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  1. Moving overseas or returning to New Zealand

Can I keep my student loan interest-free overseas?

Student loans
Student loans
  • Moving overseas or returning to New Zealand
    • I am moving overseas
      • Can I keep my student loan interest-free overseas?
        • Studying overseas when I have a student loan
        • Working overseas when I have a student loan
        • Volunteering overseas when I have a student loan
        • Accompanying my partner overseas when I have a student loan
        • Interning or studying overseas with a Government-funded scholarship when I have a student loan
        • Serious illness
        • Unexpected delay returning to New Zealand when I have a student loan
        • Unplanned absence from New Zealand when I have a student loan
        • Apply to keep my student loan interest-free overseas
      • Temporary repayment suspension for student loans

Student loans Dates

  • APR 7
    End-of-year student loan repayments are due if you have a tax agent with a valid extension of time.
  • MAY 8
    Interim student loan repayments are due. They count towards your end-of-year repayment obligation.
  • SEP 30
    Overseas-based student loan repayment due if you do not have a temporary repayment suspension.
  • All Student loans dates

Your student loan may stay interest-free when you're overseas-based if the main reason you go overseas is because you:

  • had an unexpected delay when you were returning to New Zealand
  • were unexpectedly required to travel after you’ve returned to New Zealand
  • are studying overseas
  • are volunteering overseas
  • are working overseas for the government, or sent overseas for work
  • receive a qualifying government-funded scholarship for study or an internship
  • are accompanying your partner who is overseas for any of the above reasons.

If you have a serious illness, injury or disability that means you’re not able to engage in paid work nor meet your repayment obligation your loan may also stay interest-free.

To apply to keep your student loan interest free you will need to provide us with supporting documentation. What you need to send us depends on your situation. Find out more in the pages below.

You'll generally be considered New Zealand-based and have an interest-free student loan if you live in Niue, Cook Islands, Tokelau, or Ross Dependency.

I live in Niue, Cook Islands, Tokelau, or Ross Dependency

You may become a non-resident taxpayer

If you’ll be away from New Zealand for less than 10 months (325 days) you will remain a New Zealand tax resident. Otherwise, you may need to determine your New Zealand tax residency by completing a New Zealand tax residence questionnaire - IR886. You only need to include this with your application if you will be away for more than 325 days and either:

  • your employment or occupation requires you to be overseas
  • you are accompanying your partner overseas
  • you experienced an unplanned absence
  • you had an unexpected delay returning to New Zealand.

International tax for individuals


Pages in this section
  • Studying overseas when I have a student loan You can apply for your student loan to be interest-free if you are studying with an overseas education provider.
  • Working overseas when I have a student loan You may be able to keep your student loan interest-free if you work for the New Zealand government and are sent overseas for your work or work for a New Zealand business and are overseas for work, temporarily.
  • Volunteering overseas when I have a student loan If you volunteer overseas for a charitable organisation you may be able to keep your student loan interest-free.
  • Accompanying my partner overseas when I have a student loan If you are going overseas is to accompany your partner for their study or work, you may be able to keep your student loan interest-free.
  • Interning or studying overseas with a Government-funded scholarship when I have a student loan You may be able to keep your student loan interest-free if you receive a partially or fully-funded government scholarship, provided by New Zealand government or Crown agent.
  • Serious illness If you have serious illness and you are unable to meet your overseas-based repayment obligation, you may be able to keep your student loan interest-free, and have repayments based on your income.
  • Unexpected delay returning to New Zealand when I have a student loan You can apply for your student loan to be interest-free if you were intending to travel for less than 6 months but, because of events outside of your control, you could not return to New Zealand as planned.
  • Unplanned absence from New Zealand when I have a student loan If you have returned to New Zealand, leaving again for more than 31 days could mean you do not meet the criteria to become interest free. Depending on the situation, you may apply for your loan to be interest-free from the date you returned.
  • Apply to keep my student loan interest-free overseas How to apply to keep your student loan interest-free if you meet certain conditions.

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