How to apply for funeral insurance online
Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
To apply for Momentum Life Funeral Insurance online you must be aged 40 to 75 and a New Zealander as the wording defines it, which includes living here continuously for 12 months on a work visa. You choose a benefit from $3,000 to $30,000 and answer no health questions. Cover starts on the acceptance date, but for the first 24 months only accidental death pays.
Before you start: decisions to make
An online application takes less time if the decisions are made first. Work through these.
- Who is being insured. A single policy covers "you or a Partner/Relative". A family policy covers up to four people, each a Partner or Relative of the policy owner. The wording counts a parent, grandparent, sibling, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or child of the owner or the owner's partner as a Relative, so an adult child can own a policy on a parent (Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording). Our page on funeral insurance for parents covers that case.
- Who owns the policy. The owner must be a natural person and a New Zealander, not a company.
- The amount. Pick between $3,000 and $30,000. The most Momentum pays on one life across all its funeral policies is $30,000, so tell yourself what cover already exists. Compare the amount with the funeral costs you expect; how much funeral cover you need sets this out.
- Who receives the money. The beneficiary must be a natural person. Momentum "can't pay a Benefit directly to a company, charity or other organisation", so a funeral director cannot be named. See funeral insurance beneficiaries.
- How you will pay. Premiums can be fortnightly, monthly or annually, and "an additional processing fee will apply for card payments".
The application steps
- Check you are eligible. The insured person must be 40 to 75 when cover starts and meet the New Zealander definition: living in New Zealand at the time of application and holding New Zealand or Australian citizenship, a New Zealand permanent resident visa, or having been here continuously for at least 12 months on a valid temporary work visa.
- Open the application. The buttons on this page open Momentum Life's own online application. Choose your benefit and who is covered.
- Enter accurate details. The wording requires information to be "true, correct and complete". If it is incomplete or misleading, Momentum may decline a claim, cancel the policy or reduce the benefit.
- Review the price and the terms before you confirm. The premium depends on the details you enter, and QuoteHub does not publish an exact figure. Look at the 24-month rule in the policy wording at this point, not afterwards. Also look at the insurer: Momentum Life's A.M. Best rating is B (Fair), which Momentum's own table places in its "Vulnerable" range, and its financial strength page has the detail.
- Pay and receive the paperwork. Momentum issues a Policy Schedule, which together with the wording forms your policy.
- Use the 30-day free look. If you cancel within 30 days of the acceptance date and no claim has been made, you get a full refund of premiums. After that, cancelling means no refund.
Momentum's wording does not say how long online acceptance takes, and we do not state a time.
When does cover start?
Cover starts on the Acceptance Date, defined as "the date your application is accepted and your policy starts". That is quick, but it is not full cover from that day. Accidental death is covered from day one. Death from any other cause is not covered until 24 months have passed.
| When | What is paid |
|---|---|
| Death from an accident, within 90 days of it, at any time | 3 times the benefit |
| Death from illness or any other cause in the first 24 months | No benefit; all premiums for that person are refunded |
| Death from any cause after 24 months | The benefit |
So "instant funeral cover" is only accurate for accidents. Someone who is already unwell should understand that before applying, and so should anyone applying for a relative who is unwell. Raising the benefit later, or adding a person, starts a new 24-month window for the increase. Our guide to how funeral insurance works explains the early window in full.
Applying for someone else
An owner can apply on behalf of a Relative, such as a parent. The wording does not say whether the insured person's agreement is required, so ask Momentum, and talk to the person first in any case. The insured person must meet the age and New Zealander tests. A parent over 75, or one who has not lived here long enough, cannot be added.
What happens after you apply
- Premiums. The rate stays the same each year until the insured person's 89th birthday, then premiums end and cover continues for life. Rates can change for everyone on the same offer if tax law changes or claims experience differs significantly from expected, with at least 30 days' written notice. Total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover a whole funeral.
- Missed payments. If a premium stays unpaid for more than one month, Momentum can cancel. Reinstatement is by application and is not guaranteed.
- Cancelling. You can cancel at any time on 30 days' notice, but you lose the premiums already paid.
- Claims. When the time comes, the owner, beneficiaries or executor contact Momentum. Valid claims are usually paid within 24 to 48 hours of approval.
Applying online elsewhere
Other providers also take applications online. AA Life says you can get a quote online and apply online, at an AA Centre or by phone, for people aged 50 to 79 (AA Life: Funeral cover). Our pages on AA funeral insurance and the Momentum cost guide help with the comparison. Check each provider's current terms.
Where to get advice
You choose the cover yourself when you use the buttons on this page. If you would rather have someone talk it through, or you want to compare options, a licensed adviser can help. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy; see how we are paid. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). Back to the funeral insurance hub, or see what funeral insurance is.
Adviser's view
Applying online is simple because Momentum Life asks no health questions. The risk is reading simple as immediate. Cover starts on the acceptance date, but for the first 24 months only accidental death pays; any other death returns the premiums instead. Decide the amount, the owner and the beneficiaries before you start, and treat the 30-day free look as your time to read the wording.
Talk to a licensed adviser about funeral cover · free, no obligation.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Apply for Funeral Insurance Online NZ: The Steps. www.quotehub.co.nz/funeral-insurance/apply-funeral-insurance-online-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording (PDF, issue date 17 August 2023)
- Momentum Life: Financial Strength
- AA Life: Funeral cover
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