Qualifying service

Qualifying service is one criteria for getting a Service Pension. Having qualifying service also means that you may be entitled to the Veteran Gold Card when you turn 70, giving you access to the Veterans’ Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Scheme.

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What is qualifying service

Qualifying service is one of the criteria for getting a Service Pension.

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Who has qualifying service

You may be considered to have qualifying service if you are any of the following:

• an Australian veteran
• an allied veteran
• a Commonwealth veteran

You may have qualifying service if you served between 2 September 1939 and 29 October 1945 and are either:

• a civilian who performed certain tasks in aid of the Australian war effort
• a person regarded as a member of the Australian armed forces

There are different eligibility requirements for other conflicts. Depending on the conflict, to have qualifying service you may need to have served in any of the following:

• in operations against the enemy
• in an operational area during certain time periods
• at a time when you incurred danger from hostile forces of the enemy

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When you are not eligible

You are not eligible for qualifying service as an allied veteran or allied mariner if you have at any time either:

• served in the forces of a country, or allies of a country, that was at war with Australia
• engaged in hostile operations against Australia

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Service during the Second World War

You may have performed qualifying service if you served overseas between 2 September 1939 and 29 October 1945 (inclusive) and incurred danger from hostile forces of the enemy.

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Service inside Australia

You may have qualifying service if you are an Australian veteran of the Second World War and served either:

• for a continuous 3 months in the Northern Territory above 14.5 degrees south latitude. This covers service in and around Darwin during the period of Japanese air attacks which occurred between 19 February 1942 and 12 November 1943.
• in other areas of Australia that were subject to enemy attack. You will need to provide a statement describing how you incurred danger from hostile forces of the enemy.

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Service after the Second World War

You may have qualifying service from either: 

• a pre-1998 deployment overseas to an operational area defined in Schedule 2 of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) if you were allotted for duty on operations in that area
• a deployment which the Minister for Defence has declared to be warlike service 

Operations that may count as qualifying service are listed below in the Post Second World War Operations Table. Please note that the requirements and eligibility for benefits are different for Commonwealth and allied veterans of post Second World War conflicts.

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Service for Commonwealth and allied veterans

You may be considered a Commonwealth or allied veteran with qualifying service if you served prior to 12 January 1973 and incurred danger from a hostile force in any of the following conflicts: 

• Second World War 
• Korean War 
• Malaya Emergency 
• Other war-like operations from 31 July 1962 to 11 January 1973 

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Service in bomb and mine clearance operations

You may have qualifying service if you were awarded the Naval General Service Medal or General Service Medal (Army and Royal Air Force) with one of the following medals or clasps:

• the Mine-sweeping 1945-51 Clasp
• the Bomb-Mine Clearance 1945-53 Clasp
• the Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945-49 Clasp
• the Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945-56 Clasp

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Service on submarines between 1978 and 1997

You may have qualifying service if you served in submarine operations between 1978 and 1997 for which the Australian Service Medal (ASM) with Clasp Special Ops was awarded.

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Post Second World War Operations Table

Listed in full in VEA Schedule 2 - Operational Areas.

Location	Start date	End date	Operation
Afghanistan	7 October 2001	31 December 2014	Operation Enduring Freedom
	1 December 2001	31 December 2014	Operation Ariki
	18 April 2003	5 July 2004	Operation Palate
	17 July 2003	31 December 2014	Operation Athena
	11 August 2003	31 December 2014	International Security Assistance Force
	1 September 2004	31 December 2014	Operation Herrick
	27 June 2005	10 March 2017	Operation Palate II
	1 January 2015	8 October 2021	Operation Highroad
	28 April 2016	ongoing	Operation Augury
Cambodia	20 October 1991	7 October 1993	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 12
East Timor	16 September 1999	23 February 2000	Operations Faber and Stabilise
	16 September 1999	10 April 2000	Operation Warden
	20 February 2000	19 May 2002	Operation Tanager
	20 May 2002	17 August 2003	Operation Citadel
Gulf War of 1990/1991	2 August 1990	9 June 1991	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 10
Iraq	23 February 1991	9 June 1991	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 11
	30 June 1991	12 January 2003	Operation Jural
	11 August 1991	15 December 1996	Operation Provide Comfort
	31 August 1992	12 January 2003	Operations Southern Watch and Bolton
	13 January 1993	19 January 1993	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 15
	1 January 1997	12 January 2003	Operation Northern Watch
	18 March 2003	22 July 2003	Operation Falconer
	21 July 2008	14 December2013	Operation Riverbank
	9 August 2014	ongoing	Operations Okra (the operational area changes of time)
	16 July 2003	31 July 2009	Operation Catalyst
	1 January 2009	9 August 2011	Operation Kruger
	10 September 2018	Ongoing	Operation Steadfast
Korea	27 June 1950	19 April 1956	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 1
Lebanon	12 July 2006	14 August 2006	Operation Paladin
Libya	31 March 2011	31 October 2011	NATO no-fly zone and maritime enforcement operation against Libya
Malaya	29 June 1950	31 August 1957	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 2
Malaya and Singapore	1 September 1957	31 July 1960	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 3
Malay-Thai border	1 August 1960	16 August 1964	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 5
Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei	17 August 1964	14 September 1966	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 7
Mali	1 April 2020	Ongoing	Operation Orenda
Middle East Area of Operations (actual area varies according to date of service)	11 October 2001	31 December 2014	Operation Slipper
Namibia	18 February 1989	10 April 1990	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 9
North East Thailand	31 May 1962	27 July 1962	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 3A (Ubon only)
	25 June 1965	31 August 1968	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 3B (including Ubon)
Rwanda	25 July 1994	16 January 1996	Operation Tamar
Sabah & Sarawak (now part of Malaysia) & Brunei	8 December 1962	16 August 1964	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 6
Sierra Leone	15 January 2001	28 February 2003	Operation Husky
Somalia	20 October 1992	30 November 1994	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 14
Syria	9 September 2015	ongoing	Operation Okra
Vietnam	31 July 1962	11 January 1973	VEA, Schedule 2, Items 4 & 8
	12 January 1973	29 April 1975	Australian Embassy Guards and RAAF evacuation personnel in Vietnam
(Former) Yugoslavia	12 January 1992	24 January 1997	VEA, Schedule 2, Item 13

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What you can get

You may be able to receive the Service Pension. If you are an Australian veteran you may also be able to receive other benefits.

If certain eligibility is met you may be entitled to a Veteran Gold Card.

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How to apply

You can apply for qualifying service online through MyService.

Using MyService means:

• it is simpler and faster to submit your claim
• we can access the information we need quickly
• there is no need to wait for documents through the post

Find out how to register for MyService. If you need help to register, call us on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372). To access MyService, sign in to MyGov.

If you prefer to use paper forms, you can download and complete either:

• Claim to Determine Qualifying Service by a Current or ex-Member of the ADF if you are a current or ex-member of the ADF
• Claim to Determine Qualifying service by a Commonwealth or Allied Veteran if you are a Commonwealth or allied veteran

You may also need to fill out either:

• Qualifying Service Details: Service with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam if you served with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam
• Qualifying Service details: Service with Forces in Yugoslavia during the Second World War if you served with the Forces of Yugoslavia during the Second World War

Contact us and we can send you the ones you need. There may be different forms to complete depending on your circumstances.

You may need to provide us with documentation such as:

• service records
• a discharge certificate

All documents must be supplied as certified copies.

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Important information

Qualifying service is based on actual hostilities. The dates that are accepted can differ from the formal dates of peace treaties and from the dates for operational service.

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What other help is available

Benefits and services may be available to members and other participants involved in either:

• the British nuclear tests at Maralinga, Emu Field and Montebello Islands between 1952 and 1965
• the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan between 1946 and 1952.

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