Using your KiwiSaver to buy your first home
Three years of membership opens the door. What you can withdraw, what must stay, and whose letter you need if you have owned before.
On this page
- Minimum membership
- 3 years
- What you can withdraw
- All of it except $1,000 and any funds transferred from Australia
- Minimum balance
- $1,000
- Government contribution
- Included, with conditions
- Previous homeowner
- Kāinga Ora determines eligibilityKāinga Ora, KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal, read 2026-10-04
Who can withdraw, and what for
A KiwiSaver member who has been in the scheme for at least three years may apply to withdraw savings to buy a home. The property must be for the member's own occupation; buying to rent or invest does not qualify.
You must leave at least $1,000 in your account. Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver for a first home (opens in a new tab)
What the withdrawal includes
You can withdraw your own contributions, your employer's contributions, the government contribution if you qualified for it, and interest earned. Any fee subsidies you received are also included. Funds transferred from an Australian Complying Superannuation scheme cannot be withdrawn for a first home, which is the one exclusion the Inland Revenue page states explicitly. Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver for a first home (opens in a new tab)
First-home buyer and previous homeowner are different processes
For a first-home buyer, the application goes directly to the scheme provider. Kāinga Ora is not involved in that case. For someone who has owned a home before, Kāinga Ora determines whether they are in the same financial position as a first-home buyer, and issues a letter to that effect if they qualify. That letter goes to the scheme provider with the withdrawal application. Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver for a first home (opens in a new tab). Kāinga Ora, KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal (opens in a new tab)
The scheme provider administers the withdrawal. If approved, funds are paid to the solicitor on or before settlement day. Kāinga Ora determines whether a previous homeowner qualifies. Kāinga Ora, KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal (opens in a new tab)
What this guide does not cover
This guide covers the standard first-home withdrawal. Significant financial hardship, serious illness, and permanent emigration each have their own withdrawal provisions with different eligibility criteria. None of those are covered here. The KiwiSaver calculator on this page shows what contributions look like at different rates and assumptions; it does not model a withdrawal or a first-home purchase. The minimum balance of $1,000 must remain in the account after the withdrawal. Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver for a first home (opens in a new tab).