Can you get affordable life insurance if you vape?
Yes, you can usually get life insurance if you vape, but most UK insurers still treat vaping in the same way as smoking, which means you are classed as a smoker and pay higher premiums than non smokers. Any nicotine based products are classed as smoking in the UK for life cover, which also includes nicotine free vapes, due to the health risks linked to these products. The key to keeping costs down is understanding how insurers define a smoker, how long you must be nicotine free to move to non smoker rates. Using a whole of market regulated life insurance broker can help to find providers that are more flexible for vapers, nicotine free e-liquids, and future premium reductions if you quit.
Is vaping classed as smoking for life insurance?
For most UK life insurers, any use of nicotine products in the last 12 months, including e-cigarettes and vapes, which means you will be classed as a smoker and charged smoker rates, even if you only vape occasionally. Life insurance applications will ask whether you have vaped in the past 12 months, which includes any one-off or infrequent use.
Are smoker premiums much higher than non smoker premiums?
Smoker premiums range from 50% to 100% higher than the cost of non smoker rates depending on your age, cover amount, and health. So being classed as a smoker because you vape can have a big impact on the price you pay for a life insurance policy, especially over a longer term such as 20 or 30 years.
Can vapers ever be treated as non smokers?
Some insurers will reclassify you as a non smoker once you have stopped all nicotine products for at least 12 months, and a few are more flexible for people who use genuinely nicotine free vape liquids, but this varies, so advice matters. Rules around vaping may change in the future, but as it stands you will be classed as a smoker if you vape or use e-cigrattes.
How can vapers find the cheapest life insurance?
The best way to find low cost life insurance if you vape is to use a whole of market broker that understands which insurers are currently most lenient with vapers and can compare quotes across many providers in one go.
Key Points: Vape friendly life insurance guide UK 2026.
- Most UK insurers treat vaping the same as smoking, so you will usually be classed as a smoker if you have used any nicotine product in the last 12 months.
- Smoker premiums are typically around twice the cost of non smoker premiums for the same level of cover and health profile.
- To be reclassified as a non smoker you usually need to be free from all nicotine products for at least 12 months, and sometimes longer.
- Some insurers are more tolerant of nicotine free vaping, but rules differ, so using a whole of market broker can save you money and hassle.
- Being honest about vaping on your application is vital – if you are not upfront, a future claim could be reduced or refused.
- NHS stop smoking services and other evidence based support can help you quit if your long term goal is cheaper premiums and better health.
Vaping has gone mainstream in the UK, with millions of adults using e-cigarettes either to quit smoking or simply because they like the flavours and convenience. Despite this shift, the life insurance industry has been slow to treat vaping differently to smoking, which can be frustrating if you feel you have moved to a less harmful habit but are still facing smoker level premiums. This guide breaks down how insurers look at vaping, what that means for your wallet, and the practical steps you can take to get suitable cover at a fair price.
How vaping affects your chances of getting life insurance
The good news is that vaping does not usually stop you getting life insurance. Most mainstream UK insurers will still offer cover to people who vape, including term life insurance and often critical illness cover too. The trade off is that you will nearly always be treated as a smoker, so you pay more than a non smoker with similar health and lifestyle. There are some specialist providers and newer insurers who are experimenting with more nuanced approaches, but for the majority of the market, vaping automatically drops you into the smoker category.
If your health is otherwise good and you do not have significant medical issues, you should still be able to find cover at a reasonable cost, even if it is higher than the best non smoker deals you might see advertised. Where vaping can really push the price up is when it is combined with other risk factors such as high BMI, diabetes, heart conditions or a history of mental health problems, because the insurer loads the premium both for your health and for your smoker status.
How insurers define a smoker and what counts as vaping
When you apply for life insurance, you will usually be asked a question along the lines of:
During the last 12 months have you smoked any nicotine or nicotine replacement products (these include but are not limited to cigarettes, cigars, tobacco products, e-cigarettes, nicotine gum, nicotine patches and vaping etc.)
If you answer yes, you will be treated as a smoker. This is true even if you only vaped once at a party or had a single cigarette on holiday. A few insurers now extend this look back period to as long as five years, particularly for their best non smoker and preferred rates, but a 12 month window is still the most common.
For life insurance purposes, smoking is usually defined as using any product containing nicotine, including:
- Conventional cigarettes, hand rolled tobacco and cigars
- E-cigarettes and disposable vapes
- Vape pods and refillable vape devices
- Heated tobacco products
- Nicotine replacement therapy such as gum, lozenges, patches and some nasal sprays
Because the underwriting question is worded around nicotine and nicotine replacement products, you must include vaping as smoking if your e-liquid contains nicotine. It does not matter if the nicotine strength is low, or if you only vape at weekends. From an insurer’s perspective, any current nicotine use means you are a smoker.
Does vaping increase your life insurance premiums?
Yes, vaping almost always increases your life insurance premiums as you will be given smoker rates. For many ages and types of policy, smoker rates are around double the equivalent non smoker price. The exact difference depends on your age, health and the insurer, but it is common to see a 30 year old non smoker paying roughly half what a smoker of the same age and cover amount will pay.
On top of this basic smoker loading, insurers may further increase your premium if they are concerned about your overall health. For example, if you vape and you also have high blood pressure, a high BMI, raised cholesterol or a history of depression, the underwriter might add an extra percentage to the smoker premium to reflect the combined risk. This is one of the main reasons why it is so important to shop around and not just accept the first quote you see, because different insurers have different appetites for these risks.
Do you need to say you smoke if you only vape?
In practice, yes, you do. Most life insurance application forms now make it explicit that the smoking question includes vaping, e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement products. Even if the question only says “smoke”, the definition in the policy wording will usually make it clear that vaping counts. If you use a broker, they will confirm how to answer for each insurer so that you do not accidentally misrepresent your situation.
Trying to hide vaping is risky. Insurers can and do check medical records, may ask for a nurse screening, and in some cases will require a saliva or urine test that looks for cotinine, a by product of nicotine. If it later emerges that you were vaping but said you were a non smoker, the insurer could decline a future claim, reduce the payout or cancel the policy entirely. The potential saving is not worth the risk when the point of life insurance is to look after the people you care about.
Finding the cheapest life insurance if you vape
Although vapers are usually treated as smokers, there can still be big price differences between insurers. Each company has its own underwriting rules and its own view on vaping, e-cigarettes and nicotine free liquids. Some are very strict and will treat any vape use in the last 12 months as smoking, whatever the liquid. Others will take a softer line if you use 0 per cent nicotine juices or if you are gradually reducing your nicotine level down from a higher strength.
A whole of market life insurance broker can compare many insurers at once, identify which ones are currently more relaxed about vaping and highlight any providers that offer better terms for people who have moved from cigarettes to e-cigarettes. This can make a significant difference over a 20 or 30 year policy term. Brokers are normally paid by the insurer rather than by you, so using one should not add to the cost, but it can help you secure more competitive premiums.
When you speak to a broker, make sure you are open about exactly what you do:
- How often you vape and how long you have vaped for
- Whether your e-liquids contain nicotine and at what strength
- Whether you previously smoked and, if so, when you stopped
- Any other nicotine replacement products you use
The more accurate the information, the easier it is for them to match you with an insurer that views your circumstances in the best possible light.
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Why insurers still treat vapers as smokers
Many people see vaping as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, and organisations such as Public Health England have stated that e-cigarettes are likely to be significantly less harmful than combustible tobacco. However, life insurers are driven by long term claims data and, because vaping is still relatively new, there is not yet decades of evidence about its health impact in the way there is for cigarettes.
Without that long term data, insurers have taken a cautious approach and grouped most vapers and smokers into the same risk category. From a pricing point of view, it is simpler and less risky for them to assume that regular nicotine use, in any form, is associated with higher rates of certain illnesses and earlier deaths. Over time, as more research is done and as more years of real world experience build up, this stance may change, but any shift is likely to be gradual rather than overnight.
Do you need to tell your insurer if you start or stop vaping?
Life insurance is usually underwritten at the start of the policy. That means the insurer bases your premium on your health and lifestyle at the time you take out the cover. For most guaranteed premium policies, you do not need to update the insurer if you later start vaping, put on weight or develop health issues. Equally, your premium will not automatically drop if you quit nicotine altogether.
The main exception is if you have a reviewable or renewable policy where the insurer has the right to change terms at certain points. It is worth checking your policy schedule and key facts document so you know exactly what you have. If in doubt, ask your broker or the insurer directly.
If you already have a policy from when you were a non smoker and you have since started vaping, you do not usually need to tell the insurer unless your policy terms say otherwise. However, if you now need more cover, for example because you have taken out a new mortgage, you might consider keeping your existing non smoker policy in place and taking an additional policy that reflects your current vaping status. This can sometimes work out cheaper than cancelling and starting again from scratch.
Nicotine free vaping and smoker status
One of the greyest areas in life insurance underwriting is nicotine free vaping. Some people use 0 per cent nicotine liquids because they enjoy the act of vaping or like the flavours, but they are no longer dependent on nicotine. A few UK insurers may be prepared to class you as a non smoker if your vape liquid is genuinely nicotine free and you have not used any nicotine products for at least 12 months. Others will still treat any vaping as smoking, regardless of the liquid content.
Because attitudes differ, this is an area where specialist advice really pays off. A whole of market broker will know which insurers currently draw a distinction between nicotine free and nicotine containing vapes and which do not. They can also guide you through the sort of evidence you might be asked to provide, such as confirming the liquids you buy or, in some cases, taking a cotinine test to show that you have no nicotine in your system.
Honesty, medical checks and the risk of claims being declined
Being straight about your vaping is crucial. UK life insurers pay out on the vast majority of protection claims, but non disclosure of smoking or vaping is one of the more common reasons for reduced or declined claims. If you say you are a non smoker and a future medical report, GP record or coroner’s note suggests otherwise, the insurer will investigate and may compare this with your original application answers.
When you apply you might be asked to:
- Complete a detailed health and lifestyle questionnaire
- Allow the insurer to contact your GP for a medical report
- Attend a nurse screening or medical exam
- Provide blood, saliva or urine samples which can detect nicotine use
If the tests show cotinine in your system and you have claimed to be a non smoker, the insurer is likely to either adjust your premium before issuing the policy or, if it only comes to light at claim stage, take action that could affect the payout. Honesty avoids these problems and means your cover should be there when your family needs it.
Support if you want to quit smoking or vaping
For some people, vaping is a stepping stone away from cigarettes, while for others it has become a long term habit in its own right. If your goal is to stop using nicotine altogether, there is free, trusted support available. The NHS quit smoking hub offers practical guides, tools and an app to help you plan your quit attempt. You can also access local stop smoking services through the NHS stop smoking services page, which connects you to specialist advisers in your area.
Using structured support alongside, or instead of, vaping can improve your chances of quitting successfully. From a life insurance point of view, the sooner you are completely nicotine free, the sooner you can start the clock on the 12 month period most insurers require before considering non smoker rates. This can lead to substantial savings if you later review or replace your cover.
Next steps for vapers comparing life insurance
If you vape and you are thinking about life insurance, try not to feel put off by smoker prices or confused underwriting rules. Start by working out roughly how much cover you need and for how long, usually based on your mortgage, other debts and the financial support your family would need if you were no longer around. Then speak to a broker who can scour the market for vape friendly options, explain how different insurers treat nicotine free liquids, and help you complete the application accurately.
By understanding how vaping is viewed by insurers and by being honest about your usage, you can still arrange solid protection at a fair price. Over time, if you manage to stop using nicotine altogether, you will have the option to revisit your policy and potentially benefit from cheaper non smoker premiums, while still keeping your loved ones covered.
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