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Pet insurance with no waiting period
It’s possible to get pet insurance with no waiting periods for accidents, but not for illnesses or long-term health conditions. Use our comparison table to easily check provider waiting periods and save time.
A pet insurance waiting period is how long you need to wait to be able to make a claim after taking out insurance.
Pet insurance with no waiting periods is usually only available for accidents, such as a bone fracture or fight wound.
For illnesses, you will have to wait between 14 to 30 days and around 6 months for long-term conditions, such as a cruciate ligament or paralysis tick.
Compare pet insurance waiting period options
You'll be covered immediately for any accidents. If your pet becomes ill, it'll be between 14-30 days until you're covered, depending on the policy. In either case, it's better to get insurance as soon as possible so you're protected if your furry mate develops a pre-existing condition.
Why compare pet insurance with Finder?
You pay the same price as buying directly from the pet insurer.
We're not owned by an insurer (unlike other comparison sites).
We don't ask for your phone or email.
We've reviewed over 35 policies on the market, so you don't have to.
Waiting periods for specific conditions and illnesses
Waiting periods vary depending on the ailment and the provider offering pet insurance. Below is an outline of how long you will likely have to wait for specific conditions and illnesses.
The waiting period is the time between when you take out your insurance policy and when it comes into effect. If you take out pet insurance the day before a vet visit to investigate an illness, you won't be able to claim a benefit for that visit.
There are two main reasons why waiting periods exist:
To prevent fraud. Insurance is designed to cover the unexpected. Someone could take out a policy knowing their pet has an expensive surgery scheduled for the next day and claim a large rebate, only to cancel the policy afterwards.
Can I get pet insurance with no waiting period?
Yes, you can get pet insurance no waiting period policies, but just for accident-only insurance. For all other policies, you'll have to wait between 14 to 30 days for illnesses and 6 months for cruciate ligament problems.
As you can see from the table above, the length of time you'll need to wait varies between insurers. Most have 6 month waiting periods for serious conditions like cruciate ligament problems and 30 days for other illnesses, though a handful come with slightly shorter waiting periods.
How long will I have to wait until my pet is insured?
Conditions covered under illness and tick paralysis and routine treatments usually come with a 30-day waiting period. For cruciate ligament conditions, you usually have to wait 6 months, although some providers will offer a form for waiving or shortening this.
Many policies have a 21-day "cooling-off period", which allows you to cancel your policy at no extra charge if you've made no claims during that time. You can still cancel your policy whenever you want to after this period, but you may have to pay additional charges.
What happens if my pet gets sick during the waiting period?
You can seek treatment for any illness outlined in your insurance policy, but it won’t be covered until after the waiting period has been served.
Remember: If your pet is showing symptoms of a condition determined to be pre-existing during the waiting period, you won’t be covered.
Do I need to re-serve waiting periods when I switch pet insurance policies?
It's common to take out one pet insurance policy when your dog or cat is young and switch to a different policy when your pet gets older. While this may seem like a cost-effective strategy, it could result in you having to re-serve waiting periods. There are some providers that won't reset the waiting periods if you switch to a new policy with the same level of cover as your previous one.
If you upgrade your policy with the same company, for example, from accident and illness cover to comprehensive, you may still have to re-serve the waiting periods, depending on your provider and what you're being covered for.
What impacts the length of waiting periods?
If a service has a longer waiting period, like a cruciate ligament condition, for example, it's usually because the insurer wants to ensure your pet had no existing cruciate ligament conditions when signing up. In other words, waiting periods prevent you from receiving treatment for pre-existing conditions that you know your pet will need treatment for and therefore costs your insurer in rebates.
In fact, accidents generally have no waiting periods because it's something that can only occur unexpectedly.
You pay the same as buying directly from the pet insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site – plus, our tables make it easy to compare policies.
We're experts
Our team of pet insurance experts have researched and rated 25+ policies as part of the Finder Awards. We've produced guides on everything from the best policies to jargon-free explainers.
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Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and we work with lots of pet insurance brands, making it easier for you to find a good deal.
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Since 2016, we've helped 110,000+ people find pet insurance by explaining your cover options, simply and clearly. We'll never ask for your number or email. We're here to help you make a decision.
Frequently asked questions
A pet insurance waiting period is how long you need to wait to be able to make a claim after taking out insurance.
Most pet insurance policies allow you to claim for an illness or a routine treatment after a 30-day waiting period, but there are a few happy exceptions. For example, Knose and Vets Choice offer shorter waiting periods for illnesses: 14 and 21 days respectively.
For cruciate ligament conditions, you usually have to wait 6 months, although some providers will offer a form that your vet fills out that will allow you to waive or shorten this period. In most cases, you should be covered immediately for accidents.
Many policies have a 21-day "cooling-off period", which allows you to cancel your policy at no extra charge if you've made no claims during that time. You can still cancel your policy whenever you want to after this period, but you may have to pay additional charges.
It depends on the condition – waiting periods can be zero days or up to 6 months. For accidental injuries, some pet insurers will either cover you immediately or within a day. Claims related to illness come with a 14- to 30-day waiting period, while some specified conditions (for example, cruciate ligament) come with a 6-month waiting period.
Pet insurance is designed to cover the unexpected so waiting periods are in place to prevent new customers from claiming on conditions they already know about. Accidents can usually be claimed from the start of a policy, but you can expect illnesses and routine care to have a waiting period between 14 and 30 days and even longer for some long-term conditions.
Generally, no. Pet insurance doesn't usually cover pre-existing conditions. In some cases, however, your pet can get covered for an ailment if your vet can advise that your pet is now fully cured. Coles pet insurance is one example that will cover cured pre-existing conditions.
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, news.com.au, The Telegraph, Explore Travel and Escape. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Kaplan Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
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