DASP 2026: How to Claim Your Superannuation Back When You Leave Australia
From 2 October 2026, a big group of people currently in Australia on a working holiday visa (417/462), a temporary work visa (like 482 or 457), a temporary graduate visa (485) or a visitor visa (600) lost the option of switching to a student visa while staying onshore - they now have to leave Australia and apply from offshore instead. If that's you, or you're simply finishing up a working holiday, a graduate visa or any other temporary stay, there's something worth sorting out before you go: your superannuation.
Most temporary visa holders who've worked in Australia have super sitting in an account they'll likely never touch again unless they claim it back. The Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) is the legitimate way to do that - and it's genuinely free to apply for, which matters, because a surprising number of people get talked into paying someone else to "fast-track" it for them.
In short: if you've worked in Australia on an eligible temporary visa, that visa has now expired or been cancelled, you've left the country, and you don't hold any other active visa, you can claim your super back. Working holiday makers (417/462) pay a flat 65% tax on the taxable portion; everyone else generally pays 35% on the taxed element and 45% on the untaxed element. The application itself costs nothing - official information is at ato.gov.au.
What's covered in this guide:
• FAQ
What DASP Actually Is
Superannuation guarantee contributions aren't optional for employers - if you've worked in Australia as an employee, your employer has almost certainly been paying super into an account for you, regardless of your visa type or tax residency. For permanent residents and citizens, that money stays locked away until retirement. For eligible temporary visa holders who leave for good, the rules are different: once you've genuinely departed and your visa has ceased, you can apply to have that super paid out to you directly, as the ATO explains. That payout is DASP.
Who's Eligible - and Who Isn't
To qualify for DASP, all of the following generally need to be true:
• You entered Australia on a temporary visa issued under the Migration Act 1958.
• That visa has now ceased to be in effect - it's expired or been cancelled.
• You've actually left Australia.
• You don't currently hold any other active Australian visa.
• You're not an Australian or New Zealand citizen, and not a permanent resident.
Two visa subclasses are specifically excluded from DASP: subclass 405 (Investor Retirement) and subclass 410 (Retirement), since those visa categories have their own separate arrangements for accessing super. Everyone else on a genuine temporary visa - working holiday makers, students, skilled temporary workers, graduates and so on - is generally in scope.
When You Can Actually Apply
DASP can only be paid out after you've left Australia and your visa has ceased. That said, the ATO notes you can start the paperwork before you leave, so the application is ready to finalise the moment you're eligible - useful if you want the payment processed as quickly as possible after departure rather than starting from scratch once you're already back home.
How Much Tax You'll Actually Pay
This is where DASP catches a lot of people off guard, because the tax rate is a lot higher than the tax most people expect on their own money. The component of your super that's genuinely tax-free stays at 0% regardless, but the taxable components are taxed at a flat rate specific to DASP:
• Working holiday makers (417/462 visa holders): 65% on both the taxed element and the untaxed element of your taxable super.
• Everyone else on an eligible temporary visa: 35% on the taxed element, 45% on the untaxed element.
The "untaxed element" mostly comes up if some of your super sits with a fund that hadn't already paid tax on contributions (certain public sector or government funds work this way) - most people with a standard industry or retail super fund will only have a taxed element to worry about.
Worked Examples
• Working holiday maker: $9,000 of taxable super (taxed element), all earned on a 417 visa doing farm and hospitality work. Tax = 65% × $9,000 = $5,850. DASP paid out = $3,150.
• Skilled temporary worker (482 visa): $16,000 of taxable super, all taxed element, built up over two years in an office role. Tax = 35% × $16,000 = $5,600. DASP paid out = $10,400.
• Graduate (485 visa) with a small untaxed component: $12,000 taxed element plus $1,000 untaxed element from an earlier public-sector-linked fund. Tax = (35% × $12,000) + (45% × $1,000) = $4,200 + $450 = $4,650. DASP paid out = $8,350.
Notice how much of a difference the visa type makes to the same dollar amount of super - which is exactly why working out your correct category matters before you apply, not after.
How to Actually Apply
There are three official ways to apply, and none of them involve a fee to the ATO:
• DASP online application system - the usual route, done through the ATO's own portal once you've left and your visa has ceased.
• Direct to your super fund - using form NAT 7204, if your super is still sitting with the fund it was originally paid into.
• Through the ATO directly - using form NAT 74880, if your fund has already transferred your balance to the ATO as unclaimed super money (see below).
A registered tax agent or other authorised intermediary can lodge on your behalf if you'd rather have someone check the details before it's submitted, but doing it yourself through the official channels above costs nothing beyond your own time.
The Scams to Watch Out For
Departing visa holders are a genuine target for scams around DASP, precisely because the money is real, the person is leaving the country, and they're often not familiar enough with the system to know what's normal. Industry super funds like CareSuper specifically warn about a handful of patterns:
• "Pay $100 and we'll fast-track it" - the genuine online application is completely free. Anyone charging a flat fee or a percentage of your refund to "speed things up" is not doing anything the official system doesn't already do for free.
• Fake portals that copy the look of the real ATO site to harvest your passport and bank details.
• Phone calls or texts from someone claiming to be the ATO, asking you to confirm personal details or make a payment.
• Social media ads promising to get your super out faster or get around the tax rate - there's no legitimate way around the tax rates outlined above.
The safest approach is to only ever use the official application paths at ato.gov.au, and to be wary of anyone - official-sounding or not - asking for money upfront to "process" your claim.
What Happens If You Miss the 6-Month Window
If it's been six months or more since you left Australia and your visa ceased, and you still haven't claimed, your super fund is required to transfer your balance to the ATO as unclaimed super money. That isn't the end of it - you can still claim it, just through the ATO directly using form NAT 74880 instead of going through your old fund. It's a slower, slightly more fiddly path than claiming within the first six months, so there's a genuine advantage to applying promptly once you're eligible.
Does DASP Affect Your Australian Tax Return?
Generally, no - DASP is paid out with the correct tax already withheld at the flat rates covered above, and it's treated as a final payment, not ordinary assessable income you need to separately report on an Australian tax return. If you're also finishing up your last Australian tax return before leaving for good (covering the income you earned while you were here), that's a separate process with its own deadlines - our guide to lodging your tax return before leaving Australia walks through that side of things.
Common Mistakes That Delay or Reduce Your Payment
• Applying with a fund that doesn't have your current bank details. DASP is paid electronically, and incorrect or outdated account details are one of the most common reasons an otherwise valid application stalls.
• Not updating your contact details before leaving. If your fund or the ATO needs to verify something, an old Australian phone number or address that no longer reaches you slows everything down.
• Assuming the wrong tax rate applies. Working out whether you fall under the working holiday maker rate (65%) or the general temporary resident rate (35%/45%) matters - the difference on even a modest super balance can run into thousands of dollars.
• Leaving multiple small super accounts behind. If you've changed jobs in Australia, you may have more than one fund with small, forgotten balances - each one needs its own DASP application (or needs consolidating first).
• Paying someone to "guarantee" a faster result. As covered above, there's no legitimate way to speed past the standard processing time by paying extra - that offer is the scam, not a shortcut.
Where the New 2026 Visa Rules Fit In
The visa changes that took effect on 2 October 2026 mean that working holiday makers, temporary workers (482, 457, 400, 407, 408), graduates (485), visitors (600) and holders of several other temporary visa subclasses can no longer switch to a student visa while staying in Australia - the new application has to be lodged from offshore. For anyone in that position who ends up genuinely leaving (rather than just stepping out briefly), their current visa ceasing on departure is exactly the trigger that makes DASP available. The visa strategy itself - timing, exemptions, and what counts as a valid offshore application - is a question for a registered migration agent, not an accountant. The super and tax side of actually leaving is ours to help with.
Should You Get This Checked by a Professional?
The eligibility rules and tax rates above cover most straightforward cases, but things get less clear-cut quickly - multiple super funds, an untaxed component you weren't expecting, a visa history that isn't simple, or genuine uncertainty about whether you'll actually be staying away for good. If you'd like a registered tax agent to check your eligibility, confirm which tax rate applies to your situation, and make sure your application is filled out correctly before you submit it, get in touch with Baron Tax & Accounting and we're happy to talk it through.
If you'd like our team to lodge the DASP application on your behalf, click the button below to get started:
FAQ
Do I have to pay anything to apply for DASP?
No. The official application - whether through the ATO's online system, your fund, or the ATO directly - is free. Any service charging you a fee or a cut of your refund to "process" it is not the official channel.
Can I apply for DASP before I leave Australia?
You can start the paperwork before you leave, but the payment itself can only be finalised after you've actually left and your visa has ceased.
I'm a working holiday maker - why is my tax rate so much higher than other visa holders?
The 65% DASP rate for 417/462 visa holders was set specifically for working holiday makers and applies regardless of how the rest of your income was taxed while you were working in Australia - it's a flat rate under the DASP rules, not a reflection of your marginal tax rate.
What if I have super with more than one fund?
You can apply for DASP for each fund separately, or consolidate your super into one fund before you apply to simplify the process - just be aware that consolidating takes time, so it's worth doing well before you're due to leave.
I'm leaving Australia temporarily to apply for a new visa from offshore - can I still claim DASP?
If your current visa genuinely ceases and you have no other active visa, you may meet the technical eligibility criteria even if you intend to return later on a new visa. Whether that's the right move for your situation - given you'll start accumulating super again once you're back working - is worth discussing with a tax agent before you apply, since DASP isn't automatically reversible once paid.
Does DASP apply to self-managed super funds (SMSFs)?
DASP rules are designed around regulated super funds; if your super sits in an SMSF, the process and requirements can differ, so it's worth checking your specific circumstances before assuming the same rules apply.
What happens to my super if I never apply for DASP at all?
After six months from leaving Australia with your visa ceased, your fund transfers the balance to the ATO as unclaimed super money. It isn't lost - you can still claim it from the ATO directly - but there's no benefit to leaving it there indefinitely.
Do New Zealand citizens get DASP?
No. New Zealand citizens are specifically excluded from DASP, along with Australian citizens and permanent residents.
Is the money I get back the same as what's shown in my super account?
No - the DASP tax rates (65% for working holiday makers, or 35%/45% for other temporary residents) apply to the taxable component of your balance before it's paid out, so the amount you receive will be noticeably lower than your account balance.
Where do I check the official rules myself?
Directly on the ATO's DASP page, which covers eligibility, the application system, and current rates.
I changed jobs while in Australia - do I need to find every fund I ever had super with?
Yes, ideally. Each employer generally pays into the fund you nominated at the time (or a default fund if you didn't choose one), so if you changed jobs without consolidating, you may have several accounts to track down and claim from - or consolidate into one before applying.
Will leaving Australia under the new 2026 visa rules affect how my DASP application is assessed?
No - DASP eligibility and tax rates are set under superannuation law, not by which immigration pathway led to your departure. The visa changes simply mean more people are finding themselves genuinely leaving Australia sooner than they'd planned, which is why checking your DASP eligibility is worth doing now rather than assuming it can wait.
This article provides general information only and does not constitute personal tax, financial or migration advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Tax and visa rules change and apply differently to each person's circumstances. Before acting, please seek advice from a registered tax agent (for the super and tax side) or a registered migration agent (for visa matters). Baron Tax & Accounting accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article. Source references: ATO (ato.gov.au) and other Australian government agencies, current as at the date of publication.
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