Claiming Your Super Back After a 417 Visa: DASP, the Tax Rate and Getting the Money to the UK

12 September 2026

Calculator resting on a superannuation statement showing account balance and a contributions breakdown chart, beside a coffee mug on a desk

If you worked in Australia on a 417 visa, you almost certainly have superannuation sitting in an account you can't easily add to or access from the UK. Once your visa has expired and you've left the country, you can claim it back as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP), taxed at a specific working-holiday-maker rate that's higher than most people expect. Here's what DASP actually is, what you'll pay in tax, and how to get the payout from an Australian account into a UK one without losing more of it to a bad exchange rate.

What a DASP actually is

If you worked in Australia on a temporary visa, your employer was required to pay compulsory superannuation contributions into a super fund on your behalf, on top of your wages. A Departing Australia Superannuation Payment lets you claim that money (plus any earnings) back out, less tax, once you've left the country. As at 12 September 2026, per the ATO's own DASP guidance, you can claim a DASP if you accumulated super on a temporary resident visa (most visa subclasses, excluding a couple of niche categories), your visa has ceased to be in effect, you've left Australia and don't hold any other active Australian visa, and you're not an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.

The working holiday maker DASP tax rate

This is the number that catches most 417 holders out. DASP is taxed differently depending on whether your super contributions were made while you held a working holiday maker (WHM) visa. If you only ever held a 417 (and its associated bridging visas) while the contributions were made, the DASP WHM tax rate applies: 65% on both the taxed and untaxed elements of the taxable component, with the tax-free component staying at nil. That's a flat 65%, notably higher than the 35-45% ordinary DASP rate that applies to super built up on other visa types. Your super fund determines which rate applies based on what it knows about when your contributions were made, and it's confirmed as at 12 September 2026 against the ATO's own published rates, which were last updated 21 April 2026.

DASP tax-free component

applies to both the ordinary and WHM rate

DASP ordinary rate (taxed element)

35%

for super built up on visas other than a WHM visa

DASP ordinary rate (untaxed element)

45%

for super built up on visas other than a WHM visa

DASP working holiday maker rate

65%

applies to both the taxed and untaxed elements if your super came from a 417 or 462 visa

When you're eligible to apply

You can only submit a DASP application once your 417 has expired or been cancelled and you've physically left Australia without holding any other active Australian visa. You can start and save an online application while you're still in the country, gathering your information and even locating your super, but you can't submit it until after you've departed. If you don't apply, your super fund transfers your balance to the ATO as unclaimed money once it's been six months since you left and your visa has ceased, and you can still claim it from there later, though it's simpler to apply as soon as you're eligible.

Documents and how to apply

The DASP online application system (free to use) is the easiest route for both super-fund-held and ATO-held super, and it automatically checks your immigration status against Home Affairs records rather than requiring you to supply separate proof in most cases. If your super balance is $5,000 or more, your fund may still require certified copies of your ID, and in some cases a Certification of Immigration Status from Home Affairs (a paid service, Form 1194), so it's worth checking with your fund early. Paper forms exist too (NAT 7204 for fund-held super, NAT 74880 for ATO-held super) if you'd rather not use the online system. Certifying documents and organising an international criminal history check, if needed, is considerably easier to do before you leave Australia than after.

Processing time and how you're paid

DASP is generally paid within 28 days of a complete application, longer if anything's missing or you're asked for further documents. You'll be paid by electronic transfer to an Australian bank account, an Australian dollar cheque, or, for some funds, an international money transfer, though the ATO's own guidance notes that fees and currency conversion charges may apply on that option and not every fund offers it. Keeping your Australian account open until the payment lands is the simplest way to avoid finding out your account's already closed when the payment tries to arrive.

Getting the payout from Australia to the UK

Once DASP lands in an Australian account (or as a cheque you've deposited), moving it to the UK is a separate step from the claim itself, and it's the one place on this site where every money-transfer partner genuinely applies, since this is specifically about converting an Australian-dollar lump sum into pounds. A super fund's own international transfer option is rarely the cheapest way to do this: the ATO's own guidance flags that fees and conversion charges apply and vary by fund, and you generally don't get to compare rates before you commit to it.

Wise. Prices at the mid-market rate plus a transparent, usually small fee. Straightforward for a single lump-sum transfer like a DASP payout, and you can hold both AUD and GBP in one account while you decide on timing.
TorFX. No transfer fees, margin-based pricing rather than a flat charge, and generally settles same day to a couple of business days. Worth calling for a rate quote on a larger payout rather than relying on an online calculator.
Currencies Direct. Fee-free transfers with the margin built into the rate, narrowing as the amount goes up. A reasonable option for a one-off lump sum rather than regular smaller transfers.
Instarem. Licensed in more than 30 countries including Australia and the UK, with competitive rates and no hidden charges for individual transfers.

Compare the actual rate and any fee across two or three of these before you transfer, not just the headline marketing claim, since the real cost is the gap between what you send and what lands in your UK account.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much tax will I pay on my super if I was on a 417 visa?

A flat 65% on both the taxed and untaxed elements of the taxable component of your DASP, if your super contributions were made while you held a 417 or 462 visa. The tax-free component isn't taxed.

Can I apply for my DASP before I leave Australia?

You can start and save an application while you're still in Australia, but you can only submit it once your visa has expired or been cancelled and you've actually left the country.

What happens to my super if I never claim it?

Your fund transfers it to the ATO as unclaimed super money once it's been six months since you left and your visa has ceased. You can still claim it from the ATO after that, it just takes an extra step.

Do I need a Certification of Immigration Status to apply?

Only sometimes. If your super balance is $5,000 or more, your fund may ask for one, which Home Affairs issues for a fee. Below that threshold, funds generally accept other evidence that your visa has expired and you've left.

How long does DASP take to be paid?

Generally within 28 days of a complete application, though it takes longer if information is missing or your fund asks for further documents.

Is it cheaper to use my super fund's international transfer option or a separate money-transfer service?

The ATO's own guidance notes that fees and currency conversion charges apply to a fund's international transfer option and vary by fund. Getting the payment into an Australian account and converting it yourself with a specialist provider usually gives you more control over the rate and fee.

Does claiming my DASP affect a future Australian visa application?

No. Claiming a DASP doesn't affect any future visa application.

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