Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP)

Everything you need to know:

If you’ve worked in Australia on a temporary visa, you may have accumulated superannuation that has been paid by your employer under the compulsory super guarantee.

You may be eligible to have this super (and any earnings and other contributions) paid to you (less tax) as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) after you leave.

1. Who is eligible for DASP?

Ans: Generally, you can claim a DASP if all the following apply:

your accumulated superannuation while working in Australia on a temporary resident visa
your visa has ceased to be in effect (expired or cancelled)
you have left Australia and you do not hold any other active Australian visa
you’re not an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or a permanent resident of Australia (if you’re a New Zealand citizen leaving Australia permanently, you may be able to transfer your super to New Zealand -kiwi super).

2. How do you claim your DASP?

Ans: While you can’t claim a DASP until after you’ve left Australia, we strongly recommend you get all the information you need and start your application before you leave through Tax Agent. It may be difficult for you to start the process once you have left.

If you don’t apply for your DASP, your super fund will transfer your super money to the ATO as unclaimed super money, if both:

it has been 6 months or more since you left Australia
your visa has ceased to be in effect.

You may be able to claim ATO-held super as DASP. Consult with professional tax agent if you need assistance.

3. How to claim your super after you leave Australia?

Ans: You can apply for a DASP via either:

the DASP online application system– for both super fund and ATO-held super
submit a paper form to ATO, or
by authorising someone to claim on your behalf.

Before submitting your DASP application, check with your employer to confirm they have paid all the super they are required to.

You can only submit a DASP application when you’ve left Australia and do not hold an active visa. Where the value of your super money is $5,000 or more, your super fund may require certified copies of your proof of identification documents.

It’s much easier to certify documents while you are in Australia. As there are specific rules on who can certify documents, we recommend you do this before you leave. Check with your super fund to confirm what documents are required.

4. Can you authorise someone to apply on your behalf?

Ans: You can authorise someone else to apply for your DASP. They can act on your behalf and update your information, so consider carefully who you allow to represent you.

Your representative will need a written authority from you before they can submit your DASP application.

You can nominate either:

A tax agent with full registration or conditional registration for the purpose of claiming DASP with the Tax Practitioners Board
Another person if you use a DASP paper form.

5. How long will it take to receive your super in your account?

Ans: Your DASP will generally be paid within 28 days of your completed application being received. It may take longer if you submit an incomplete application or are asked to provide additional supporting documents.

Use our Tax Calculator tool to evaluate your personal tax situation. At TFP Tax Return Services, we specialize in Working Holiday Makers individual tax returns managing multiple years of overdue tax returns. Our experienced Tax Agent, Tax Accountant, or Tax Advisor is just a call away to assist with your tax matters.

We’re here to help—get started by filling out your enquiry form at:

https://tfptax.com.au/contact-us/