Residence rules

To be eligible for Carer Allowance you must meet the residence rules.

On the day you claim, you must be all of the following:

The person you are caring for must be:

  • living in Australia
  • an Australian resident.

To keep getting your payment, you must both be living in Australia as Australian residents.

When you need to wait

If you've recently arrived as a resident in Australia, you may have to wait one year to get this payment. There are some exemptions to this. Read more about the newly arrived resident’s waiting period.

Page last updated: 17 March 2023.
QC 51814