Claiming your super when leaving Australia: the DASP process explained

Who is eligible for DASP

You can claim a DASP if you meet all of the following conditions: you were a temporary resident who worked in Australia (meaning your employer paid superannuation guarantee contributions on your behalf), your visa has expired or been cancelled, you have departed Australia, and you are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident (ATO).

The key condition is that your visa must have expired or been cancelled before you apply. You cannot claim DASP while you still hold a valid visa, even if you have left Australia. If your visa is still technically valid (for example, a multi-year 482 visa that has not yet expired), you must either wait for it to expire or arrange for it to be cancelled before applying.

New Zealand citizens are excluded from DASP because they hold a Special Category visa (subclass 444) that does not expire while they are in Australia and gives them ongoing rights to live and work.

The withholding tax rates

DASP payments are subject to withholding tax that is deducted before the payment is released. The rates depend on the type of super component and whether you held a Working Holiday Maker visa.

For most temporary visa holders, the tax-free component of your super is paid with no withholding tax. The taxed element (the bulk of most super balances, comprising employer SG contributions and investment earnings that have already been taxed at 15% within the fund) is subject to 35% withholding. The untaxed element (if any — this is less common and relates to employer contributions that were not taxed in the fund) is subject to 45% withholding (ATO).

For Working Holiday Maker visa holders (subclass 417 and 462), a higher rate of 65% applies to the taxed element. This reflects the specific tax arrangements for working holiday makers.

As a practical example, if your total super balance is AUD 25,000, comprising AUD 500 tax-free and AUD 24,500 taxed element, the withholding on the taxed element is AUD 8,575 (35% of AUD 24,500). You receive approximately AUD 16,925. If you are a working holiday maker, the withholding on the taxed element is AUD 15,925 (65%), and you receive approximately AUD 9,575.

How to apply

The DASP application is made online through the ATO's website (ATO). The process involves several steps.

First, find all your super accounts. Before leaving Australia, gather the details of every super fund you have contributed to. If you have worked for multiple employers, you may have multiple super accounts. The ATO's online services (accessible through myGov) can help you identify all your super accounts. Alternatively, you can contact each fund directly.

Second, consolidate your super (optional but recommended). If you have multiple accounts, rolling them into a single fund before leaving simplifies the DASP claim — you only need to claim from one fund instead of several. See the guide on consolidating super accounts for the process.

Third, leave Australia and allow your visa to expire or be cancelled. You must be outside Australia and your visa must no longer be valid before you apply.

Fourth, submit the DASP application online. You need your passport details, your TFN (if you have one — claims can proceed without a TFN but may be slower), your super fund details (fund name, membership number, ABN or USI), your overseas bank account details for payment, and a certified copy of your passport identification page.

The ATO processes the DASP request and instructs your super fund to release the payment. The fund deducts the applicable withholding tax and pays the remaining balance to your nominated overseas bank account.

Processing times

DASP claims typically take 28 days or more to process from the date the ATO receives a complete application. Delays can occur if the ATO needs to verify your visa status with the Department of Home Affairs, if your super fund is slow to process the release, if your TFN cannot be matched to your super account, or if your application is incomplete.

Claiming from multiple funds takes longer because each fund processes its release independently. Consolidating before departure reduces this delay.

Payments are made to your nominated overseas bank account, usually in Australian dollars. Your overseas bank may apply its own conversion rate and receiving fees when converting the AUD payment to local currency.

What you lose by claiming DASP

Claiming DASP comes with a permanent trade-off: you receive a reduced amount now and forfeit the compounding growth the super would have generated if left invested until Australian retirement age.

The 35% (or 65%) withholding is the most obvious cost. On AUD 25,000 of taxed super, you lose AUD 8,750 in tax. If that AUD 25,000 had been left invested for 25 years at 7% annual returns, it would have grown to approximately AUD 135,000 (before fees and tax on earnings).

For temporary visa holders who are certain they will never return to Australia, claiming DASP is usually the practical choice — the money is more useful now than locked away for decades in a system they may never access again.

For temporary visa holders who think they might return to Australia on a permanent visa in the future, the calculation is less clear. If you return and become a permanent resident, any super claimed through DASP cannot be restored. You start accumulating super from scratch. If you have a reasonable chance of returning, leaving your super in Australia and claiming it only if you are certain you will not return may be the better financial decision.

Before you leave: preparation checklist

Find all your super accounts through the ATO's online services on myGov. Check your super statements for accuracy — ensure employer contributions have been correctly paid. Consider consolidating multiple accounts into one fund to simplify the DASP claim. Note your fund names, membership numbers, and ABN/USI details. Ensure your TFN is linked to each super account. Decide whether to claim DASP or leave the super invested.

Keep your TFN, super fund details, and passport information accessible after departure — you will need them for the online claim.

HELP/HECS debt interaction

If you have a HELP (formerly HECS) debt from studying in Australia, leaving the country does not extinguish the debt. However, the DASP and HELP debt processes are separate — your DASP payment is not used to offset your HELP debt automatically. See the guide on HELP debt when leaving Australia for how overseas repayment obligations work.

Can I claim DASP while I'm still in Australia?

No. You must have departed Australia and your visa must have expired or been cancelled before you can apply.

Can I claim if I don't have a TFN?

Yes, but the process may be slower and the fund may apply a higher rate of withholding. Having a TFN speeds up processing and ensures the correct tax rate is applied.

Is the DASP withholding tax refundable?

Generally, no. The DASP withholding is a final tax — you do not lodge an Australian tax return to reclaim it. However, if you believe an incorrect rate was applied (for example, if you were charged the working holiday maker rate but were on a different visa), you can seek a review.

What happens to my super if I never claim DASP?

Your super remains in your fund, invested and growing (or declining with markets). If the fund cannot contact you, the balance may eventually be transferred to the ATO as lost or unclaimed super. You can still claim it later through the ATO.

Can I claim DASP more than once?

Yes. If you worked in Australia on multiple temporary visas at different times, you can claim DASP after each period. Each claim is separate and subject to the standard eligibility conditions.