The short version
- The minimum start age on the policies we checked was 6 to 8 weeks.
- Maximum start ages for accident and illness cover were typically between a pet’s 7th and 9th birthday, and lower for some breeds.
- Accident-only and some safety-net plans have no upper start age.
- AA, for example, says there is no upper age limit once a pet is insured.
Why the cut-off matters
Vet costs tend to rise as pets age. If you wait until a pet is older, accident and illness cover may no longer be available to start, and anything already diagnosed will be excluded as pre-existing.
Breed-specific limits
Some insurers set lower start ages for particular breeds. Tower and Petcover, for example, both mention a 5th-birthday cut-off for selected breeds.
Where this comes from
Insurer details checked on 26 October 2026. The policy wording always governs.
Keep reading
- Accident-only or accident and illness coverThe first choice every policy makes for you, and the one that decides what a claim can be for.
- Annual limits, excess and co-paymentThree numbers decide how much of a vet bill comes back to you. They interact, and most people only look at one.
- Waiting periods (stand-downs)The days at the start of a policy when an illness will not be covered. Insurers apply them strictly.
- Pre-existing conditionsWhy a condition your pet already has is usually not covered, and what “already has” means.