# Using KiwiSaver for your first home

> You can use your KiwiSaver savings to help buy your first home. See if you qualify, how much you can withdraw and how to get it ready for settlement.

By Jason Dark, last checked 2026-11-05. Part of [Buying](https://buyingahouse.co.nz/buying) on Nester.

## The short version

- You need to have been a KiwiSaver member for at least three years, and the home must be one you'll live in. You can only make one first home withdrawal.
- You can take out everything except $1,000, including employer and government contributions.
- Money that came from an Australian super scheme can't be used.
- You apply through your KiwiSaver provider, and the money goes to your lawyer for settlement.

## Who can use it

You can make a first home withdrawal if:

- you've been a KiwiSaver member for at least three years
- you're buying a home you'll live in yourself
- you haven't owned a home before
- you haven't made a first home withdrawal before

If you've owned a home before, you might still qualify as a previous homeowner. You can't own any property or land now, except for Māori land, and you'll need a letter from Kāinga Ora confirming your finances are similar to a first home buyer's before you apply to your provider. Kāinga Ora checks your realisable assets, such as money in the bank, shares and any deposit you've already paid. These can't be worth more than 20% of the house price cap where you're buying. In Auckland, that limit is $175,000.

You can also use your KiwiSaver to buy land to build a home on.

## How much you can take out

Everything except $1,000, which must stay in your account. That includes your own contributions, your employer's, the government's and any investment returns. If your balance is $46,000, you could take out $45,000.

If you moved money into KiwiSaver from an Australian super scheme, you can't use that part for your first home.

## How to apply

Contact your KiwiSaver provider. Each one has its own form, and you'll usually need your signed sale and purchase agreement and your lawyer's details, because the money is paid to your lawyer for settlement.

Tell your lawyer early that you're using KiwiSaver. Check how long your provider takes to process a withdrawal and make sure it lines up with your settlement date. If you need the money sooner for the deposit, ask your lawyer and provider whether that can be arranged.

## Before you take it all out

A first home withdrawal leaves $1,000 in your account, so your retirement savings start again from close to zero. Your contributions carry on after you buy, and so does the [government contribution](https://kiwisaverproviders.co.nz/contributions/government-contribution) if you put in enough each year.

If KiwiSaver isn't enough for the whole deposit, the [First Home Loan](https://buyingahouse.co.nz/buying/first-home-grant) can help some buyers purchase with 5% down.

## Sources

- [Inland Revenue: Getting my KiwiSaver for my first home](https://www.ird.govt.nz/kiwisaver/kiwisaver-for-individuals/getting-my-kiwisaver-funds-early/getting-my-kiwisaver-for-my-first-home)
- [Kāinga Ora: KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal](https://www.kaingaora.govt.nz/en_NZ/home-ownership/kiwisaver-first-home-withdrawal/)