Find out what you have to do while you're overseas.

You're generally not eligible for an interest-free student loan if you're away for 6 months (184 days) or more. The current interest rate for the 2010 tax year is 6.8%.

Interest will be applied to your student loan from the day after you leave, and won't be written off. Check out how interest charges work.

However, you may be eligible for an interest-free student loan while you're overseas if some special circumstances apply to you.

Go to "Contact us" before you go so we can make sure all your account details are up-to-date.

Repayment holiday

If you're based overseas for 6 months (184 days) or more, you can take a break from your student loan repayments for up to 3 years. It's called a repayment holiday and it means you won't have to make any payments while you're away.

Repayment holidays don't stop interest on your loan though, so it's still a good idea to make voluntary payments to keep on top of things.

If you moved overseas from 1 April 2007, you'll automatically get a repayment holiday from the day after you leave New Zealand.

If your application for the student loan amnesty was accepted you can get a 3 year repayment holiday once you've met your amnesty repayment obligations. Let us know if you'd like a repayment holiday, and we'll do the rest.

Your repayment holiday finishes when you arrive back in New Zealand. You can pick it up again any time you go overseas, up to a total of 3 years.

Of course you don't have to take a repayment holiday. If you'd rather keep making compulsory payments while you're away, send us a secure email if you're registered for online services or give us a call. Go to "Contact us".

When your repayment holiday ends

If your repayment holiday finishes while you're still overseas or you've asked us to end it, you'll need to start paying back your loan again.

You'll need to make repayments twice a year. These will be based on the size of your loan balance and will be due in 2 equal instalments on 30 September and 31 March.

We'll be in touch by post to let you know what your repayments will be. You can also see your repayment obligation through online services, but you'll need to be registered. Go to "Get it done online".

Making repayments while you're overseas

You can make repayments on your student loan before you leave or while you're overseas.

Use our Student loan repayment calculator to see how much interest you can save by making extra payments towards your loan.

Keeping up-to-date with your loan while you're away

Stay in touch with us and your account while you're away by registering for our online services - you'll need to have your IRD number to register.

With online services, you can:

• see interest charges and interest write-offs
• see repayments and,
• communicate with us using secure email.

We also have a Notify Me email service that provides you with useful information to help you manage your student loan. It'll also keep you up-to-date with anything new that's happening with student loans. Register for Notify Me - all you need is your email address.

Nominate a person to act on your behalf while you're away

If you won't have a fixed address, your can nominate a person who can check your loan balance and make payments or queries on your behalf. To do this just go to "Forms and guides" and complete our Nominate (elect) someone to act on your behalf (IR597) form.

When you return to New Zealand

You'll need to let us know. Go to "Contact us" for our contact details or send us a secure email if you're registered for online services.