Reciprocating countries and residency for child support
Australia has arrangements for child support with a number of countries. These are known as reciprocating jurisdictions. Where 1 parent lives in a reciprocating jurisdiction, the Department of Human Services work with them, or where necessary with the relevant country’s authority, to set up child support payments according to local laws, procedures or policies in those countries. It is often a long and detailed process to establish child support payments in other countries.
The Department’s relationship with reciprocating jurisdictions depends on international agreements and how child support is administered in each country.
The reciprocating jurisdictions are:
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Austria
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Burkina Faso
- Canada *see note
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chile
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Holy See, The
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- India
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- Liberia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Niger
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tanzania (excluding Zanzibar)
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom (including Alderney, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey and Sark)
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
*note Canada includes the following Provinces and Territories: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.
Non-reciprocating jurisdictions
In some circumstances a person who is living in a non-reciprocating jurisdiction may still be a resident of Australia for the purpose of child support.
The Department will decide whether a person is a resident of Australia or another country based on information from both parties and other Australian Government departments such as the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Information that can help the Department make a decision about a person’s residency includes:
- sources of income
- location of assets and property
- reasons for leaving Australia
- time spent overseas
Excluded jurisdiction
A reciprocating jurisdiction that only deals with court-ordered child support cases are known as excluded jurisdictions.
A separated parent who is a resident of Australia cannot apply to the Department for a child support assessment if the other parent is a resident of an excluded jurisdiction including:
- Brunei Darussalam
- Yukon (Canadian territory)
- Cook Islands
- Israel
- Niue
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa (not American Samoa)