Photo: Ossewa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Funeral cover with no waiting period
When the law forbids one, and when it doesn't
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The five cases with no waiting period
| Situation | Waiting period allowed | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Death from an accident | None | 2A.6.2 |
| Policy renewed | None | 2A.6.4 |
| Switching: you had a policy with another insurer at least 31 days before, covering similar risks for the same lives, and finished its waiting period | None | 2A.6.5 |
| Lapsed policy reinstated by the insurer | None, on at least the same terms | 2A.9.1 |
| New policy with the same insurer within 2 months of a lapse | None (unless the old waiting period was not finished — then only the rest of it) | 2A.9.2–2A.9.3 |
| Death from natural causes, new cover | Up to 6 months, or a quarter of the term if shorter | 2A.6.1 |
Source: rule 2A of the Long-term Policyholder Protection Rules, in force for funeral and microinsurance policies since 1 October 2018 (policies sold before that date had until 1 July 2021 to comply, rule 2A.2.2).
Switching without a new waiting period: how to do it
- Keep the old policy running until the new one has started: the rule needs you to have held the previous policy at least 31 days before the new one (rule 2A.6.5(a)).
- Tell the new insurer about the old policy when it asks — it must ask whether you had a previous funeral policy and completed its waiting period (rule 2A.6.7) — and give the policy number.
- Cover the same people for similar risks: the exemption applies to the same lives insured (rule 2A.6.5(b)). A person you add for the first time can be given a waiting period.
- The old insurer must confirm your answer if the new insurer asks (rule 2A.6.9).
- Then cancel the old policy, once the new one is in force.
Missed a premium? Avoid restarting the wait
If a funeral policy lapses for non-payment and the insurer reinstates it, it must do so on at least the same terms and without a waiting period (rule 2A.9.1). If it issues a new policy to you within two months of the lapse, it may not impose a waiting period either (rule 2A.9.2). For monthly premiums, the grace period before a lapse is 15 days (rule 15A) — see funeral cover.
What else the rules forbid
- Pre-existing illness may be excluded only through the waiting period of rule 2A.6.1 (rule 2A.7.1).
- Suicide may not be excluded for more than 12 months from the start of the policy, even if it is renewed in that time (rules 2A.7.2 and 2A.7.3).
- The claim must be decided within 2 business days of the last required document (rule 2A.8.1).
Check that the risk sits with a licensed insurer — insurance companies in South Africa — and the seller's FSP number on the FSCA register.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there funeral cover with no waiting period in South Africa?
Yes for accidental death — the law forbids a waiting period on it (rule 2A.6.2). For natural death, a new policy may have up to six months, except when you switch from a policy whose waiting period you completed, renew, are reinstated, or start a new policy with the same insurer within two months of a lapse.
What is the maximum waiting period on a funeral policy?
Six months, or a quarter of the policy term if shorter, for death from natural causes (rule 2A.6.1).
Do I get a new waiting period if I change funeral policy?
No, if you held the previous policy with another insurer at least 31 days before, it covered similar risks for the same people, and you had completed its waiting period (rule 2A.6.5). Otherwise only the unexpired part of the old waiting period applies (rule 2A.6.6).
If my funeral policy lapses, do I start the waiting period again?
Not if the insurer reinstates it (rule 2A.9.1) or gives you a new policy within two months of the lapse (rule 2A.9.2), unless the old waiting period was still running — then only what was left of it.