Short answer: If you’re a New Zealander retiring to - or already living in - Guatemala, you face two big decisions: what to do with your KiwiSaver, and how to get NZ Super paid abroad. After a year overseas you can cash out most of your KiwiSaver, but you forfeit the government contributions; or you can leave it invested and draw it from 65. NZ Super can usually be paid in Guatemala at a proportion based on how long you lived in New Zealand, paid gross of NZ tax. And because Guatemala uses territorial taxation, it doesn’t tax your New Zealand pension income at all.

Quick summary

  • KiwiSaver - Option B (withdraw): after 1 year overseas (not Australia) you can withdraw your contributions, your employer’s contributions, returns and the $1,000 kick-start - but you forfeit the government contributions (formerly the member tax credit), up to $521.43/year.
  • KiwiSaver - Option A (keep): leave it invested and access it at 65; you keep the government contributions.
  • Moving to Australia? No withdrawal - you transfer to an Australian super scheme instead.
  • NZ Super: payable in Guatemala under General Portability at a share based on the months you lived in NZ between 20 and 65 (up to 100% at 45 years), paid gross of NZ tax.
  • Tax: no NZ-Guatemala tax treaty and no social-security agreement, but Guatemala’s territorial system doesn’t tax foreign pension income - so no double tax in practice.
  • Not financial advice - confirm your position with IRD and a NZ-qualified adviser.

Can I Withdraw My KiwiSaver If I Leave NZ?

Yes - but not immediately, and not in full. The rule is one year overseas first: after you have been residing overseas for a year (and you are not moving to Australia), you can withdraw most of the money in your KiwiSaver account.

What you get back:

  • Your own contributions
  • Your employer’s contributions
  • Investment returns
  • The old $1,000 kick-start (for those who received it)
  • Fee subsidies

What you forfeit: the government contributions - formerly called the member tax credit. You cannot take these out on an emigration withdrawal; they are returned to the government, although you keep any interest they earned while invested. The government contribution is worth up to $521.43 for each year you received it, so over a long working life this is a meaningful amount to give up.

The process:

  1. Complete the permanent-emigration withdrawal form with your KiwiSaver provider.
  2. Sign a statutory declaration before a JP or notary confirming you have permanently emigrated.
  3. Provide evidence you have lived overseas for at least one year.

The Australia Exception

If you move to Australia rather than Guatemala, the rules are different: there is no permanent-emigration withdrawal. Under Trans-Tasman portability you instead transfer your KiwiSaver into an Australian super scheme, and there is no one-year wait. Either way, the government contributions are refunded to the government - so moving across the Tasman doesn’t let you keep them.

Or Keep It Invested?

Withdrawing is not mandatory. You can simply leave your KiwiSaver invested and access it at the NZ Super age of 65 - the same as if you’d never left. The big advantage of staying put is that you keep the government contributions you’d otherwise forfeit on an emigration withdrawal.

Option A - keep it investedOption B - emigration withdrawal
WhenLeave KiwiSaver where it is; draw from age 65Apply once you’ve been overseas 1+ year (not Australia)
You keepEverything, including the government contributionsYour contributions, employer contributions, returns, $1,000 kick-start, fee subsidies
You give upAccess before 65 (normal KiwiSaver lock-in)The government contributions (formerly member tax credit) - up to $521.43/year
PaperworkNone nowEmigration withdrawal form + statutory declaration before a JP/notary + proof of 1+ year overseas
Tax to watchFIF rules can apply while you remain a NZ tax resident (see below)-

For most Kiwis with years left before 65, Option A keeps more money on the table - you don’t lose the government contributions, and your balance keeps compounding. Option B mainly makes sense if you genuinely need the cash now or want to fully sever your NZ financial ties. The tax angle (FIF, residency) below matters most for people who keep KiwiSaver and other NZ investments.

Can I Get NZ Super Paid in Guatemala?

Probably - through what Work and Income calls General Portability. Guatemala does not have a social-security agreement with New Zealand, but in a country with no such agreement you “may be able to get your full NZ Super,” and how much depends on the number of months you lived in New Zealand between the ages of 20 and 65.

How the proportion works (illustrative)

The principle is government-sourced: the longer you lived in New Zealand between 20 and 65, the larger the share of NZ Super you can be paid overseas, up to 100% at 45 years. Secondary explainers describe the arithmetic as roughly 1/540 per month of NZ residence in that window (45 years x 12 = 540 months = 100%).

Years lived in NZ between 20 and 65Illustrative share of full NZ Super
45 years (the maximum)100%
35 years~78%
25 years~56%

Illustrative worked example only - this is not a Work and Income rate table. It applies the rough 1/540-per-month rule from secondary explainers (35 years = 420/540 ≈ 78%; 25 years = 300/540 ≈ 56%). Work and Income calculates your actual entitlement from the exact months you lived in New Zealand between 20 and 65 - ask them for your figure.

NZ Super paid to you overseas is paid gross: “you will not have to pay New Zealand tax” on it (though you “may have to pay tax in the country you’re going to live in” - in Guatemala’s case, it doesn’t tax foreign pension income; see below). To set it up:

  • Apply to Work and Income International Services at least six weeks before you leave New Zealand.
  • It can be paid into an overseas bank account.

Eligibility basics

  • NZ Super age: 65.
  • Residence requirement: you must have lived in New Zealand for 12 years since age 20 (from 1 July 2026, rising in steps toward 20 years by 2042), including at least 5 years since age 50.

NZ Tax Residency & Your Investments

Whether New Zealand keeps taxing your investments after you move hinges on your tax-residency status, not just where you physically are.

You become a non-resident of New Zealand only when BOTH of these are true:

  1. You have no permanent place of abode (PPOA) in New Zealand, and
  2. You are absent for more than 325 days in a 12-month period.

The PPOA test is the overriding one: if you keep a habitual home available to you in New Zealand, you remain a NZ tax resident regardless of how many days you’re away. So genuinely cutting ties (giving up the home you keep coming back to) is what flips your status.

Why residency matters for your money:

  • FIF rules: the Foreign Investment Fund regime taxes NZ residents on offshore portfolios - broadly a 5% deemed return under the fair dividend rate (FDR) method. A non-resident is not subject to NZ FIF tax.
  • No general CGT: New Zealand has no general capital gains tax.
  • No NZ-Guatemala double-tax treaty: Guatemala is not on IRD’s list of double-tax agreements. There’s no treaty relief to claim - but you don’t generally need it here.
IncomeNZ position once you’re non-residentGuatemala (territorial)
NZ Super paid in GuatemalaPaid gross - no NZ tax deductedNot taxed (foreign-source)
Offshore investment portfolioFIF (~5% FDR) applies while NZ-resident; non-residents are outside FIFNot taxed (foreign-source)
Capital gainsNo general capital gains tax in NZNot taxed (foreign-source)
NZ-source income (e.g. NZ rent)Taxed by NZ as NZ-source incomeNot taxed (foreign-source)

Net result: once you’re a NZ non-resident, New Zealand taxes only NZ-source income; NZ Super paid overseas is gross; and Guatemala’s territorial system doesn’t tax foreign-source pension or investment income at all. For a clean exit, the residency rules pair closely with the same logic Brits use - see UK tax residency when moving to Guatemala for the cross-border framing.

Getting Your Money to Guatemala

Here’s the part that makes the whole thing simple: Guatemala uses territorial taxation, so it does not tax foreign-source income - your NZ Super, your KiwiSaver withdrawals, and your NZ investment returns are all outside the Guatemalan tax net. There’s no “double tax in Guatemala” to plan around.

The cleanest mechanics:

  1. Be paid in NZD into a New Zealand bank account. NZ Super, KiwiSaver and provider payments all land naturally in NZD.
  2. Transfer to Guatemala via Wise, which uses the mid-market exchange rate - typically far better than a bank’s wholesale conversion. (That page is written for the UK route, but the Wise mechanics from NZD work the same way; a dedicated NZ-to-Guatemala transfer guide is on the way.)
  3. Keep your NZ bank account open. You’ll still need it for IRD refunds, KiwiSaver provider payments, and your NZ Super deposit. A Wise multi-currency account also lets you hold NZD and convert when the rate suits you.

Before you move funds, it’s worth checking the current GTQ exchange rates and how Guatemala’s remittance market works, then setting up a retiree-friendly Guatemalan bank account to receive your transfers.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I withdraw my KiwiSaver if I move to Guatemala? Yes. After a year living overseas (and not in Australia), you can withdraw most of your KiwiSaver - your contributions, your employer’s, returns, the $1,000 kick-start and fee subsidies. You forfeit the government contributions (formerly the member tax credit), up to $521.43/year, which return to the government. You’ll need a permanent-emigration withdrawal form, a statutory declaration before a JP or notary, and proof of a year overseas.

What do I lose if I cash out after emigrating? The government contributions - up to $521.43 for each year you got them. You keep the interest they earned, but the contributions themselves go back to the government. Everything else is yours.

Do I have to withdraw KiwiSaver when I leave NZ? No. It’s optional. Leave it invested and draw it from 65 to keep the government contributions. Option A = keep invested; Option B = emigration withdrawal after a year overseas, minus the government contributions.

What if I move to Australia instead? You can’t take an emigration withdrawal to Australia. Under Trans-Tasman portability you transfer KiwiSaver into an Australian super scheme, with no one-year wait. The government contributions are still refunded to the government.

Can I get NZ Super paid in Guatemala? Likely yes, under General Portability. Guatemala has no social-security agreement with NZ, but you may be paid a proportion of NZ Super based on the months you lived in NZ between 20 and 65 - up to 100% at 45 years - paid gross of NZ tax. Apply to Work and Income International Services at least six weeks before leaving NZ.

Is my NZ Super or KiwiSaver taxed in Guatemala? No. Guatemala’s territorial system doesn’t tax foreign-source income, so NZ Super, KiwiSaver withdrawals and NZ investment returns are untaxed there. NZ Super paid overseas is also gross. There’s no NZ-Guatemala tax treaty, but in practice you’re not taxed twice.

When am I a non-resident of NZ for tax? Only when BOTH apply: no permanent place of abode (PPOA) in NZ AND absent more than 325 days in a 12-month period. PPOA overrides the day count - keep a home available in NZ and you stay a NZ tax resident.

Will NZ tax my overseas investments after I move? While you’re a NZ resident, FIF rules can tax offshore portfolios (~5% deemed return under FDR). Once you’re a non-resident you’re outside FIF, and NZ taxes only NZ-source income. NZ has no general capital gains tax.

Go Deeper

Sources

This page is general information, not financial advice. KiwiSaver, NZ Super and tax rules change. Before withdrawing, transferring, or relying on any figure here, confirm your situation with Inland Revenue (IRD), Work and Income, and a New Zealand-qualified financial adviser.