KiwiSaver withdrawals

If you have been a member of KiwiSaver for at least 3 years, you may be able to make a withdrawal from your savings to put towards buying your first home.

Eligible members can withdraw their KiwiSaver savings. However, at least $1,000 must remain in their KiwiSaver account.

You can withdraw:

• your contributions
• your employer's contributions
• the government contribution
• interest you have earned

Funds transferred from an Australian Complying Superannuation scheme cannot be withdrawn

The funds withdrawn can be used as a deposit on their first home. 

KiwiSaver HomeStart grant

Depending on whether you're buying an existing home or a new build - you can get up to $10,000 towards buying your first home using the KiwiSaver HomeStart grant.

Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities administers this grant.

Find out more about the HomeStart grant.

Withdrawal Estimate

If you require an estimate of your KiwiSaver balance available to withdraw for a First Home, please Contact us. 

Withdrawal

Once you're ready to withdraw your KiwiSaver savings, you and your solicitor will need to complete the First Home Withdrawal Form and send this to us by emailing hello@aurora.co.nz.

If you have any questions about KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal, contact your Financial Adviser, of Contact us.

In general, you won’t be able to access your KiwiSaver savings until you reach the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation, currently 65.

How much can you withdraw at retirement?

You’ll be able to withdraw all your member, employer and Government contributions. These withdrawals are tax-free.

You don’t have to withdraw all of your KiwiSaver savings. You can choose how you would like your money to be paid, e.g. a one-off lump-sum payment or regular withdrawals to supplement your income.

Withdrawal

Once you're ready to withdraw your KiwiSaver savings, you will need to complete the Retirement Withdrawal Form and send this to us by emailing hello@aurora.co.nz.

If you're going through tough financial times, you might be eligible to access your KiwiSaver savings earlier. This falls under the rules of the KiwiSaver Act, which defines significant financial hardship as situations where you:

• Can't cover your basic living expenses.
• Are unable to pay your home mortgage, and your mortgage provider is taking steps to enforce it.
• Need to make modifications to your home for yourself or a dependent family member's special needs.
• Have medical expenses for yourself or a dependent family member.
• Are facing funeral costs for a dependent family member.

Before applying for a significant financial hardship withdrawal, make sure you've reached out to Work and Income, your bank, and any other financial institutions you're involved with for assistance. You must also show that you've been declined assistance from them.

To support your application, you'll need to provide a completed statutory declaration about your assets and debts. Additionally, you should provide documents that prove the following:

• Bank statements for all your accounts over the last three months.
• Proof of your income.
• Statements for mortgages, loans, and other debts, along with their repayment plans.
• Any other relevant evidence that demonstrates you can't cover your basic expenses or are dealing with one of the situations mentioned above.

Please note that expenses related to non-personal entities like businesses or family trusts won't be considered for a financial hardship withdrawal application.

If you're ready to apply for a significant financial hardship withdrawal, please fill out this referral form. Your information will be sent to Debtfix, who will get in touch with you to discuss your situation and guide you through the next steps.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

You may be able to withdraw some, or all, of your KiwiSaver savings early for health reasons. These can be either:

• an illness, injury or disability that permanently affects your ability to work or poses a risk of death
• a life-shortening congenital condition that lowers your life expectancy below the age of eligibility for New Zealand superannuation (currently 65).

You may need to provide medical evidence to support your application.

If your application to withdraw is approved, you can withdraw some, or all, of your savings. This includes:

• your contributions
• your employer's contribution
• the $1,000 kickstart (if you got it)
• the government contributions
• fee subsidies (if you got these)
• interest you have earned.

And, if you applied because your condition was life-shortening and congenital:

• you'll stop getting the government contribution (GVC)
• your employer will stop contributing to your KiwiSaver.

How to apply

To apply for a Serious Illness withdrawal, you'll need to complete the Serious Illness Withdrawal Form and return it us by emailing hello@aurora.co.nz. 

After you've been living overseas (not Australia) for 1 year, you can take most of the savings from your KiwiSaver account.

You can withdraw:

• your contributions
• your employer's contributions
• the $1,000 kickstart (if you got it)
• fee subsidies (if you got these)
• interest you have earned.

You cannot take out the government contributions.

How to apply

Complete the Permanent Emigration Withdrawal Form and return it us by emailing hello@aurora.co.nz.

If you move permanently to Australia, you can transfer your KiwiSaver savings to an Australian superannuation scheme. You do not have to transfer your KiwiSaver savings to Australia though.

How to apply

Complete the Contact us form and we can get the process underway.