Super rules
Preservation age in Australia: when your super becomes accessible
By easySMSF, SMSF Specialist Team · Updated
The preservation age is the first gate your super has to pass through before you can touch it. For anyone born after 30 June 1964 it is 60. But reaching the gate is not the same as walking through it — you also need a condition of release, and the two are often confused.
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What is my preservation age?
Your preservation age is 60 if you were born after 30 June 1964. Earlier birth dates have a preservation age from 55 to 59. You must also meet a condition of release before preserved super can be paid.
What preservation age means for your super
Your preservation age is set by your date of birth: 55 for those born before 1 July 1960, rising one year for each year of birth to 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964. As of July 2024, the transitional ages have fully phased out — anyone still below preservation age has a preservation age of 60.
Reaching preservation age does not, on its own, release your super. It makes you eligible to meet the most common conditions of release: retiring with no intention of returning to gainful employment, or starting a transition-to-retirement income stream while you keep working. Turning 65 removes the work test entirely — from 65, your super is unrestricted regardless of whether you work.
The preservation age is also different from the Age Pension age (67) and from the age at which pension-phase earnings become tax-free. In a retirement-phase account-based pension, investment earnings inside the fund are taxed at 0% up to the transfer balance cap; in a transition-to-retirement pension, they remain taxed at up to 15% until you notify the fund you have retired or turn 65.
For SMSF trustees the rules carry an extra duty: the trustee must confirm the member has genuinely met a condition of release before paying any benefit, and keep evidence on file. Paying early access where no condition of release applies is one of the most serious SMSF compliance breaches.
- Born after 30 June 1964: preservation age 60 — the transitional ages have phased out
- Born 1 July 1960 – 30 June 1964: 56–59 depending on birth year
- Preservation age plus retirement, or a TTR pension, unlocks access — the age alone does not
- From age 65, super is unrestricted whether or not you work
- Preservation age is a super rule; the Age Pension age (67) is a separate Centrelink rule
- SMSF trustees must verify and document the condition of release before paying any benefit
The companion page is conditions of release — every legal way super can be paid out. For pension mechanics, see SMSF pension phase and the SMSF pension guide.
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Australian preservation age table
| Date of birth | Preservation age |
|---|---|
| Before 1 July 1960 | 55 |
| 1 July 1960 – 30 June 1961 | 56 |
| 1 July 1961 – 30 June 1962 | 57 |
| 1 July 1962 – 30 June 1963 | 58 |
| 1 July 1963 – 30 June 1964 | 59 |
| After 30 June 1964 | 60 |
Can I access super at preservation age?
Only after a condition of release is met. A person who is still working may be able to start a transition-to-retirement income stream. Full access generally follows retirement under the super rules, ceasing an employment arrangement after age 60, or turning 65.
Frequently asked questions
General advice warning
Figures shown are illustrative only and based on the inputs and assumptions you provide. They are general information, not personal financial product advice. Consider your objectives, financial situation and needs, and seek personal advice from a licensed financial adviser before acting. easySMSF does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL).