Residence descriptions

You usually need to be an Australian resident or hold a specific visa type to get a Centrelink payment or concession card.

Australian resident

You’re an Australian resident if you live in Australia and are either:

  • an Australian citizen
  • a permanent residence visa holder
  • a protected Special Category visa (SCV) holder from New Zealand.

Living in Australia

Living in Australia means Australia is your usual place of residence.

Australia includes:

  • the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • the Territory of Christmas Island
  • Norfolk Island
  • Lord Howe Island.

How we decide

When we’re deciding whether you live in Australia, we’ll look at the following:

  • where you live and who you live with
  • if you have family in Australia or overseas
  • your employment, business or financial ties in Australia and overseas
  • your assets in Australia and overseas
  • how often and how long you travel outside Australia
  • anything else we think is relevant.

Family member

We may need to do a family member assessment to decide if you have either:

The definition of a family member differs depending on the reason for the assessment.

Newly arrived resident’s waiting period exemption

We assess you as a family member of a refugee, or former refugee, if you’re one of the following:

  • their partner
  • their dependent child
  • equivalent to one of these roles, as considered by us.

Approved reason for payment overseas

When we assess an approved reason for payment overseas, a person is a family member if they’re either:

  • your partner
  • your sibling
  • your parent
  • your dependent child
  • equivalent to one of these roles, as considered by us.

Permanent residence visa

A permanent residence visa lets you stay in Australia indefinitely and allows you to claim all Centrelink payments and concession cards as an Australian resident if you’re living in Australia.

Special Category visa (SCV)

You’ll generally get a Special Category visa (SCV) if you came to Australia on a New Zealand passport, and you didn’t apply for a visa first. The type of SCV you get depends on when you arrived in Australia.

Protected SCV holders

You’re generally a protected SCV holder if you arrived in Australia on a New Zealand passport, and were either:

  • in Australia on 26 February 2001
  • in Australia for 12 months in the 2 years immediately before this date
  • assessed as a protected SCV holder before 26 February 2004.

If you live in Australia and have a protected SCV, you can claim all Centrelink payments and concession cards.

New Zealand citizens on Norfolk Island

You’re generally a protected SCV holder if you’re a New Zealand citizen who was either:

  • on Norfolk Island on 26 February 2001
  • in Australia, including Norfolk Island, for 12 months in the 2 years immediately before this date.

If you meet either of these rules and live in Australia, you can claim all Centrelink payments and concession cards.

Non-protected SCV holders

You’re generally a non-protected SCV holder if you’re a New Zealand citizen who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001. This means you’re not an Australian resident and generally can’t claim income support payments.

There are other payments and concession cards you may be able to claim, such as Family Tax Benefit and Australian Government natural disaster payments.

Read more about New Zealand citizens claiming payments in Australia.

Temporary protection type visas

If you hold a temporary protection type visa, you can claim some payments and concession cards.

Temporary protection type visas include:

  • subclass 060 - Bridging F
  • subclass 070 - Bridging (Removal Pending)
  • subclass 449 - Humanitarian Stay
  • subclass 785 - Temporary Protection
  • subclass 786 - Temporary (Humanitarian Concern)
  • subclass 790 - Safe Haven Enterprise
  • subclass ZB 951 – Criminal Justice Stay (only when granted for certain purposes).

If you’re outside Australia

You may be able to keep getting your payment if you’re outside Australia, and all of the following apply. You:

  • hold a visa subclass 785 or 790
  • have an approved reason
  • continue to meet the qualification rules at all times.

Read more about payments while outside Australia.

Partner provisional visas

If you hold a partner provisional visa, you can claim some payments and concession cards.

Partner provisional visas include:

  • subclass 820 - Partner (temporary)
  • subclass 309 - Partner (provisional).

If you’re outside Australia

You may be able to keep getting your payment if you’re outside Australia, and all of the following apply. You:

  • have an approved reason
  • continue to meet the qualification rules at all times.

Read more about payments while outside Australia.

The Department of Home Affairs issues and administers all Australian visas. Use the visa finder on their website to read more about Australian visas.

Page last updated: 14 December 2023.
QC 30391