Finding lost money in Australia.
Lost superannuation in Australia is traced through the tax office. Other forgotten money, such as dormant bank accounts, is searched on a separate government site.
Last read: 1 November 2026
Pensions
State pension: Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Searching for lost super. The tax office's lost super search shows super accounts held for you, through ATO online services. From abroad: Conditional: you sign in through myGov and answer questions to confirm your identity. If you are overseas, the ATO suggests myID, a passkey or an authenticator.
Workplace and private pensions: Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The ATO page lists asking your preferred super fund to check on your behalf as one option.
Key facts and sources
- To check your super you use ATO online services through myGov. Lost accounts show a Contact fund option, and super passed to the ATO shows as ATO-held super. Source: Australian Taxation Office, read 1 November 2026.
- You can also call the ATO's automated lost super line on 13 28 65, or post the form NAT 2476 to the ATO. Source: Australian Taxation Office, read 1 November 2026.
- Linking the ATO to myGov asks you to answer questions to confirm your identity, and the ATO recommends myID, a passkey or an authenticator if you are overseas. Source: Australian Taxation Office, read 1 November 2026.
- If a former temporary resident does not apply for their Departing Australia Superannuation Payment, their super fund transfers the money to the ATO once at least 6 months have passed since they left Australia. Source: Australian Taxation Office, read 1 November 2026.
Other lost money
- Dormant bank accounts: Moneysmart: find Lost and forgotten money (bank accounts). The free government search covers bank accounts with no deposits or withdrawals for 7 years, and it does not include super. Run by: ASIC (Moneysmart).
- Forgotten insurance: Moneysmart: life insurance policies. ASIC's records cover life insurance money left 7 years after a policy matures, and the insurer assesses who is the rightful owner. Run by: ASIC (Moneysmart).
- Lost shares: Moneysmart: shares and investments. You can search ASIC's records by name for shares and investment money, and public records show only limited address information. Run by: ASIC (Moneysmart).
- Official money registers: Moneysmart: money held by state governments. Each state and territory agency holds its own money from sources such as deceased estates, share dividends, and wages, and the page lists who to contact. Run by: State and territory agencies.
Questions
How do I find a lost pension in Australia?
Use ATO online services through myGov. Lost accounts show a Contact fund option, and super passed to the ATO shows as ATO-held super. You can also call 13 28 65.
Can I check my Australian super from abroad?
Possibly. You answer questions to confirm your identity when linking myGov to the ATO, and the ATO recommends myID, a passkey or an authenticator if you are overseas. You can also use the phone line or post a form.
What happens to super if I left Australia on a temporary visa?
If you do not apply for your Departing Australia Superannuation Payment, your fund transfers the money to the ATO once at least 6 months have passed since you left.
Worked in more than one country?
No national tool looks across borders. PensionHunter traces pensions left behind across borders. It is run by Battersea Park Capital. Capital Find Money's founder has an interest in it, and we feature it because no national tool looks across countries. Try the free lost pension checker. Our own count of pensions left behind and the guides are free.
We always point people to the free government tracing route first, and we take nothing from financial advisers.