Immediate cover
from day one

Supporting new pets with 4 weeks free insurance

Petplan’s free temporary insurance helps pets settle into their new homes by making sure they’re covered right from the beginning.

At Petplan, we want all pets to get off to the best start in their new homes. We follow in the footsteps of our founder Patsy Bloom, who started Petplan more than 40 years ago. She was a passionate ambassador for animal health, and worked with the pet care industry to spread the word about insurance and how it can help owners give their pets the best possible care. Today, vets, breeders and animal charities still work with us to help introduce new pet owners to the benefits of pet insurance.

They know that owners across Britain trust us to help them get the best care with insuring over 1.3 million pets – that’s more than any other insurer. And on top of that, they’ve seen first-hand the quality of our cover and how simple our claims process is.

How does free insurance work?

If you've adopted a pet from a rehoming centre, purchased a pet through a breeder or recently visited a vet and shown an interest in pet insurance cover, you may have been introduced to 4 weeks free Petplan insurance. This is free insurance with no catch. If your pet falls ill or becomes injured, you can claim to help cover the cost of vet bills. There is no need to provide your bank details; the policy automatically expires after 4 weeks and there is no obligation to buy a full, paid-for policy.

Benefits of continuing your cover with Petplan

Immediate cover

If you continue your cover onto a full, paid-for policy before your free cover expires you can claim for any illness or injury straight away if they aren’t a pre-existing condition.

Ongoing cover

You can continue to claim for any conditions covered by your free policy. If you start a new policy elsewhere, it is likely these conditions will be classed as pre-existing and cover may not be provided.

Additional month free

If you decide to continue with Petplan, you will automatically receive an additional month free when you purchase your full policy.

No age limit for rehomed pets

Many adopted pets are older animals, which can limit your choice when it comes to insurance as some policies are not available to pets above a certain age.

Petplan works in partnership with animal charities to support the rehoming of pets, and provides an exclusive benefit to adopted pets with 4 weeks free insurance. If you continue your cover with us, you can choose any of our products – including Covered For Life®, which is usually only available for dogs under 8, cats under 10 and rabbits under 5.

To be eligible you must continue your cover onto a full policy before your 4 weeks free cover expires.

Why choose Petplan to help cover your pets vet bills

vet with dog

Illnesses and accidents can happen at any time, and to pets of any age. Pet insurance can help you cover the cost of veterinary treatment, but it’s worth noting that not all pet insurance is the same. Remember to look beyond the price when choosing your policy.

At Petplan, we design our policies to pay out. Whether your pet needs diagnostic tests like an MRI scan, dental treatment or surgery we can help you get your companion the best possible veterinary care. We pay 97% of claims and can even pay your vet directly so you don’t have to find the money first. We are also highly rated on Trustpilot, and over 90% of our customers renew with us each year.

Many pet insurance policies start with a low premium and then increase premiums when you claim. Our Claims Pricing Guarantee means that we’ll never charge you more for claiming. Your price will increase every year as your pet gets older but with Petplan you won’t pay more for claiming. In fact if your pet needs treatment we want you to claim.

Top tips for picking a pet insurance policy

If you are shopping around for pet insurance, ask these three key questions to help you compare the veterinary cover and pricing approach of different policies:

  • Are there any additional limits within the vet bills cover?
  • Do you cover dental illness and injury?
  • Will I pay more if I claim?

If you have a 4 weeks free policy, you can continue your cover and receive your additional month free today.

Continue your cover

Explore our policies

We also offer a multi-pet discount if you have more than one furry friend



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Frequently Asked Questions

What type of pet insurance is right for me?

Every pet is individual and unique so we have a range of plans to suit every cat, dog and rabbit, from time-limited to lifetime policies – we even have a multi-pet discount if you have more than one furry friend. We’ve compiled a handy guide explaining the different types of policies in the market and to help you decide which best meets your needs.

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Why should you insure your pet?

Just like us, pets are susceptible to illness and injury, anything from developing a skin condition to contracting an auto-immune disease, and everything in between. They need the same level of care as we do, whether that’s an X-ray, an MRI scan, or even chemotherapy to help diagnose and treat their health problems. Having pet insurance is the best way to make sure your animal stays safe and well without the worry of having significant impact on your own finances.

Why to get pet insurance

What is Covered For Life®?

Our Covered For Life® policies are designed to cover long-term, chronic or recurring illness, as well as short term illness and injury. As long as the policy is renewed each year without a break, we will continue to provide cover for conditions such as diabetes or arthritis which require treatment over a long period of time, often for life. Other insurance policies, such as time-limited policies, will limit the time you can claim for each illness of injury.

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What is 12 month cover?

Time limited pet insurance, such as our 12 month Essential policy, is designed for pet owners requiring a less comprehensive policy. It is important to remember that each illness and injury on our Essential policies are covered for a maximum of 12 months. Should your dog suffer from the same condition again you will not be able to claim for it.

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How do I make a claim?

In most cases if you're claiming for vet fees your vet can submit an eclaim on your behalf. If you check with your vet and they can’t submit an eclaim, or if you're claiming for anything else, please head to our Claims page for more information on submitting your claim.

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