Going overseas

You may be able to keep getting a Student Loan or Student Allowance if you're either:

• going overseas as part of your course
• at secondary school and going on an exchange programme.

If you're getting a Student Allowance or Student Loan and go overseas on holiday, your payments may be able to continue if you're:

• still studying
• continuing to meet your course requirements.

How to tell us

Email us or call us

What happens next

Once you've gone overseas, we'll send you a Customs declaration form to confirm your overseas details. You'll need to return this to us within 20 working days or your payments may stop.

We compare records with New Zealand Customs so if you don't tell us that you're going overseas, your payments will be stopped and you may have a debt.

Once you come back to New Zealand you'll need to email us or call us to tell us about your situation.

Approved travel reasons

If you tell us before you go and we approve your reason for travel, your payments can keep going.

There are a few situations where we can approve overseas travel:

• you have an important event to attend for a family member, eg:
  • to visit a family member who's seriously ill
  • a funeral
  • a wedding
• to attend a court case as a party or a witness
• you have a job interview
• to provide support to a family member following a natural disaster (eg, flood)
• you, your partner, child or sibling get medical treatment that's not available in New Zealand and is supported by the Ministry of Health
• you're going to compete in an overseas multinational or international Special Olympic or Paralympic Games competition
• you have a disability and you're going to get vocational training or disability assistance dog training that's not available in New Zealand.

Generally, your payment can keep going for up to either:

• 28 days in a year, or
• 2 years if you're approved because you're getting medical treatment not available in New Zealand.

If you need to be overseas for longer than 28 days in a year, eg your circumstances change while you're over there, talk to us about your situation.

What you need to do

Email us or call us before you leave New Zealand. You may need to send us proof of your reason for travel. We'll let you know what to do when you contact us.

If you've left New Zealand and you weren't able to tell us, eg, you had to be with someone who became seriously ill, we may be able to back pay you. You need to get in touch with us as soon as you can to discuss your situation.

Returning from overseas

If you've been overseas for more than 28 days, your payments will stop (unless we've approved it for longer). Once you come back to New Zealand you'll need to email us or call us to tell us about your situation.

If you're getting extra help payments (eg Accommodation Supplement, Disability Allowance), they may stop the day after you leave New Zealand.

If your costs are continuing, you may be able to keep getting these payments for up to 28 days.

How to tell us

Email us or call us

Returning from overseas

If you've been overseas for more than 28 days, your payments will stop. Once you come back to New Zealand you'll need to email us or call us to tell us about your situation.

If you're going overseas, you need to tell us before you go. Your Income Relief Payment will continue to be paid for up to 28 days after you leave.

How to tell us

Email us or call us

Returning from overseas

If you've been overseas for more than 28 days, your payments will stop. However you may be able to get these restarted if you still qualify.

Once you come back to New Zealand, you'll need to email us or call us to tell us about your situation.