Can You Get Life Insurance If You Smoke?

Yes, you can still get life insurance if you smoke. However, smoking can affect both the cost and the terms of your life insurance policy.

In this guide, we’ve pulled together everything you need to know about taking out international life insurance as a smoker, vaper and ex-smoker.

Life insurance and smoking

Whether you’re an occasional smoker, a heavy smoker, someone who vapes, or someone who smoked in the past, insurance providers will take this into consideration when assessing the risk level of your application.

The first step when someone dies abroad is obtaining their death certificate.

How do we define smoking?

Different insurance providers may have different criteria for what counts as ‘smoking’. At William Russell, we define smoking as the consumption of any nicotine product.

This includes:

Cigarettes
Cigars
Vapes
Nicotine pouches
Snus
Tobacco snuff
Chewing tobacco
Nicotine patches
Nicotine inhalers
Any form of nicotine replacement therapy

Do smokers need life insurance?

Smoking increases your risk of developing life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema, and smokers die on average 10 years younger than non-smokers.

Even so, smokers are just as entitled to take out life insurance as non-smokers – however, you should expect to have to pay more for your premiums, since your life insurance provider will consider you a higher risk.

What is risk?

When calculating your premiums, your insurance provider will consider how likely you are to make a claim during the term of your policy.

The more likely you are to make a claim, the higher your ‘risk’. In order to offset this risk, your insurance provider will likely charge you a higher premium. They may even deny you insurance altogether.

While you may not like to think about the worst-case scenario, having life insurance ensures your family won’t be left struggling financially if something happens to you.

With William Russell, you can insure your life for up to US$2 million. For added peace of mind, you can also include our optional accidental death and permanent disablement cover when setting up your policy. This provides an extra payout of up to US$1mn if your death was the result of an accident, or a lump-sum of up to US$500,00 if you suffer a serious injury resulting in disability—on top of your core life insurance payout

Ultimately, life insurance cover is all about protecting your family and ensuring they’re looked after. For many expats, there’s comfort in knowing that, if the unexpected happens, their loved ones will be cared for.

How do you know if you need international life insurance?

Here’s how life insurance could benefit you and your family

How does smoking impact my policy?

Smoking can have a noticeable impact on both the cost of your premiums and your eligibility for life insurance. Insurance companies see smokers as a higher risk due to the health issues linked to smoking, like heart disease, cancer, and lung problems.

As a result, you might notice your premiums are higher than for non-smokers.

How do life insurance premiums work?

When working out your premiums, your insurer will try to determine how likely you are to die during the term of your policy, and how much your claim will cost them.

Your risk is calculated based on several factors including your age, overall health, where you live, your type of occupation and lifestyle.

For smokers, premiums are typically higher because smoking increases your risk of disease and early death. The greater the risk you represent, the more the insurer will charge you to balance out the risk of them paying out during the term of your policy.

How can you get lower life insurance premiums?

It’s important to be honest in your application for life insurance. You may be tempted not to declare yourself a smoker on your application in order to secure a lower premium, but it’s very likely your insurer will learn about your smoking habits after your death – especially if you pass away from a smoking-related illness. Remember, pathologists and coroners can easily identify smokers from non-smokers during a post-mortem examination.

If you have not declared yourself a smoker but are later found to have smoked, this could invalidate your claim, not only leaving your family without your life insurance benefit, but also putting to waste all the money you’ve paid in premiums up to that point.

Being upfront about your smoking habits ensures your policy is valid and will protect your loved ones when it matters most.

Thinking about quitting?

Quitting smoking is the best choice you can make for your health – and it may also impact your health insurance too.

If you quit smoking and stay tobacco-free for at least 12 months, you may qualify as a non-smoker for insurance purposes.

Want to know more about how international life insurance works?

Check out our step-by-step guide to international life insurance

Life insurance for smokers

Even if you’re a heavy smoker, you may still be able to get some form of life insurance cover. However, it’s important to understand that this cover could come with additional exclusions or special terms, including if your death is linked to a smoking-related illness.

To get the best possible cover for you and your family, it’s important to be honest in your application, and speak to a member of our friendly, award-winning team if you’re unsure what’s included in your level of cover.

What counts as a smoker?

At William Russell, we define a smoker as anyone who has consumed nicotine products in the past 12 months. This includes cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, heated tobacco, vape products and nicotine patches, among other products.

Different insurers have different classifications for what counts as a smoker. Some focus on the type of products you use (such as strictly tobacco-based products, as opposed to nicotine-based products), or they may look at different timeframes (for instance, anyone who has consumed nicotine within three years).

They may also focus on the quantity of tobacco and/or nicotine consumed within that timeframe – so a person who smokes the occasional cigarette will not be classified as a smoker, but someone who smokes 10 a day will be.

Some providers may run medical tests to prove your smoker status. This can include checking your cotinine levels (a by-product of nicotine).

Being upfront about your smoking habits is the best way to avoid problems. While it might feel tempting to downplay how often you smoke, honesty ensures that your policy remains valid, giving your family the financial protection they need.

What constitutes a heavy smoker?

A heavy smoker is generally someone who smokes or uses tobacco products daily. Insurers will usually ask how much and how often you smoke when you apply for a policy, as this helps them assess the health risks involved.

For example, someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day will likely face higher premiums compared to someone who smokes just one or two occasionally. It’s all about the level of risk. The more you smoke, the greater the chance of health complications, and insurers will factor this into your premiums.

What if I vape?

Vaping can be a bit of a grey area when it comes to life insurance. Many insurers treat vapers the same as smokers, particularly if you use e-liquid containing nicotine. Even if your vape is nicotine-free, some insurers might still view vaping as a health risk because the long-term effects aren’t fully understood yet.

If you’re a vaper, it’s important to answer any questions truthfully during your application. This means you may not need to declare that you vape, if the question does not ask you about vaping specifically.

For instance, if a question asks ‘Have you smoked tobacco products in the last 12 months?’ it’s fine to answer ‘No.’

However, if the question asks ‘Have you used nicotine products in the last 12 months?’ you should answer ‘Yes.’

While it might feel unfair to be grouped with smokers, being transparent ensures your policy will remain valid. If you have questions about how vaping may affect your policy, it’s best to contact your insurer directly.

Life insurance for ex-smokers

If you’ve recently quit smoking or are thinking about it, you’ll be glad to know that quitting can positively impact your life insurance options. Most insurers will reclassify you as a non-smoker if you’ve been tobacco-free for at least 12 months. This means your premiums could be significantly reduced, as you’ll no longer be considered a higher health risk.

The key to qualifying for non-smoker rates is proving that you’ve stayed tobacco-free for the required time. Some insurers may therefore ask you to take a medical exam. While this might sound intimidating, it’s a straightforward process that could lead to substantial savings.

Still unsure of whether you should take out international life insurance?

Here are 8 reasons to take out life insurance when moving abroad

The cost of life insurance for smokers

The exact cost of life insurance for smokers varies depending not only on how often you smoke, but on factors like age, the amount of cover you need, and your general health.

Someone who smokes a pack a day will likely pay more than someone who only has the occasional cigarette. Similarly, the type of tobacco product you use – whether it’s cigarettes, cigars, or chewing tobacco – can also influence the premium.

On the other hand, a heavy smoker who is young, in good health, and who chooses a lower level of cover will end up paying less than an older non-smoker with declining health and a high level of cover. It all comes down to your overall risk, rather than any individual factors.

Here are some example premium costs for smokers vs non-smokers with international life insurance from William Russell*:

US national, working as a consultant, living in Botswana

$130,000

$1,500,000

$199

$156

German national, working as a civil engineer, living in Malaysia

$150,000

$1,000,000

$84

$65

Albanian national, working as a doctor, living in Australia

$300,000

$2,000,000

$453

$354

*These are example 2025 premium prices.

How much life insurance do you need?

Find out with our life benefit calculator

Lying about smoking on your life insurance application

When you apply for life insurance, insurers rely on the information you provide to assess your health risks and determine your premiums.

If you’re a smoker but you claim to be a non-smoker when you apply for a policy, you’re taking a risk that your insurer won’t pay your beneficiaries’ claim if you die during your policy term.

Your insurer will request your medical records in the event of a claim and, if you have smoked, it’s usually quite easy to tell – especially if your smoking had an impact on your death.

Honesty is always the best approach. If you’re a smoker, you’ll still have access to international life insurance policies tailored to your needs. And if you quit smoking, you can explore reduced premiums in the future.

Do you have assets in more than one country?

Here’s how to write your will as an expat living abroad

Wherever you go, go with total peace of mind

At William Russell, we have over 30 years’ experience of providing international life insurance exclusively for expats like you.

Become a member today to enjoy worldwide coverage, giving you total peace of mind wherever you move to live and work.

Looking for international life insurance?

Get a Quote

Can You Get Life Insurance If You Smoke?

In this article