This page covers the application itself: what to do before you fly out, which of the four ways to apply suits you, and what each screen of the DASP online system asks for. If you want to know how much tax comes out of the payment, our guide to the 35% and 65% DASP tax rates and the six-month rule covers that.
The short answer
Once you have left Australia and your temporary visa has ended, you can claim your super as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP). Most people apply through the free DASP online application system, which handles super held by funds and super already transferred to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). You can start and save the application in Australia, but you can only submit it after you have left and no longer hold an active visa. Funds generally pay within 28 days of a complete application. If you would rather not do it yourself, a registered tax agent can lodge it for you through the ATO’s intermediary system.
Who can apply
According to the ATO, you can generally claim a DASP if all of these apply:
- you built up super while working in Australia on a temporary resident visa, other than subclasses 405 and 410
- that visa has expired or been cancelled
- you have left Australia and hold no other active Australian visa
- you are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian permanent resident
New Zealand citizens leaving permanently cannot claim a DASP, but may be able to transfer their super to a New Zealand scheme instead.
Five things to do before you leave
- Ask each employer to confirm your super is paid up. The ATO tells applicants to check this before submitting, because the final contributions from your last pay runs may not have reached the fund yet.
- Find every account. If you had several jobs, you may have several funds. ATO online services through myGov and the ATO app list them, and the DASP online system searches for them once you enter your tax file number (TFN).
- Get your ID certified if a balance is $5,000 or more. Funds may ask for certified copies of identity documents above that amount, and only certain people can certify them. The ATO’s advice is to do it while you are still in Australia.
- Keep an Australian bank account open. The ATO describes electronic transfer to an Australian account as usually the most effective way to be paid, and super held by the ATO can only be paid that way or by cheque. Check with your bank that you can move the money overseas from there.
- Start the online application and write down exactly what you entered. To get back into a saved application you have to enter the same name, date of birth, passport details and TFN, or no TFN if you left it out the first time.
Four ways to apply
| Route | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| DASP online application system | Most people, for super held by funds and by the ATO | Free. It checks your immigration status with Home Affairs automatically, so you normally do not need a separate certificate. |
| Paper form NAT 7204, sent to each fund | People who cannot use the online system | One form per fund. The fund may charge a fee and will want certified ID. For balances of $5,000 or more it may also want a Certification of Immigration Status from Home Affairs (Form 1194), which Home Affairs charges for. |
| Paper form NAT 74880, sent to the ATO | Super that has already been transferred to the ATO | No cost. Also the form to use if you later return to Australia as a permanent resident and want the money paid to you. |
| Someone applies for you | People who want the paperwork handled, or have several funds | A registered tax agent can apply online through the DASP intermediary system with your written authority. Anyone else can only apply for you on a paper form. |
Source: ATO, Departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) (QC 24169), last updated 21 April 2026.
The online application, screen by screen
- Eligibility and identity. Enter your details exactly as they appear on your passport. The ATO says the system usually takes around 45 seconds to check you and search for super.
- Shared secret. You pick a question and an answer of 1 to 20 characters. You need it every time you come back, and you get three attempts. If you forget it, you have to phone the ATO.
- Your details. Name, date of birth, email, passport country and number. Your TFN is optional, but if you enter it the system finds your accounts for you. Without it you add each fund yourself, using the fund’s Australian business number (ABN) from your statements or the Super Fund Lookup site.
- One application per account. The system creates an application for each account it finds. Add any it missed with the fund’s ABN, and fill in your member number and join date from your statements.
- The visa screen. It shows whether you have ever held a working holiday visa (417 or 462). That matters because the fund uses it to set the tax rate. If it is wrong, the ATO’s instruction is not to submit, and to email DASPmail@ato.gov.au instead.
- Submit after you leave. The submit step only works once you are outside Australia and your visa has ended. You can check your visa status on the Home Affairs VEVO service. Once submitted, an application cannot be edited in the system, so changes go through the fund.
The ATO estimates about 30 minutes for the whole application. Source: ATO, Help with the DASP online application system (QC 73102).
After you submit
- Timing. The service standard is 28 days from a complete application. The online system will show that you submitted, but not whether the fund has processed it, so follow up with the fund directly after 28 days.
- Payment. Funds can pay by electronic transfer to an Australian account, an Australian dollar cheque, or, where the fund offers it, an international money transfer. Fees and currency conversion may apply.
- Paperwork. The fund must give you a DASP payment summary within 14 days of paying you, showing the tax withheld.
- Your tax return. Do not include the DASP in an Australian tax return. The tax withheld is final.
- If you wait. Six months after you leave, once your visa has ended, funds transfer unclaimed super to the ATO. It can still be claimed through the same online system.
Having a tax agent apply for you
Using an agent makes most sense when you had several funds, held a working holiday visa at some point, or have already left and find the identity steps hard to complete from overseas. The agent needs a signed authority from you, lodges through the DASP online intermediary system, and can follow up with each fund.
At Wiselink, a DASP claim is handled with the rest of your departure paperwork: your final Australian tax return, any capital gains from selling assets, and the super. Work is split by function and reviewed by a senior accountant or the principal before it goes out, so the visa history the fund sees matches the one on your tax records.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for my super before I leave Australia?
You can start and save the online application in Australia, but you can only submit it after you have left and no longer hold an active Australian visa.
How long does a DASP take?
Funds generally pay within 28 days of receiving a complete application. Incomplete applications, or requests for more documents, take longer.
Do I need certified copies of my ID?
For balances of $5,000 or more, your fund may ask for certified copies, and paper applications always need them. It is easier to get documents certified before you leave Australia.
Can a tax agent claim my super for me?
Yes. A registered tax agent can apply on your behalf through the DASP online intermediary application system, with your written authority. Anyone who is not a registered tax agent can only apply for you on a paper form.
Talk it through
If you are leaving Australia soon, send us your super statements and visa history. We will check that every account is accounted for, tell you which rate is likely to apply, and lodge the claim and your final tax return together if you want us to.
Book a 20 minute call, or phone us: Melbourne 03 9600 0803 | Brisbane 07 3188 8081. Our superannuation services page lists the rest.
Credentials: CPA, Registered Tax Agent, ASIC Registered Agent, NTAA member, in practice since 2013. Our registration can be checked on the TPB public register. We work in English and Mandarin.
Sources
- ATO, Departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) (QC 24169), last updated 21 April 2026.
- ATO, Help with the DASP online application system (QC 73102).
- ATO, DASP online intermediary application system (QC 16855), last updated 19 March 2026.
All ATO pages retrieved 1 November 2026. This article is general information and does not take your circumstances into account. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
First published 24 January 2025, rewritten 1 November 2026. Reviewed by Lily Zhang, CPA and registered tax agent, founder of Wiselink Accountants.
