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To get more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A you may need to apply for child support from the other parent, even if they live outside Australia.
Different countries have a range of child support schemes. How we can help depends on your case and where each parent lives.
We may be able to help you either:
- apply for an Australian child support assessment
- register a maintenance order, agreement or assessment if it was established in a reciprocating jurisdiction
- get payments from the parent in Australia
- make payments to the parent in Australia.
It can be very hard to collect payments from someone living outside Australia. You may have a long wait before you start receiving payments from outside Australia.
It’s best to call us on our Child Support enquiry line to discuss your options. You can also message us, or call one of our Child Support international lines.
Applying for child support
Applying when the other parent is outside Australia
If you live in Australia and the other parent lives outside Australia, you should call our Child Support enquiry line to discuss applying for child support. You may be able to apply for a child support assessment or to register a maintenance liability made outside Australia.
Applying when you live outside Australia
If you’re a receiving parent
If you live in a reciprocating jurisdiction and the other parent lives in Australia, you can apply to get child support from them. You’ll need to apply through the maintenance authority in your country to:
- get an Australian child support assessment using our International application for child support assessment form
- register and collect a maintenance liability made outside Australia.
If you’re a non-parent carer
If you’re a non-parent carer and live in a reciprocating jurisdiction you can apply to get child support if at least one parent lives in Australia.
If you’re a paying parent
If you live in a reciprocating jurisdiction and the other parent lives in Australia, you can apply to pay child support to them. You can apply by either:
- by using our International application for child support assessment form
- by calling one of our Child Support international lines
- through the maintenance authority in your country.
If you don’t live in a reciprocating jurisdiction
If you don’t live in a reciprocating jurisdiction you can apply directly to us for an assessment. You can do this if the other parent is an Australian resident, and the child:
- is in Australia on the day you apply for the assessment,
- normally resides in Australia
- is an Australian citizen.
Apply directly to us by either:
- using our International application for child support assessment form
- calling one of our Child Support international lines.
Applying when both parents live in Australia
If both parents live in Australia and you have a maintenance liability made outside Australia you can apply to register this. Call our Child Support enquiry line to discuss this.
Paying and receiving child support
Getting payments from a parent outside Australia
We may be able to help collect payments from a paying parent who is outside of Australia. If the paying parent agrees, we can arrange for them to make regular payments through us.
Even when they pay on time there’s often a long wait before you get your payment.
Getting payments if you live outside Australia
We can help with child support arrangements if both of the following apply:
- you live in a reciprocating jurisdiction
- the maintenance authority in your country asks us to.
Read more about receiving child support when you live outside Australia.
Making payments to a parent in Australia
If you live outside Australia and pay child support to a parent who lives in Australia, we’ll try to contact you. We’ll discuss your payments and check your Australian assessment is correct and reflects your circumstances.
Making payments to a parent outside Australia
If you pay child support to a parent in a reciprocating jurisdiction, the maintenance authority in that country may ask us to collect payments. They’ll transfer any money owing to the other parent. We’ll use our usual range of collection options.
Paying and receiving child support if you live in New Zealand
There are special rules about child support if you or the other parent live in New Zealand.
Read more about child support between Australia and New Zealand.