Who Can Join a KiwiSaver Scheme? Eligibility Rules Explained
Most people only start asking who qualifies for KiwiSaver when a payslip shows a deduction they never chose. Eligibility turns on age, residency and how you earn, and Inland Revenue (NZ tax authority) sets automatic enrolment for employees aged 18 to 65.
Automatic enrolment age: 18 to 65 (Inland Revenue guidance) · Default employee contribution: 3.5% of before-tax pay (Inland Revenue guidance) · Under 16: a guardian must consent and contact a provider (Inland Revenue joining guidance) · Government contribution: 25 cents per dollar, up to $260.72 a year (Inland Revenue KS12 guide)
Quick snapshot
- Employees aged 18 to 65 are enrolled automatically if eligible (Inland Revenue (NZ tax authority))
- Default employee contribution is 3.5% of before-tax pay (Inland Revenue guidance)
- Government contribution is 25 cents per dollar, up to $260.72 a year (Inland Revenue KS12 guide)
- Refund amount and timing for opt-outs after enrolment are not confirmed (Inland Revenue guidance)
- The employer rate: FMA guidance gives 3% of gross pay (Financial Markets Authority (NZ financial regulator))
- Visa-holder rules beyond temporary, visitor, work and student visas are not covered (Inland Revenue joining guidance)
- Whether every provider requires an IRD number at sign-up (Summer KiwiSaver applying guide)
- Treasury’s 2007 release tied eligibility to the NZ Super age of 65 (Treasury (NZ government department))
- Employer contributions for 16 and 17-year-olds apply from 1 April 2026 (ANZ KiwiSaver scheme guide)
- IRD’s joining guidance was updated on 19 September 2025 (Inland Revenue joining guidance)
- Self-employed and non-working people join by contacting a provider directly (Inland Revenue guidance)
- Under-16s need a guardian to contact the provider on their behalf (Inland Revenue joining guidance)
- Full government contribution needs at least $1,042.86 contributed between 1 July and 30 June (ASB (bank and KiwiSaver provider))
- Non-PAYE self-employed people set their own contribution, with no compulsory employer contributions (ASB self-employed guide)
Ten rules cover most cases, and one pattern runs through them: employers enrol eligible adult employees, while under-18s, self-employed people and non-workers must go through a provider themselves.
| Rule | What applies |
|---|---|
| Automatic enrolment age | 18 to 65 for employees starting a new job (Inland Revenue guidance) |
| Under 16 | A guardian consents and contacts the provider; the child cannot enrol alone (Inland Revenue joining guidance) |
| Aged 16 or 17 | At least one legal guardian co-signs the application (Inland Revenue joining guidance) |
| Under-18 employees | Join only through a scheme provider, not through the employer (Inland Revenue joining guidance) |
| Self-employed or not working | Contact a provider directly (Inland Revenue guidance) |
| Visa holders | Temporary, visitor, work or student visa holders cannot join (Inland Revenue joining guidance) |
| Citizens and residents | NZ citizens and people entitled to live here indefinitely who live or normally live in New Zealand (Inland Revenue joining guidance) |
| Default employee contribution | 3.5% of before-tax pay if no rate is chosen (Inland Revenue guidance) |
| Government contribution | 25 cents per dollar, up to $260.72 a year, for members aged 16 or over with taxable income of $180,000 or less (Inland Revenue KS12 guide) |
| Full government contribution threshold | $1,042.86 contributed between 1 July and 30 June (ASB (bank and KiwiSaver provider)) |
What is KiwiSaver in New Zealand?
KiwiSaver is a long-term savings scheme run by registered providers and regulated by the government. Members choose a provider and an investment option. The Financial Markets Authority (NZ financial regulator) publishes consumer guidance on how it works.
KiwiSaver is open to all New Zealand citizens and people entitled to be in New Zealand indefinitely who are under the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation (currently age 65).
Treasury, in its 2007 question-and-answer release (Treasury KiwiSaver Q&A)
The implication: eligibility is tied to residency and age, not to having a job. A person with no employer can still join by contacting a provider, as long as the residency test is met.
Who is eligible for KiwiSaver?
Status comes first. Citizens and people entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely can join if they live or normally live here (Inland Revenue joining guidance). Temporary, visitor, work or student visa holders cannot join at all.
For employees, the rule is simple. Employees aged 18 to 65 who start a new job are enrolled automatically if eligible, unless exempt (Inland Revenue (NZ tax authority)).
Automatic enrolment covers adults on payroll, so the self-employed and people not working must sign up on their own (Inland Revenue guidance).
KiwiSaver is not just for employees.
Summer KiwiSaver, a scheme provider (Summer KiwiSaver applying guide)
Can someone under 18 join KiwiSaver?
- Under 16: at least one legal guardian consents and contacts the scheme provider. The child cannot enrol alone (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
- Aged 16 or 17: at least one legal guardian must co-sign the application (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
- Under-18 employees: sign-up runs through a scheme provider only, never through the employer (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
Employer contributions for 16 and 17-year-olds apply from 1 April 2026, according to the ANZ KiwiSaver scheme guide.
If you’re under 18 you can only join KiwiSaver through a scheme provider. You cannot join through your employer.
Inland Revenue (joining KiwiSaver guidance)
Can I join KiwiSaver if I am self-employed or not working?
- Self-employed and non-working people join by contacting a KiwiSaver provider directly (Inland Revenue guidance).
- Self-employed people who receive PAYE income must make both employee and employer contributions, according to Summer KiwiSaver (scheme provider).
- Self-employed people who are not on PAYE set their own contribution and pay their provider directly (ASB self-employed guide).
The government contribution has its own ceiling. Individuals with annual taxable income over $180,000 are not eligible, according to the ANZ KiwiSaver scheme guide. Westpac states the contribution applies to ages 16 to 64 who mainly live in New Zealand (Westpac self-employed or not working guide).
Without PAYE, nobody else pays in for you. The ASB self-employed guide describes no compulsory employer contributions, so the amount going in is your decision alone.
Why this matters: the rules sort people by how they earn, so the same adult can be enrolled automatically in one role and need to sign up alone in another.
Who is exempt from KiwiSaver?
Automatic enrolment has clear edges. Employees under 18 or over 65 are not enrolled automatically, according to Inland Revenue joining guidance for employees.
Can I opt out of KiwiSaver and get my money back?
- Once joined, an employee cannot opt out of KiwiSaver under IRD guidance (Inland Revenue guidance).
- No IRD page confirms the refund amount or timing for opt-outs made after the enrolment period.
- Some sources imply a formal opt-out route, but the IRD guidance does not confirm one, so check with your provider before you act.
Because the no-opt-out rule applies once you have joined, the decision happens at enrolment, and the evidence does not show how to reverse it (Inland Revenue guidance).
The implication: for employees, age decides who is enrolled, and the no-opt-out rule decides what happens next.
How do I join KiwiSaver?
Joining is mostly a matter of choosing a provider and giving personal details. Self-employed and non-working people can contact a provider directly at any point, not only when starting a job (Inland Revenue guidance).
- Confirm the residency test: you are a citizen or entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely, and you live or normally live here (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
- Choose a registered provider and an investment option. Members can switch provider or fund later (Financial Markets Authority).
- If you are self-employed, not working or under 18, contact the provider directly (Inland Revenue guidance).
- Provide the personal details the provider asks for. The evidence reviewed does not confirm which details every provider requires, so check the sign-up form (Summer KiwiSaver applying guide).
- Set a contribution rate. If none is chosen, the default employee rate is 3.5% of before-tax pay (Inland Revenue guidance).
Who can join a KiwiSaver scheme online?
- The sources describe joining through a provider, and the Summer KiwiSaver applying guide covers the provider sign-up route.
- Under-16s cannot enrol alone, so a guardian has to contact the provider for them (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
How can I contact KiwiSaver?
- Contact the registered provider you choose, because membership runs through providers (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
- Under-18 employees sign up through a provider, not their employer (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
The catch: IRD’s rules settle whether you can join, but the provider you pick controls your fees and fund options from the first day.
Which providers offer KiwiSaver in New Zealand?
Several registered providers offer KiwiSaver. ASB, ANZ, Summer and Westpac each publish guides that cover self-employed or younger applicants, and each has its own terms.
Which KiwiSaver scheme is best?
- The sources do not rank providers. Registered providers offer different investment options (Financial Markets Authority).
- Fees and fund risk levels differ between schemes, so compare them before you choose (Financial Markets Authority).
Confirmed facts
- Employees aged 18 to 65 are enrolled automatically if eligible, unless exempt (Inland Revenue guidance)
- Under-18s join only through a scheme provider (Inland Revenue joining guidance)
- The default employee contribution is 3.5% of before-tax pay (Inland Revenue guidance)
- The government contribution is 25 cents per dollar, up to $260.72 a year (Inland Revenue KS12 guide)
What’s unclear
- Refund amount and timing for opt-outs after the enrolment period
- The employer rate: FMA guidance gives 3% of gross pay, while other material cites 3.5%, and no primary IRD text settles it (FMA (NZ financial regulator))
- Whether every provider requires an IRD number at sign-up
- Visa-holder eligibility beyond temporary, visitor, work and student visas
- According to Wikipedia (online encyclopedia), there were 252,000 KiwiSaver members under 18 as of August 2021, a secondary figure with no official confirmation
The trade-off: fee and fund-risk differences only matter once you compare them, so the comparison has to happen before you join, not after.
For self-employed people and anyone not working, the choice is clear: contact a provider directly, set your own contribution rate and pick an investment option now, or accept that no employer will open the account for you.
- Related reading: How KiwiSaver works: contributions, withdrawals and funds
- Related reading: What happens to KiwiSaver when you die
ird.govt.nz, ird.govt.nz, ird.govt.nz, ird.govt.nz, ird.govt.nz, business.govt.nz, asb.co.nz
Frequently asked questions
Will my employer enrol me in KiwiSaver automatically?
If you are an employee aged 18 to 65 and eligible, you are enrolled automatically when you start a new job, unless you are exempt (Inland Revenue guidance).
Is KiwiSaver compulsory in New Zealand?
Eligible employees are enrolled automatically unless exempt. Self-employed people and non-workers sign up by contacting a provider directly (Inland Revenue guidance).
How old do you have to be to join KiwiSaver?
Automatic enrolment covers employees aged 18 to 65. Under-16s need a guardian to consent and contact the provider, and 16- and 17-year-olds need at least one guardian to co-sign (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
Can a non-citizen join KiwiSaver?
Yes, if you are entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely and you live or normally live here. Temporary, visitor, work and student visa holders cannot join (Inland Revenue joining guidance).
Do I need an IRD number to join KiwiSaver?
The evidence reviewed does not confirm an IRD number at every provider, so check the provider’s sign-up form before you start (Summer KiwiSaver applying guide).
Who gets the government contribution?
Members aged 16 or over with taxable income of $180,000 or less receive 25 cents per dollar, up to $260.72 a year (Inland Revenue KS12 guide).
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