Life insurance for older migrants and visa holders
Older migrants can get life or funeral insurance in New Zealand, but acceptance depends on both visa status and age. Momentum Life's Quick Life takes ages 18 to 65 and accepts a temporary work visa holder who has been in New Zealand for 6 months or more. Its Funeral Insurance takes ages 40 to 75 and needs 12 continuous months in New Zealand on a valid temporary work visa. Citizens and holders of a permanent resident visa face no time test in Momentum's wording.
In short
- Momentum's two wordings define a "New Zealander" differently: 6 months on a work visa for Quick Life, 12 continuous months for Funeral Insurance.
- Both wordings name a citizenship, a permanent resident visa or a work visa. Neither lists visitor, student or working-holiday visas, so ask Momentum before you rely on one.
- Quick Life stops at 65 and Funeral Insurance at 75, whatever your visa.
- Other insurers set their own residency rules, and some are stricter.
- Answer residency questions exactly. Incorrect information can lead to a declined claim or a cancelled policy.
What the Momentum wordings say
The two wordings define who counts as a New Zealander. The table sets them side by side.
| Quick Life | Funeral Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry age | 18 to 65 | 40 to 75 |
| Citizen | New Zealand or Australian citizenship | New Zealand or Australian citizenship |
| Permanent resident visa | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary work visa | 6 months or more in New Zealand | In New Zealand continuously for at least 12 months on a valid temporary work visa |
| Residing in New Zealand | "Permanently resides in New Zealand" | Resides in New Zealand at the time of application |
| Other visa types | Not listed | Not listed |
Sources: the Quick Life definition of "New Zealander" (Momentum Life: Quick Life Policy Wording, November 2025) and the Funeral Insurance definition (Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording, 17 August 2023). The wordings name a "permanent resident visa" and a "temporary work visa". They do not mention student, visitor or working-holiday visas, or a resident visa that is not a permanent resident visa. We do not read that omission as a yes or a no. Ask Momentum (0800 108 108) about your own visa before you apply.
A worked example, with invented dates. Someone aged 62 arrives in New Zealand on a valid temporary work visa in March. In September they have been here 6 months, so on the wording they meet Quick Life's residency test, and they are inside its 18-to-65 age range. They meet the Funeral Insurance test the following March, after 12 continuous months. A gap in time in New Zealand would matter for Funeral Insurance, because it asks for a continuous period. Age is a separate test, so someone who turns 66 during the wait cannot apply for Quick Life at all.
Age limits come first
Visa status never extends an age limit. Quick Life's wording says that if the correct age at the cover start date was over 65, the policy is void from the start and the premiums are refunded. Funeral Insurance stops accepting new applicants after 75. For someone who arrives in their late 60s, Quick Life is already closed and Funeral Insurance becomes the only Momentum option; for someone over 75, neither is open. See life insurance over 60 for the age bands, and use the guaranteed acceptance eligibility checker to test age limits.
What the two products do, briefly
Both are guaranteed acceptance: no health questions. The early rules differ.
- Quick Life pays $50,000 to $300,000 on accidental death, death from any cause after the first 2 years, and terminal illness. For the first 2 years pre-existing conditions and suicide are excluded. Pre-existing means any illness, condition or symptoms in the 2 years before the start, including treatment or advice. For an older migrant with a history of treatment overseas, that definition is the one to read closely. Premiums are stepped (they rise each year) until 75. See Quick Life.
- Funeral Insurance pays $3,000 to $30,000 (triple for accidental death). In the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident; for any other death in that window, all premiums for that person are refunded. Premiums are level until the 89th birthday and then end. Total premiums can exceed the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the cost of a funeral. See Funeral Insurance.
Momentum Life's A.M. Best financial strength rating is B (Fair); see Momentum's financial strength page.
How other insurers treat residency
Momentum is one option. Others publish tighter rules, and some use wording that differs from Momentum's.
| Insurer | What it publishes |
|---|---|
| Fidelity Life | Applies a residency exclusion for lump sum cover to anyone who is not a permanent resident or citizen |
| Chubb Life | Generally needs citizenship or permanent residence; work-visa holders need a visa of at least 24 months with at least 6 months left, plus an "Expiry of Visa Exclusion" |
| AA Life funeral cover | Covered person must be in New Zealand at application, aged 50 to 79 |
| Chubb funeral cover | Applies "NZ residency criteria", ages 50 to 80 |
Sources are Fidelity's underwriting guide (October 2025) and Chubb's underwriting guide (May 2025) for the first two rows (Fidelity, Chubb); both are adviser guides, so treat them as a description of process, not an offer, and the insurers' funeral pages for the last two (AA Life, Chubb). We found no published residency rules for NZ Seniors or OneChoice funeral cover. On work visas, a policy with an expiry-of-visa exclusion is one to read before you pay.
What happens if your status changes after you buy
The wordings are quiet on a change of visa. What they do say:
- Quick Life gives worldwide cover 24 hours a day, but asks you to tell Momentum if you will be outside New Zealand for more than 6 months, or working overseas for any period. Momentum may apply specific conditions during that time.
- Funeral Insurance covers a Life Insured wherever they are, provided they were a New Zealander when the cover was issued.
- Neither wording says what happens if a work visa lapses after a policy is in force. Do not assume. Ask Momentum, and tell it if you plan to leave.
Health records and disclosure
Quick Life and Funeral Insurance ask no health questions, so no New Zealand health records are needed to get either. Underwritten cover is different: the insurer asks for your history, and Asteron says it may ask for medical records and tests. Overseas history counts. Under both Momentum wordings, information you give must be true, correct and complete, and the insurer can decline a claim, cancel the policy or reduce the benefit if it is not. Our guide to insurance for new migrants covers disclosure in more detail.
If you are over 75 or not eligible
Momentum has no product open over 75. Other insurers publish funeral cover to 79 or 80, but each has its own residency criteria, so check them. Alternatives that do not depend on a visa include savings and prepaid plans, such as the FDANZ-backed Now For Them, which pays no interest (FDANZ). See funeral insurance versus a prepaid funeral.
If a family wants a burial overseas, cost can be large. One Auckland director lists a repatriation fee of $5,950 to $7,690 and does not say what it includes (Dils price list, May 2026); airline and country rules vary, and FDANZ says repatriation can take longer than hoped (FDANZ). A Funeral Insurance benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 is a fixed contribution, not a promise to cover that.
Talking to a licensed adviser
A licensed adviser can ask several insurers about your visa and age and compare how each treats residency. 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 on Momentum products; see how we are paid. The buttons on this page lead to Momentum's own application. Read more at the guaranteed acceptance hub.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get Momentum Quick Life on a work visa?
Under the wording, a temporary work visa holder who has been in New Zealand for 6 months or more counts as a New Zealander, and the applicant must be 18 to 65.
How long on a work visa before Funeral Insurance?
At least 12 months continuously, on a valid temporary work visa, and the applicant must be 40 to 75.
Do I need a New Zealand doctor's report?
Neither Momentum product asks health questions. Underwritten cover from other insurers asks for your history.
Can a parent on a visitor visa be covered?
The wordings do not list visitor visas. Ask Momentum, and do not assume cover.
References
- Momentum Life: Quick Life Insurance Policy Wording (November 2025), retrieved 17 October 2026
- Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording (17 August 2023), retrieved 17 October 2026
- Momentum Life: Financial strength, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Chubb: Essential underwriting guide (May 2025), retrieved 20 October 2026
- Fidelity Life: Underwriting guide (October 2025), retrieved 20 October 2026
- AA Life: Funeral cover, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Chubb: Funeral cover, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Asteron Life: Insurance options for pre-existing conditions, retrieved 20 October 2026
- FDANZ: Now For Them, retrieved 20 October 2026
- FDANZ: Repatriation, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Dils: Standard price list as at May 2026 (PDF), retrieved 20 October 2026
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