• Home
• About us
• WTO
• United Nations
• Disarmament
• Services for Australians
• Statements
• Visas and migration
• Travelling to Australia
• Doing business with Australia
• Study in Australia
• Media
• About Australia
• Events

Social Welfare (including Pensions)

Media Release

MAL BROUGH MP
Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs

9 October 2006
Greater pension certainty for Australian-Swiss residents

Ten thousand Swiss-born residents living in Australia will have greater certainty in their retirement years following the signing of a Social Security Agreement between the Australian and Swiss Governments.

The Minister for Family and Community Services, Mal Brough, today said the agreement will assure the pension rights of people who move between Australia and Switzerland are recognised in both countries.

“The Australian and Swiss Governments have agreed to contribute fairly to supporting people who have lived and worked in both countries,” Mr Brough said.

“The agreement will also help an estimated 250 former residents of Australia of age pension age living in Switzerland, who will be able to claim a pension without having to return to Australia.

“The Australian Government is committed to maximising the income of people who have lived and worked in other countries through its network of social security agreements.”

The Australian social security pensions covered under this agreement are the age pension, disability support pension for the severely disabled, pensions payable to widowed persons, double orphan pension and carer payment. Switzerland has agreed to cover old age, disability and survivors' pensions.

The Agreement also includes provisions to avoid double coverage of workers sent temporarily between Australia and Switzerland, similar to the provisions we have included in Agreements with Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and the USA.

“These provisions, which impact on Australia's Superannuation Guarantee arrangements, will reduce costs for business in both countries and promote closer economic relations between Australia and Switzerland,” Mr Brough said.

Australia has social security agreements in place with Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the USA.

Media contact: Suzanne Ferguson +61 (0) 448 829 068

AUSTRALIAN PENSIONS - to ascertain whether you are eligible for an Australian pension, or to seek information about payments overseas, please contact the CENTRELINK office in Hobart Tasmania at the following address:

PENSIONS AUSTRALIENNES - afin d'établir votre éligibilité à une pension australienne ou de vous procurer des informations à propos des paiements de pensions effectués en dehors de l'Australie, veuillez contacter s'il vous plaît le bureau CENTRELINK à Hobart, Tasmanie selon les coordonnées suivantes :

AUSTRALISCHE RENTEN - um zu ermitteln, ob Sie in Australien rentenberechtigt sind, oder um Auskunft über Zahlungen im Ausland zu erhalten, wenden Sie sich bitte an das Büro CENTRELINK in Hobart, Tasmanien an folgender Adresse :

Please note that Centrelink does not provide information about Taxation for persons resident outside Australia.

For Australian Citizens seeking information about Reciprocal Pension Agreements between Switzerland & Australia, please contact the following Department in Australia:

For information concerning Swiss benefits and entitlements for Australian Citizens, please contact the Swiss Authorities at the following address:

Disclaimer Privacy An Australian Government website Copyright Commonwealth of Australia