Life insurance for no-medicals in NZ

Why this matters

Guaranteed-acceptance and simplified-issue life insurance in NZ — no medical questions, lower sum-insured caps, typically higher premiums and longer waiting periods.

How to size cover

The four-component method works for most no-medicals:

1. Mortgage discharge. Outstanding mortgage balance.
2. Income replacement. Net household income × 10-15 years of dependency. Skew longer if children are young.
3. Childcare / education. Cost of the surviving partner outsourcing care and education through to independence.
4. Funeral + transition buffer. Cash flow before any payout lands.

See our sizing methodology guide for the full walk-through.

What to look for in the wording

• Future insurability. Critical for new no-medicals — lets you increase cover at later life events (new child, new mortgage) without fresh medicals. See topic page.
• Terminal illness advance. Pays the life sum-insured early on terminal diagnosis — practical for end-of-life family time. See topic page.
• Stepped vs level premium. Decide whether you want a low entry premium that grows, or a flatter line over decades. Stepped is cheaper at signup.
• Children's funeral rider. Some policies bundle child cover free.

Also consider

• Stay-at-home parents. If one parent doesn't earn income, they still need cover — replacement childcare + housekeeping costs are real.
• Single-income households. Cover the breadwinner higher; the second parent typically lower (or nil) if they're primarily caregiving.
• Child trauma rider. Some NZ insurers offer cheap child trauma cover.