How much superannuation does my employer pay?

12% of your ordinary earnings, on top of your wage — not deducted from it. It goes into a super fund in your name. If your payslip shows no super, or a rate below 12%, your employer is underpaying you and you can report them to the ATO.

Can I get my superannuation back when I leave Australia?

Yes, if you were on a temporary visa. Once your visa has ceased and you've left, you claim a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) online. It's taxed at 65% if the money was earned on a working holiday visa, 35% for most other temporary visas.

What happens to my super if I become a permanent resident?

You can no longer claim DASP — your super stays in your fund until retirement like any Australian's. That's not money lost: it keeps compounding, and you keep it when you retire, wherever you live then.

Updated July 2026

Live in Oz · Guides

Superannuation in Australia — and Claiming It When You Leave (2026)

Your employer must pay 12% of your wage on top of your wage into a superannuation (retirement) fund in your name. On a temporary visa, when you leave Australia for good you can claim that money back as a DASP — taxed at 65% if earned on a working holiday visa, 35% on most other visas. Keep it in one fund or fees will quietly eat it.

How super works

Superannuation is Australia's compulsory retirement saving. For every $1,000 you earn, your employer pays $120 extra into your super fund — it never touches your payslip's net figure. Check it's actually being paid: it appears on your payslip and in your myGov account. Missing super is one of the most common wage frauds against migrants.

Choose one fund — and tell every employer

If you don't nominate a fund, each employer may open a new one for you, each charging its own fees and insurance premiums. Pick one low-fee fund when you start your first job, give its details to every employer after that, and consolidate any strays through myGov in minutes. Over a two-year stay, duplicate accounts can quietly burn hundreds of dollars.

Claiming your super when you leave (DASP)

Once you've left Australia and your temporary visa has ceased (expired or cancelled — you can request cancellation after departing), apply online through the ATO's free DASP system. You'll need your passport, visa details and super fund account. Funds generally pay within 28 days of a complete application.

How much tax comes out

Money earned on	DASP tax rate
Working Holiday visa (417/462)	65%
Other temporary visas (student, 482, etc.)	35% on the taxed element

Yes, 65% stings. It's still your money — leaving it unclaimed helps no one, and after 6 months unclaimed it transfers to the ATO (still claimable, just slower).

If you become a permanent resident

PR closes the DASP door: your super becomes ordinary retirement savings, locked until preservation age like everyone else's. It keeps growing with investment returns, and it's yours at retirement even if you retire overseas. When you get PR, revisit your fund choice properly — fees and investment options matter over decades.

General information only, not personal migration advice.

⚡ Talk to our trusted migration partners

Yulia MoiseevaRegistered Migration Agent · MARN 1066715 · Queensland

RHS Legal — Rustam SandhuMigration Lawyer · MARN 1574649 · South Australia

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