Preservation Age by Birth Year: When Can You Access Your Super?
Preservation age is the earliest age at which you can generally access your superannuation, and it depends on when you were born — it isn't the same for everyone.
The birth-year schedule
Under the schedule phased in over previous decades, preservation age progressively increased from 55 up to 60, based on date of birth, and everyone born after 30 June 1964 now has a preservation age of 60. If you were born before that date, your preservation age may be somewhere between 55 and 59 depending on your specific birth year — worth confirming your exact preservation age directly via the ATO or your super fund if you were born before mid-1964, since it's based on precise date ranges.
Reaching preservation age isn't the only requirement
Reaching your preservation age alone doesn't automatically unlock full access to your super — you generally also need to meet a "condition of release," most commonly retiring from the workforce (permanently ceasing gainful employment) after reaching preservation age, or reaching age 65 regardless of your work status. Before fully retiring, reaching preservation age does allow access to a transition to retirement income stream — see Transition to Retirement (TTR).
Other conditions of release
Beyond retirement and turning 65, there are other, more limited conditions of release that can allow earlier access in specific circumstances, such as severe financial hardship, compassionate grounds, permanent incapacity, or a terminal medical condition — each with its own strict eligibility criteria and application process through your fund.
Why this matters for planning
Knowing your actual preservation age (and the fact that it may differ from a partner's, if you were born in different years or ranges) matters for planning around when you can realistically start drawing an income, when TTR strategies become available to you, and how your retirement timeline lines up with Age Pension eligibility age, which is assessed separately — see Superannuation and the Age Pension.
Frequently asked questions
Is preservation age the same as the Age Pension eligibility age?
No — they're set independently and are often different ages for the same person, so it's possible to access super before, at the same time as, or after becoming eligible for the Age Pension depending on your birth date.
Can I access my super before preservation age in an emergency?
In limited circumstances — such as severe financial hardship or specific compassionate grounds — early release may be possible through your fund, subject to strict eligibility rules.
Does preservation age apply the same way to all types of super contributions?
Generally yes for standard contributions, though some categories (such as certain government co-contributions) can have their own specific rules — check with your fund if you're unsure about a particular contribution type.
Preservation age and conditions of release are set by legislation and can change — confirm current rules and your specific preservation age on ato.gov.au before publishing.
This article contains general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs, and does not constitute a recommendation to acquire, hold, or dispose of any financial product. Before acting on this information, consider its appropriateness to your own circumstances, and seek independent financial, tax and/or legal advice, or speak with a licensed financial adviser, before making any decision.
