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Most accident and illness pet policies in Australia will only start new cover for dogs and cats under 9 years old, although many will keep renewing an existing policy as the pet ages. If your pet is older than that, options narrow to a few products with higher entry ages, typically with a lower benefit percentage, tighter limits, or accident-only cover.
The larger constraint for an older pet is not age but history: any condition that has already shown signs will be excluded as pre-existing by a new insurer. That makes the decision to keep or switch an existing policy much more important for older pets than young ones.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
Entry ages are set in each PDS. The pattern is consistent: under 9 for most accident and illness products, with a few exceptions.
| Product (PDS date) | Minimum entry age | Maximum entry age for new cover |
|---|---|---|
| RSPCA Pet Insurance (30 June 2025) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years |
| Bupa Pet Insurance (18 April 2024) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years |
| Budget Direct Pet Insurance (22 July 2024) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years |
| Knose (15 November 2024) | 6 weeks | 8 years 364 days; no age limit at renewal |
| Everyday Pet Insurance (TMD effective 2026) | See PDS | Under 9 years |
| Australian Seniors Basic Accident and Illness (PDS 2021, SPDS 2026) | 8 weeks | Under 16 years, at a 60% benefit with a $2,000 per-condition limit |
Most policies can be renewed each year after the maximum entry age, as long as there is no break in cover. Budget Direct's PDS says cover continues past 9 if you renew without a gap, and Knose has no age limit at renewal.
Lifelong renewal is not a guarantee, though. The RSPCA and Seniors PDSs say cover continues for life only while there is no break and while the insurer continues to issue the product, and terms can change at each renewal. Read your renewal notice for changes to limits, excesses and exclusions as well as the premium.
By 9 or 10 many pets have a vet history: a skin allergy, an ear infection, arthritis, a dental problem. A new insurer will review that history and exclude anything that showed signs before cover began. Chronic conditions such as arthritis stay excluded permanently.
Some insurers will reconsider temporary conditions. PetSure-issued brands, including RSPCA, Bupa and Medibank, will lift the exclusion on a temporary condition that has had no signs or symptoms for 18 months, on application with a vet-certified form. Budget Direct covers a fully cured condition after 12 months without symptoms or treatment, but not recurring, related or bilateral conditions.
Premiums generally rise as a pet gets older, because the likelihood and cost of claims rise. Moneysmart notes insurers may charge different premiums based on age and that insurance is most effective when a pet is insured young and kept insured for life. If an older pet's premium climbs, compare options that change the cost without restarting pre-existing exclusions: a higher excess, a lower benefit percentage or a lower annual limit with your current insurer, before switching insurers.
There is no age at which you must stop insuring a pet, and the years when claims are most likely are also when cover is most expensive. The practical test is the same at any age: compare the premium plus the share of bills you would still pay with the bills you expect and could not absorb. If most of your pet's likely costs are for conditions already excluded, a savings buffer may do more than a policy.
Yes, but choice narrows after 9. Most accident and illness policies set a maximum entry age under 9 years, while some products accept older pets on different terms, such as Australian Seniors Basic Accident and Illness, which accepts pets under 16 at a 60% benefit.
There is no set age. Compare the premium and the share of bills you would still pay with the costs you expect. If most likely claims relate to conditions already excluded, the policy is worth less.
Generally yes. Premiums usually rise with age, and renewal terms can change. Adjusting the excess, benefit percentage or limit with your current insurer can reduce the cost without creating new pre-existing exclusions.
Only if it first showed signs after the policy started and the waiting period ended. Arthritis that is already on the vet record is a chronic pre-existing condition and stays excluded.
