Life Insurance Application Questions in Ireland

10-second summary: A life insurance or mortgage protection application takes about 15–30 minutes. Answer every question honestly and carefully. Only answer what’s asked. The insurer you apply to first matters more than most people realise. Getting it right first time protects your options.

Filling out a life insurance or mortgage protection application is uncomfortable for most people.

You are asked about your health, your weight, your mental health history, your smoking habits, your family history. It feels personal. And there is usually a quiet worry in the background.

If I say the wrong thing, will I be refused?

If I forget something, could a claim be refused years from now?

Both are reasonable concerns.

In Ireland, however, insurers pay the vast majority of claims.

What Questions Do Life Insurance Companies Ask?

Every insurer asks broadly the same types of questions. The wording varies slightly, but the structure is similar.

You will usually be asked about:

• Personal details
• Smoking status and lifestyle
• Height and weight
• Medical history
• Previous insurance applications

Personal details are straightforward. Name, address, date of birth, occupation, hobbies which can affect underwriting if they are deemed high risk.

Smoking is simple but strict. If you have used cigarettes, vapes or nicotine replacement in the last 12 months, you are a smoker. There is no social smoker category. If you are nine months off cigarettes, waiting another three months can materially reduce your premium.

Height and weight are used to calculate BMI. If your BMI results in a higher premium, that’s manageable but massaging it can create a far bigger issue later.

Medical questions are where most of the anxiety sits.

Some questions say “ever”.

Some say “within the last five years”.

Read them carefully.

Ever means ever.

You may also be asked whether you have ever been declined, postponed, or offered cover with a loading. That question matters more than most people realise.

How to Answer Life Insurance Health Questions Properly

Since the Consumer Insurance Contract Act was updated in 2021, the rules in Ireland are clearer than they used to be.

You must answer the questions asked, honestly and carefully.

You don’t need to volunteer information that has not been requested.

But you must answer what is asked fully and accurately.

If you’re unsure whether something is relevant, disclose it briefly and factually. For example:

• Saw GP for headaches in 2022. No underlying cause found.
• Took antidepressants in 2016 for six months. Fully recovered.

Clear, calm disclosure allows the underwriter to assess the risk properly. Many well-managed or historic conditions are accepted, sometimes at standard rates, sometimes with a modest increase.

Pending investigations must always be disclosed. Trying to secure cover before test results come back can result in a postponement.

If you realise you forgot something after submitting, correct it immediately because honest correction protects you.

Ignoring it does not.

Under current Irish law, insurers look at what they would have done if they had known the full picture.

If they would never have offered cover, the policy can be cancelled.

If they would have charged a higher premium, they may reduce the claim to reflect that.

Small, unrelated mistakes are usually treated reasonably but deliberately hiding information is a different matter.

Why the First Insurer You Apply To Matters

This is the part many people are never told.

Not all insurers assess medical history in the same way so two people with the exact same condition can get different decisions depending on which company reviews the application.

One insurer might accept it at standard rates.

Another might apply a loading.

A third might postpone the case altogether.

So the result doesn’t depend only on your medical history. It also depends on who looks at it, and different insurers look at risk differently.

If you apply to the strictest insurer first and receive poor terms, that decision then becomes part of your history. You may still be able to get better terms elsewhere, but you have made the process harder than it needed to be.

Being accepted is not the same as getting the best terms.

With a medical history, going to the wrong insurer first can narrow your options later so the order you apply in matters more than most people realise.

Sometimes the best advice is simply to wait. If you are a few months away from qualifying as a non-smoker, or if a condition is still settling down, timing can make a meaningful difference to pricing.

If your history is complicated, it’s better to have a quiet conversation first and approach underwriters carefully, rather than filling out an online form and hoping for the best.

What Happens After You Submit Your Application?

Once you submit your application, underwriting begins.

In straightforward cases, a decision can come back fairly quickly.

If you’ve disclosed any medical history, the insurer may send a short follow-up questionnaire to clarify details. In more complex situations, they might request a GP report. Occasionally, larger cover amounts trigger a medical examination.

All of this is normal.

It’s part of how insurers assess risk properly, and the cost of any reports or examinations is covered by them, not you.

Once underwriting is complete, you’ll receive formal acceptance terms outlining your premium and any conditions attached.

You’re not on cover until the policy is formally issued and in force.

Final Thoughts

Completing a life insurance application properly is not about perfect wording.

It is about understanding what is being assessed, answering honestly, and choosing the right insurer at the outset.

If you’re unsure how to answer a particular question, or you have a medical history you are concerned about, don’t guess.

Complete our medical questionnaire here and we’ll review it anonymously with our panel of underwriters before any formal application is made.

Or if you prefer, you can schedule a call here.

It’s far easier to approach this calmly now than to try to fix it later.

Editor’s note: Originally published in 2017 and fully rebuilt in 2026 to reflect current Irish underwriting practice and the Consumer Insurance Contract Act.