)
- Aware Super: if you leave Australia (pension fund)
- HESTA: temporary residents (pension fund)
- Hostplus: if you leave Australia (pension fund)