In 2001 the then NZ Government passed retrospective legislation that disenfranchised tens of thousands of Kiwi tax payers who live overseas.

Who qualifies?

To be eligible for NZ Super you need to be aged 65 or over and a legal resident of New Zealand, having lived here for ten years since age 20. Five of those years have to be since you turned age 50.

More info at:

http://www.sorted.org.nz/home/sorted-sections/retirement/new-zealand-superannuation#qualifies

What do you think of this change in qualification rules?

Not a visa question, and will probably get a greater response in General. So moved.

Your post is not the whole story - time spent overseas in certain countries and for certain reasons may be counted for New Zealand Superannuation.

refer to the last paragraph in this quote from the NZ Work and Income website

Can I get it?

To get New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) you must be:

• 65 years of age or over and
• a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident who normally lives here when you apply.

You must also have been resident and present in New Zealand for a total of 10 years since you turned 20 years of age (and 5 of those years must be since you turned 50), unless, when you were overseas you were:

• having special medical or surgical treatment or
• doing vocational training or
• working as a missionary or
• working with Volunteer Service Abroad or
• serving in one of the Commonwealth's armed forces or
• working overseas and paid tax in New Zealand on the earnings from that work or
• working on a New Zealand owned or registered ship trading to and from here.

If you spent time overseas, you must usually have been living here before and after you were overseas, unless you spent time in Australia, Britain, Jersey, Guernsey, Canada, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, Greece or the Netherlands. That may also count as time lived here in terms of getting your NZ Super.

see also thie regulations re Reciprocal Agreements

Reciprocal Agreements

New Zealand has Reciprocal Agreements with some countries.

Under these agreements, residence and or periods of insurance contributions in one of the following countries can be regarded as residence in New Zealand.

For more information see:

• Australia
• Canada
• Denmark
• Hellenic Republic (Greece)
• Ireland
• Jersey and Guernsey
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom

for example, a New Zealander who has worked/lived in Australia:

Under the agreement:

Australian working age residence (between the ages of 20 and 65) can be regarded as residence in New Zealand in order to meet the residence qualifications for some New Zealand benefits and pensions