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

Life insurance for commercial fishing crew in NZ

Commercial fishing crew can apply for life insurance in New Zealand, but the type of policy changes what is checked and when. Underwritten cover assesses your work before it starts. Quick Life asks nothing at application, then excludes deaths in a "dangerous job or risky pastime" at claim time, a term its wording defines by examples that do not name fishing.

In short

Vessel insurance is a different thing

Searches for "commercial fishing insurance" often mean cover for a boat, nets or catch. That is general insurance, and it does not pay anything to your family if you die. Life insurance pays a lump sum on the death of the person insured. QuoteHub's life pages do not describe vessel cover, and we have not sourced any terms for it. If you need vessel cover, ask your broker or a general insurer.

Wording against underwriting

This table compares how the two main routes handle a job like sea fishing, as at 20 October 2026. Compared: Momentum's Quick Life and Funeral Insurance wordings, and the published underwriting guides of Chubb Life and Fidelity Life, on job treatment only. Not every NZ insurer is included. This is one adviser's reading, not a score.

Quick Life (Momentum) Funeral Insurance (Momentum) Fully underwritten life cover
Job asked at application No No Yes: occupation and hazardous pursuits
Where the job matters At claim time, via the "dangerous job or risky pastime" clause Wording lists no occupation exclusion At application, when the insurer sets terms
Fishing named No No No insurer published terms we could find
Early restriction 2 years: pre-existing conditions and suicide excluded 24 months: accidental death only Varies by insurer
Outcome certainty Decided at claim Decided at claim Decided before cover starts

Sources: Momentum Quick Life wording and Funeral Insurance wording.

What Quick Life's wording says

The Quick Life definition of a dangerous occupation or pastime is "Any high-risk job or activity, such as" five examples: handling explosives or weapons; working 40m underwater; driving or riding faster than 130km/h (outside of commercial flights); participating as a professional sportsperson; and being on active duty in the armed services. It adds: "These activities can impact your ability to claim." Separately, the wording says no benefit is paid if the life insured dies due to "being involved in a dangerous job or risky pastime" at any time.

Two honest readings follow. The first is that fishing is not on the list, so we cannot say Quick Life excludes crew. The second is that "such as" makes the list open-ended, so a fishing death would be judged by Momentum on its facts, and we cannot say it would be paid. Anyone who dives commercially should note the "working 40m underwater" example. Occupation is not asked at application, so the question only arises at claim time.

Quick Life's other rules still apply: pre-existing conditions and suicide are excluded for the first 2 years, and deaths from alcohol or drug effects or illegal acts are never paid. The Quick Life guide lists all of them, and what guaranteed acceptance is explains the design. The buttons on this page open Momentum's online quote; the job exclusion above applies to it.

How underwriters see sea work

Insurers publish their evidence requirements and occupation classes, not their view of fishing. Chubb Life's occupation classes are set out for income, disablement, trauma-with-TPD and mortgage repayment cover, not life cover, and the same section says that when someone has more than one occupation, the rating will usually be based on the more hazardous one (Chubb Life Essential Underwriting Guide, May 2025). Fidelity Life offers pre-assessments of "medical, occupational, financial or hazardous pursuits risks" before an application, and describes them as an indication of possible terms only (Fidelity Life underwriting guide).

So tell the adviser what the insurer will want to know:

For how the classes work in general, see insurance occupation classes in NZ; for other trades, see life insurance for tradespeople.

ACC and life cover

ACC pays when death follows an injury it covers: a funeral grant of up to $8,236.40, a survivor's grant of $8,830.47 to a partner and $4,415.25 to each child or dependant, weekly childcare payments and loss-of-income payments of up to 80% of earnings (ACC: Financial support after a fatal injury, retrieved 20 October 2026). The funeral grant is set by the date of death, and all of these apply to covered injuries only. Death from illness is not on that page. Life cover can fill that gap and can add a lump sum on top of ACC. Our forestry page works through an ACC example in full.

A funeral-only option

For crew aged 40 to 75, Momentum's Funeral Insurance asks no health questions and pays a fixed benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards funeral costs. Its wording has no occupation clause, but for the first 24 months only an accidental death (within 90 days of the accident) is paid, at three times the benefit, and any other death in that window returns the premiums. Total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. See Funeral Insurance and what funeral insurance is. It is not family income cover.

If a claim is declined

For a Momentum policy, complain to Momentum first (see Momentum complaints), then to the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme, which Momentum belongs to. For QuoteHub's own service, the scheme named on our disclosure page applies. Do not conflate the two.

Frequently asked questions

Can deep-sea crew get life insurance in NZ?

You can apply. We found no published rule barring it. Underwritten terms depend on the insurer and your work.

Does Quick Life exclude fishing?

Fishing is not named in the wording. It excludes a "dangerous job or risky pastime" defined by examples, and Momentum decides at claim time.

Is boat insurance the same as life insurance?

No. Vessel cover protects property. Life cover pays on a death.

Do I have to tell the insurer I fish?

On a fully underwritten application, answer the occupation questions fully. Insurers can reduce a payout or avoid a policy for non-disclosure.

About this page

Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). 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 an A.M. Best financial strength rating of B (Fair), affirmed 11 February 2026 (financial strength page). This is general information, not advice. The guaranteed acceptance hub lists the product rules.

References

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