Have a student loan and looking to go overseas?

From 1 July 2017, anyone living overseas with a Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), VET Student Loan (VSL) and/or Trade support Loan (TSL) Debt and earning above the minimum repayment threshold will be required to make loan repayments - just as they would if they were living in Australia. 

If you move or intend to move overseas to live for 6 months or more in any 12 month period and have one of the above loans, before you leave Australia or within seven days of leaving, you will need to: 

• Update your contact details via your myGov account and 

• Submit an overseas travel notification. 

If you don't yet have overseas contact details, you must provide the best contact address while you are away, for example your parents address, and then update your contact details when you are settled. 

The ATO will continue to maintain your loan account. Your debt will not be waived and the amount outstanding will continue to be indexed each year until the debt is paid off. Each tax year, you will need to advise the ATO of your worldwide income and make compulsory repayments or pay an overseas levy towards your debt if you earn over the minimum repayment threshold. 

You can still make voluntary repayments when you are overseas.