Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Does life insurance cover natural disasters in NZ?

In the New Zealand life policy wordings we read, natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis are not listed as exclusions, so a death from one is treated like any other death under the policy. This is unlike property insurance, where the Natural Hazards Commission and private policies set their own rules. Your own policy decides, and a guaranteed acceptance product may restrict what it pays in its first one or two years.

In short

What the wordings say

We read four sets of terms on 20 October 2026. The method is simple: look for any exclusion that names a natural event, and note every exclusion that does exist.

Document Exclusions it lists Natural disaster named?
Momentum Quick Life wording (November 2025) In the first 2 years: pre-existing conditions, suicide or self-harm. At any time: alcohol or drug effects, war or war-like activity, insurrection, terrorism, criminal activity, a dangerous job or risky pastime No
Momentum Funeral Insurance wording (17 August 2023) None beyond the first-24-months rule (accident only) No
Fidelity Life LifeProtect Life Cover wording (effective 22 September 2026) Death by the insured person's own hand within 13 months of start, reinstatement or an increase No
Chubb Life Assurance Extra brochure (CIG0009 V6, April 2025 information) Intentional self-harm, including suicide, within the first 13 months No

Two limits to this. The Fidelity document is the cover wording; it says it should be read with the separate LifeProtect Policy Terms and Conditions, which we did not read. The Chubb document is a brochure and says it is a summary only. The AIA umbrella wording we opened says the terms of each benefit are in a separate appendix we did not read, and we did not read wordings from Partners Life or Asteron. So we cannot say what every New Zealand life policy says. If you hold a policy, check its exclusions section. We also found no sentence in any of these four that mentions pandemics or epidemics.

How life cover differs from property cover

People often mix the two because of the Canterbury earthquakes. The Insurance Council of New Zealand says private insurers paid more than NZ$21 billion for those earthquakes and the Earthquake Commission, now Toka Tū Ake / the Natural Hazards Commission, a further $10 billion; its page covers house, contents and commercial building claims, and does not mention life insurance (ICNZ). The Natural Hazards Commission describes itself as providing insurance to residential property owners, "insurance for your home and some of your land", with limits on the land it covers, and its page does not mention life insurance or personal injury (Natural Hazards Commission).

Home and contents policy, and the Natural Hazards Commission Life insurance policy
What is insured Damage to property (for the Commission, residential buildings and some land) A person's life
What it pays The cost of repair or replacement, subject to the policy and any Commission limits A fixed sum on death (and terminal illness in some products)
How natural hazards enter the wording The scheme and each policy define which hazards and damage are covered Not as a named exclusion in the wordings we read
Who decides The Commission and the private insurer The life insurer, under the policy

If you live in a high-risk area, the life policy question is separate from the property one, and each needs its own document read. For what life policies exclude more generally, see life insurance exclusions in NZ.

The windows still matter in a disaster

A natural disaster does not switch off the early-window rules in guaranteed acceptance products. Momentum's Funeral Insurance wording defines an Accident as an unintentional event by violent, external and visible means that directly and solely causes death. In the first 24 months, death must be the direct result of an accident and occur within 90 days of it. A death from a disaster that meets that definition may fall within it, but the insurer decides each claim on its facts, and a death from illness during an emergency may not. After 24 months the benefit is paid for death from any cause. Premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover a funeral in full.

Quick Life's first 2 years exclude only pre-existing conditions and suicide or self-harm (plus the always-excluded list above). A death in a disaster is neither on its face, so that exclusion is not aimed at it; whether a particular death is "directly or indirectly related" to a pre-existing condition is for the insurer to assess.

Keeping the policy alive, and cover abroad

Both Momentum wordings say a claim is payable only if the policy is active and premiums are up to date. After a disaster, if you cannot pay, contact the insurer before cover lapses: Momentum can cancel a Funeral Insurance policy where premiums are unpaid for over a month, and Quick Life says paying late does not automatically reinstate. Quick Life provides worldwide cover and asks you to tell Momentum if you will be outside New Zealand for more than 6 months or working overseas. Funeral Insurance cover is worldwide if you were a New Zealander when it was issued. Some policies pay towards returning a body: Chubb's brochure lists a Funeral Transfer Benefit of up to $20,000, and Fidelity's wording a Repatriation Benefit of the lesser of the cost, 10 percent of the sum insured or $20,000.

Making a claim after a disaster

The process is the standard one. Momentum's wordings say the claimant may need to supply a claim form and a death certificate, and Quick Life's list of what a claim can need includes details of occupation, lifestyle or activities where relevant. The claims line is 0800 108 108 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) (Momentum: Claims). govt.nz says a death overseas starts with the nearest New Zealand Embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade office, and that who confirms a death depends on how the person died (govt.nz). Where a body has not been found, we have no sourced process for proving death to an insurer; ask the insurer and a lawyer. See how to claim on life insurance and our death certificate guide.

What to check in your own policy

  1. Read the exclusions section and any separate terms and conditions for named events (war, nuclear, epidemic).
  2. Check the early window in a guaranteed acceptance policy and how it treats accidents.
  3. Check whether cover applies overseas and for how long.
  4. Know the claims number and where the policy documents are kept.
  5. Ask your adviser in writing if anything is unclear.

Who we are, and how we are paid

Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). This page is general information, not advice. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link; see how we are paid. Momentum Life Limited has a financial strength rating of B (Fair) from A.M. Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; Momentum's own table groups B in its "Vulnerable" range, and A.M. Best says the rating is not a recommendation (Momentum: financial strength). Compared: Momentum Quick Life, Momentum Funeral Insurance, Fidelity LifeProtect and Chubb Assurance Extra, on named exclusions, as at 20 October 2026; not every insurer is included. The buttons on this page lead to Momentum's online quote, and guaranteed acceptance products suit some people but not everyone: a licensed adviser can compare underwritten options. Last reviewed 20 October 2026 by the QuoteHub Adviser Team. You can also read about the guaranteed acceptance range and Quick Life.

Frequently asked questions

Does life insurance cover earthquakes?

None of the New Zealand life wordings we read lists earthquakes as an exclusion. Check your own policy, and note that early-window rules for guaranteed acceptance products still apply.

Is this the same as EQC or the Natural Hazards Commission?

No. The Commission insures residential property. Life insurance pays a sum on a person's death.

Is there an "act of God" clause in life cover?

We found none in the wordings listed above. We cannot say that no New Zealand policy has one.

References

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