Child support and other countries

If you live in New Zealand and the other parent lives in a country that's a member of the 2007 Child Support Convention, you may be able to apply for child support through us. Or, we can help you apply through the other country’s Central Authority.

Find countries that have child support agreements with New Zealand
Child support between Australia and New Zealand

Who works out child support

In most cases the country the receiving carer lives in works out the amount to pay, but both countries can collect and enforce payments. This is done through the country’s Central Authority (like New Zealand’s Inland Revenue).

2007 Child Support Convention Central Authorities - hcch.net

Receiving carers living in a member country

If you and the child live in a member country and the other parent lives in New Zealand, you can apply through your country's Central Authority or directly to us for a formula assessment of child support.

If you apply through your country's Central Authority, they can help you apply and send us the information we need to work out payments.

Apply for child support - formula assessment

Receiving carers living in New Zealand

If you and the child live in New Zealand and the other parent lives in a member country, you'll need to apply to us for child support. If you were receiving child support in another country, you'll need to let them know when you've applied in New Zealand.

If you're owed child support and the other parent is in another member country, we can ask the other country to collect the payments. It may take some time before you receive payments, depending on how the country collects payments.

Paying parents living in a member country

When you're a paying parent living in another member country and you have a child support assessment from us in New Zealand, you'll need to make your child support payments to us.

If you do not keep up with your payments, we may ask the Central Authority in the country you're living in to collect your child support for us.

Paying parents living in New Zealand

If you're a paying parent living in New Zealand and have been assessed to pay child support in another member country, we may be asked to collect your child support payments on their behalf. If that happens, we'll contact you and collect the payments and pass them on.

If we're collecting your payments, you'll still need to discuss your child support assessment with the court or agency in the country that made the court order or assessment. We cannot change the amount you have to pay as we are only collecting the child support on the other country's behalf.

Domestic maintenance

In New Zealand you can claim domestic maintenance from your former partner after a separation, if you cannot support yourself and your partner is financially able to pay maintenance. This is called spousal support in the 2007 Child Support Convention.

If you have a maintenance order or agreement that was made in New Zealand or another member country, you may be able to apply to have it registered and collected on your behalf if the payer is living in another member country.

If you do not have a maintenance order, you may be able to apply for one. Please contact us for more information.

2007 Child Support Convention information sharing summary
Court orders and domestic maintenance