Do you qualify for NZ Super?
NZ Super pays up to $1,110 a fortnight from age 65, depending on residency. From July 2026 the residency rules tighten. What you need depends on when you were born.
Why does residency matter?
NZ Super is funded by general taxation, not by your contributions. To make sure the system is paid for by people who've spent meaningful time in New Zealand, the law requires you to have lived in NZ (or a Social Security Agreement country) for a minimum number of years before age 65 — including some years after age 50 specifically.
The thresholds change depending on when you were born. People born after 30 June 1961 face stricter requirements. People born earlier qualify under the older 10-year rule.
The full residency rules are administered by Work and Income, who make the final eligibility decision. This calculator runs against the same rule structure, but Work and Income's determination is what counts.
IS THIS ENOUGH?
NZ Super is a baseline, not a full retirement income.
Most people who can afford it supplement NZ Super with KiwiSaver, savings, or part-time work in their first decade of retirement.
This is an educational calculator. The eligibility decision is made by Work and Income — verify your situation at workandincome.govt.nz before making any retirement plans based on this tool.