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Most people assume that life insurance will always pay out — but that’s not entirely true.
Like any contract, your policy has terms and conditions. If you break those, you might find yourself without cover when you or your family need it most.
This blog breaks down the most common exclusions in Irish life insurance policies and gives you real, usable guidance to avoid problems at claim time.
No scare tactics.
No jargon.
Just straight-up advice you can use.
An exclusion is something your policy won’t cover. It’s written in the terms and conditions — usually in small print — but if you miss it, it can bite you in the arse later.
Think of it as the insurer saying:
We’ll cover everything… except this.
Yes, but they’re rare when it comes to life insurance itself — we’re talking about policies that cover you for death only.
In Ireland, you either get full cover, or the insurer declines your application.
There are no partial exclusions.
So if you’re offered a life insurance policy, it will pay out regardless of how you die — provided you were honest when applying.
But there are still two scenarios to watch out for:
If someone dies by suicide within the first 12 months of the policy, the insurer won’t pay out. This is standard across all insurers in Ireland. After the first year, the exclusion is lifted.
However — if your policy is assigned to a lender for a mortgage, some insurers will still pay out in the first 12 months.
2. Non-disclosure (not an exclusion, but still serious)
Non-disclosure means leaving out key information on your application — intentionally or accidentally.
It’s not a listed policy exclusion, but it can still lead to a claim being declined.
If you’re unsure what to share, always err on the side of caution. Honesty won’t hurt your chances — but hiding something might.
We’ve broken this down properly in our blog on lying on your life insurance form.
If you take part in a high-risk sport or activity — think motorsport, scuba diving, skydiving, or mountaineering — the insurer might ask you for more information on the application form. If you answer truthfully, you’re covered, but in some cases, the insurer may apply a loading (an extra cost) to your premium.
If this happens, they’ll issue a special terms letter outlining the increase, and you must sign it to show you understand and accept the extra risk.
It’s nothing to panic about — it just means the insurer is pricing your policy fairly based on risk.
Exclusions are common on:
If you’ve had a health issue in the past — like depression, a back injury, or even CIN2 — you might be offered SIC or IP with an exclusion. That means the insurer will cover you for most things, but not for claims linked to that specific condition.
You can sometimes have the exclusion reviewed or removed in the future, depending on how well your condition is managed or if your post-treatment screening is clear.
There are also territorial exclusions to be aware of:
Once you’re accepted and the policy is live, life insurance will pay out for all causes of death, including:
There’s no hidden clause about “extreme sports” or “dying abroad.” If your application was honest and your policy is in force, your cover is solid.
Once your policy is live, it’s locked in.
Your future health changes don’t affect it.
If you’re worried about being declined or excluded due to past medical issues, don’t panic — and definitely don’t just grab the cheapest quote online.
We’ll help you apply to the right insurer, explain how your health history affects your options, and make sure you’re properly covered.
Start here with our quick medical questionnaire, and we’ll take it from there.
Thanks for reading
Nick
Originally published in 2016. Updated for 2025
As Ireland's leading life insurance broker, we specialise in comparing the rates and policies from the top five Irish life insurance providers and offering the very best value quotes to suit the individual needs of our clients. Our expertise lies in finding a suitable insurance plan for those with specific needs, be it a particular illness, occupation or claim history, we've got you covered in every sense!
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