Superannuation (super) in Australia

Generally all employees are eligible, whether full-time, part-time or casual, and regardless of how much they earn. The ATO lists temporary residents such as backpackers as eligible, with some exceptions. Under-18s and people doing private or domestic work only receive it if they work more than 30 hours in a week. Independent contractors paid mainly for their own labour are treated as employees for super.

Your super fund must receive each contribution, with the information it needs to allocate it to your account, within 7 business days after payday for it to count as on time. Before 1 July 2026, employers had until 28 days after the end of each quarter. Your payslip must show the super contributions paid for you. If your employer does not pay, it becomes liable for the super guarantee charge, and the ATO pays any shortfall into your account.

When you start a job, your employer gives you a Superannuation standard choice form (or you complete a pre-filled version in ATO online services through myGov). Most employees can choose their fund; some, for example public sector employees or people whose super is paid under certain agreements, cannot.

• If you choose a fund, give the completed form to your employer; your employer has 2 months to act on it, and only has to accept one change of fund from you in any 12 months.
• If you do not choose, your employer asks the ATO for your stapled super fund: an existing account that follows you from job to job, so that you do not end up with a new account every time. The ATO tells you when an employer makes this request.
• If you have no existing fund, your employer pays into its default fund, which must offer a basic MySuper product.

To compare funds' fees, insurance and performance, use the ATO's YourSuper comparison tool or ASIC's Moneysmart guidance. Types of funds include industry, retail, public sector and corporate funds, and self-managed super funds.

Having several accounts can mean paying several sets of fees. Once your myGov account is linked to the ATO, you can see all your super accounts and consolidate them in ATO online services. Before you consolidate, check whether you would lose insurance cover that matters to you. If you quote your TFN to your employer for super purposes, your employer must pass it on to your fund.

If you worked in Australia on a temporary visa (other than subclasses 405 and 410), you may be able to claim your super as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) after you leave, if your visa has ceased, you are outside Australia without another active visa, and you are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.

• Apply free through the ATO's DASP online application system. You can start and save the application before you leave, but you can only submit it once you have left and your visa has ended.
• If your super is worth $5,000 or more, your fund may ask for certified copies of your identity documents; certifying them is easier while you are still in Australia.
• If you do not claim, your fund transfers your super to the ATO once it has been 6 months or more since you left and your visa has ceased. You can still claim it from the ATO later.
• DASP tax is withheld when it is paid. On the ATO's DASP page (October 2026) the taxed element of the taxable component is taxed at 35% (45% for an untaxed element), and working holiday makers pay 65% on both; the tax-free component is not taxed.
• New Zealand citizens leaving permanently may be able to transfer their super to a New Zealand fund instead.