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

How quitting smoking changes your life insurance rates in NZ

Quitting smoking can lower your New Zealand life insurance premiums, but not immediately. Fidelity Life and Chubb Life both define a non-smoker as someone with no tobacco and no nicotine replacement, including vaping, patches and gum, in the last 12 months. Momentum's Quick Life asks for 24 consecutive months and a non-smoking declaration before it will re-rate a policy. At Fidelity Life and Chubb Life the clock runs from your last use of any listed product, so patches and vapes used to quit push the date out.

In short

When do insurers treat you as a non-smoker?

The published rules are specific. Here they are side by side, as at 20 October 2026.

Insurer Period What the period covers How to ask
Fidelity Life More than 12 months No tobacco and no nicotine replacement, including vaping with nicotine, gum, chewing tobacco and patches Non-smokers declaration form by email or post; written notice of any change
Chubb Life 12 months No tobacco and no nicotine replacement, including vaping, gum, chewing tobacco and patches; smoking cessation medication is also on its smoking list Not set out in the underwriting guide
Momentum Life, Quick Life 24 consecutive months The wording says "quit for 24 consecutive months" and does not list products Apply to update; complete a non-smoking declaration; new premiums start from the next payment date

Sources: the Fidelity Life FAQ and underwriting guide, the Chubb Life Essential Underwriting Guide and the Quick Life wording, read between 17 and 20 October 2026. Compared: these three insurers, on the quit period, from their own documents. Not every New Zealand insurer is included, and AIA, Asteron Life and Partners Life are left out because we could not confirm their rules from a public document. This is one adviser team's reading, not a score.

Which products reset the clock?

Chubb Life and Fidelity Life define a non-smoker as someone who has not used tobacco or any nicotine replacement in the last 12 months. That wording means the 12 months is counted back from the most recent use of any listed product. If you stop cigarettes on 1 January but use patches until 1 April, the earliest 12-month point is 1 April the following year, not 1 January.

For vaping, see vaping and life insurance. Chubb Life lists vaping and e-cigarettes without qualification, while Fidelity Life's guide says vaping "with nicotine". Cannabis also matters at Chubb Life: marijuana used more than once a week is on its list, and it says marijuana smoking can attract a premium loading depending on frequency of use.

Momentum's wording gives 24 consecutive months and does not list products. Ask Momentum, or an adviser, whether nicotine replacement counts before you plan around the date.

A worked timeline

These dates are an example only. Suppose your last use of any product was 1 March 2027.

Event Fidelity Life or Chubb Life Momentum Quick Life
Earliest date to qualify as a non-smoker After 1 March 2028 (12 months) After 1 March 2029 (24 months)
Existing policy Send the declaration; Fidelity Life says it will notify you in writing of any change Apply and sign the declaration; new premiums start from the next payment date
New policy Apply after the period and answer the smoking question truthfully The wording covers re-rating an existing policy; ask Momentum how a fresh application treats a recent ex-smoker
If you use a listed product again before the date The 12 months is counted from your last use, so the date moves The wording says "consecutive", so the count starts again

Keep paying the current premium until the insurer confirms a change.

How much could quitting save?

QuoteHub's Premium Index shows indicative monthly cost from insurers' published rate cards as at 8 September 2026, for $500,000 of stepped cover, occupation class 1, standard rates. Each range is taken across the insurers that priced the row, and your own premium depends on underwriting.

Age Man, smoker Man, non-smoker Woman, smoker Woman, non-smoker
40 $90 to $110 $40 to $50 $60 to $80 $35 to $40
50 $200 to $275 $90 to $120 $150 to $190 $80 to $100
60 $675 to $800 $300 to $375 $425 to $525 $225 to $275

The saving is largest in the mid-forties to mid-fifties, where smoker cost runs at about 2.2 to 2.4 times the lowest non-smoker quote. Read the smoker rate pages and the methodology.

Re-rate the old policy or start fresh?

A re-rate keeps the policy you have. A new application means new underwriting. The Financial Markets Authority says to keep your old policy running until the new one is in force and to watch for new qualifying periods, pre-existing exclusions and different premiums, and the new insurer sees your full history (FMA, IFSO). If your health has changed since you first applied, a new application could end up costing more than a re-rate. For Momentum's Quick Life, cancelling and rejoining restarts the 2-year restriction on pre-existing conditions and suicide, so a re-rate is the lower-risk route.

Step by step: getting re-rated

  1. Write down your last use. Note the date you last used cigarettes, vapes, patches, gum or anything else on the list.
  2. Check the period. Use the table above, or ask your insurer or adviser for the definition in your policy documents.
  3. Ask for the form. For Fidelity Life, that is the non-smokers declaration form. For Quick Life, it is a written request and a non-smoking declaration (Quick Life wording).
  4. Answer truthfully. The declaration is a statement about your history. Under Momentum's wording, incorrect or misleading information lets it decline a claim, reduce the benefit or cancel the policy.
  5. Check the confirmation. Fidelity Life and Momentum both say they confirm approved changes in writing; check the new premium and its start date.
  6. Keep the evidence. Keep the confirmation with your policy papers.

On testing: none of the guides or the Fidelity FAQ we read mention a nicotine test for a re-rate. They describe a declaration. An insurer can ask for more on a new application, so ask what it needs.

What if I start smoking again?

Under Momentum's Quick Life wording, if the life insured resumes smoking, the policy returns to smoker rates at the next policy anniversary, even if you do not tell Momentum. Other insurers' terms vary, so check your policy. Our Quick Life page summarises the plan, and the guaranteed acceptance hub compares it with underwritten cover.

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 a Momentum policy through our link; see how we are paid and our disclosure. Momentum Life Limited has an A.M. Best financial strength rating of B (Fair), affirmed on 11 February 2026, which Momentum's own table puts in its "Vulnerable" range; the rating is not a recommendation (see its financial strength page). Quick Life restricts the first 2 years for pre-existing conditions and suicide, and a healthy non-smoker can usually get more cover for less with fully underwritten cover through a licensed adviser. The buttons on this page open Momentum's online application. Written by the QuoteHub Editorial Team and reviewed by the QuoteHub Adviser Team; last reviewed 20 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to be a non-smoker for life insurance?

At Fidelity Life and Chubb Life, 12 months without tobacco or nicotine replacement. Momentum's Quick Life asks for 24 consecutive months before it re-rates a policy.

Does nicotine replacement therapy count as smoking?

Both Chubb Life and Fidelity Life list nicotine patches and gum among the products that attract smoking rates for 12 months.

Does quitting vaping count too?

For both Chubb Life and Fidelity Life, vaping is on the list, with Fidelity Life specifying vaping with nicotine. See the vaping page for the difference.

Will I need a nicotine test?

The documents we read mention a declaration, not a test. Ask your insurer what it requires.

References

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