We recommend that you read the review in full, but if you wish to jump to specific sections of the article you can do so with the following links:
- What is Admiral pet insurance
- Admiral pet insurance key features
- Admiral pet insurance policy types
- What does Admiral pet insurance cover?
- Admiral pet insurance exclusions
- How much does Admiral pet insurance cost?
- How to make a claim with Admiral pet insurance
- Admiral pet insurance customer reviews
- Alternatives to Admiral pet insurance
- Admiral pet insurance pros and cons
- Summary
What is Admiral pet insurance?
Admiral is an insurance company based in the UK which first launched in 1993 as a car insurance provider. Since then, it has expanded its products to include motor, home, travel, business and pet insurance. The company offers a range of pet insurance products which are underwritten by EUI Limited. There are seven different types of policies to choose from including two time-limited insurance policies and five lifetime insurance policies.
The policies come with perks like discounts for insuring multiple pets and high annual vet fee limits. There is no cover for pre-existing conditions, however. Not many pet insurers offer this feature but if it's something you're interested in, you may find our article 'Best pet insurance for pre-existing conditions' useful.
Admiral pet insurance key features
- 15% discount on multi-pet policies
- Lifetime and time-limited policies
- No extra fees to cancel or change your policy
- 24-hour free vet helpline through PawSquad
- Up to £10,000 in annual vet fees
- 5* star Defaqto rating for the Gold and Platinum pet insurance policies
- No upper age limit
- No extra charge for paying monthly
Admiral pet insurance policy types
Admiral offers both lifetime and time-limited insurance policies. Lifetime policies are typically the most comprehensive but also the most expensive. Below, we explain what you can expect from both policies.
Lifetime insurance policies
Admiral's lifetime insurance policies are the most comprehensive options on offer by the insurer. Pets are covered for accidents and illnesses up to the policy limit every year, with the limit resetting at renewal each year meaning you can continue claiming for the same condition when the policy resets in the new year. For more information on lifetime pet insurance read our article, 'Lifetime pet insurance explained'.
Time-limited insurance policies
Admiral's time-limited insurance policies offer cover for 12 months from when the symptoms from an accident and illness first begin. Once the veterinary limit is used up or the 12 months have lapsed, you won't be able to claim for the condition anymore. However, you can claim for new conditions. For more information on time-limited pet insurance read our article, 'Time-limited pet insurance explained'.
Admiral only offers two types of pet insurance but these are not the only types of pet insurance available. For more information on the different types of pet insurance read our article 'What are the different types of pet insurance?'
What does Admiral pet insurance cover?
Admiral time-limited policies
| Time Limited - Essential | Time Limited - Extra | |
| Excess | £99 for pets under 6 £199 for pets over 6 |
£99 for pets under 6 £199 for pets over 6 |
| Vet fees | £2,000 | £4,000 |
| Death of pet payout¹ | £1,000 | £1,500 |
| Third-party legal liability | £1 million (£250 excess) | £1 million (£250 excess) |
| Advertising and reward | £250 | £250 |
| Theft and straying loss | £1,000 | £1,500 |
| Emergency kennel fees | £750 | £750 |
| Holiday cancellation | £1,0000 | £1,500 |
| Dental cover due to illness | No | No |
| Dental cover due to accident | Yes | Yes |
¹death of pet cover due to illness stops when your pet turns 6
Admiral Annual Limit Lifetime policies
| Lifetime - Blue | Lifetime - Bronze | Lifetime - Silver | Lifetime - Gold | Lifetime - Platinum | |
| Excess | £99 for pets under 6 £199 for pets over 6 |
£99 for pets under 6 £199 for pets over 6 |
£99 for pets under 6 £199 for pets over 6 |
£99 for pets under 6 £199 for pets over 6 |
£99 for pets under 6 £199 for pets over 6 |
| Annual vet fees | £2,000 | £3,000 | £4,000 | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Death of pet payout¹ | £1,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Third-party legal liability (dogs only) | £1 million (£250 excess) | £1 million (£250 excess) | £1 million (£250 excess) | £2 million (£250 excess) | £2 million (£250 excess) |
| Advertising and reward | £250 | £250 | £250 | £250 | £500 |
| Theft and straying loss | £1,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Emergency kennel fees | £750 | £750 | £750 | £750 | £1,500 |
| Holiday cancellation | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 |
| Dental cover due to illness | No | No | No | No | £2,000 |
| Dental cover due to accident | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Behavioural treatment | No | No | No | No | £2,000 |
| Third-party accidental damage | No | No | No | No | £1,000 |
¹death of pet cover due to illness stops when your pet turns 6
Admiral pet insurance policy exclusions
Admiral's pet insurance has certain exclusions you need to be aware of. These include:
- Pre-existing conditions - Any illnesses or injuries that your pet sustained prior to taking out the policy with Admiral will not be covered.
- Claims within the waiting period - The waiting period is defined as the time you need to wait to make a claim after your policy starts for it to be valid - with Admiral, any injuries that happen within 24 hours of the policy starting and any illnesses that happen within 14 days of the policy starting will not be covered.
- Routine treatments - As most other pet insurance providers, Admiral does not cover regular treatments needed to keep your pet healthy including vaccinations, flea control products, spaying or castration or general grooming costs.
- Breeding or pregnancy - Your pet's pregnancy costs or any medical issues relating to pet breeding will not be covered as part of the policy.
How much does Admiral pet insurance cost?
Admiral calculates your insurance premium based on several factors including your pet's age, breed, location, claims history, and factors beyond your control such as medical advances that sometimes mean treatment options become more expensive (or cheaper) as well as legislation. For more information on what affects the cost of pet insurance read our article '7 factors that affect the cost of pet insurance'.
Admiral have a fixed excess of £99 for pets under 6 years old and a fixed excess of £199 for pets over 6 years old.
Insuring a cat with Admiral
The quotes below are based on a policy for a one-year-old mixed-breed cat with no pre-existing conditions living in the South East. The cat is neutered.
| Policy type | Excess | Vet fee limit | Monthly price |
| Time Limited - Essential | £99 | £2,000 | £12.72 |
| Time Limited - Extra | £99 | £4,000 | £20.73 |
| Lifetime - Blue | £99 | £2,000 | £14.04 |
| Lifetime - Bronze | £99 | £3,000 | £17.74 |
| Lifetime - Silver | £99 | £4,000 | £20.69 |
| Lifetime - Gold | £99 | £5,000 | £23.47 |
| Lifetime - Platinum | £99 | £10,000 | £34.08 |
The quotes in the table are accurate as of 15/01/26
Insuring a dog with Admiral
The quotes below are based on a policy for a one-year-old small cross-breed dog with no pre-existing conditions living in the South East. The dog is neutered.
| Policy type | Excess | Vet fee limit | Monthly price |
| Time Limited - Essential | £99 | £2,000 | £11.63 |
| Time Limited - Extra | £99 | £4,000 | £20.08 |
| Lifetime - Blue | £99 | £2,000 | £12.33 |
| Lifetime - Bronze | £99 | £3,000 | £17.04 |
| Lifetime - Silver | £99 | £4,000 | £20.75 |
| Lifetime - Gold | £99 | £5,000 | £22.96 |
| Lifetime - Platinum | £99 | £10,000 | £30.03 |
The quotes in the table are accurate as of 15/01/2026
How do I make a claim using Admiral pet insurance?
If you need to make a claim on your Admiral pet insurance policy, you can do so via an online form through the website. There will typically be a section that needs to be completed by your vet as well. You'll also have to provide additional evidence depending on the type of claim you're making.
For example, if you're claiming vet fees, you may need to attach an invoice from your vet. If you're claiming for theft, you'll need to provide evidence of missing reports with local rescue centres, as well as receipts showing how much you paid for your pet.
There is also the option to call 0333 7777 362.
Customer reviews
Admiral Insurance is rated "Excellent" with a score of 4.5 out of 5.0 on the independent review website Trustpilot based on more than 144,000 reviews. Approximately 74% of reviewers gave Admiral a 5-star rating, while 9% gave it a 1-star rating. It is worth bearing in mind that the reviews are for all the insurance products Admiral provide not just pet insurance. Those that mention pet insurance are happy with the price and discount from already being an Admiral customer whilst reviews from people who have had to claim are mixed, with some happy with a quick settlement and others complaining about lengthy claims process and difficulty with communication when processing claims.
Alternative pet insurance
Alternatives to Admiral's pet insurance policies include Petgevity and the PDSA. We've discussed all three options below to help you understand how Admiral compares to other insurance providers on the market.
Petgevity
Petgevity* is a particularly good choice if you're looking for a policy which covers pre-existing conditions. Admiral's pet insurance policies offer comprehensive cover but with no options to insure your pet for pre-existing conditions, it might not be the right choice for you. Petgevity includes that option and also offers decent lifetime policies with up to £15,000 in vet fees covered depending on the policy you choose. Petgevity also has a range of excess options (including no excess) as well as a choice of voluntary co-payments which allows you to cater your policy to suit your budget. You can find out more about Petgevity in our independent review.
PDSA
The PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) is a well-established vet charity which also offers pet insurance. Like Admiral, it offers both lifetime and time-limited policies but unlike Admiral, you can only take out a policy if your dog is less than 8 years old and your cat is under the age of 10. If you already have a policy with the PDSA though, you can usually keep it even after your pet gets older. The PDSA comes with high customer ratings and boasts quick claim payouts with 97% of claims paid out within 5 working days. You can find out more about the PDSA in our independent review.
You can also compare pet insurance policies via comparison sites such as MoneySuperMarket*. Comparison sites allow you to compare multiple providers at once to find the best insurance policy for your pet. They are not always whole of market though, so you may not always be getting the best deal. You can also compare some of the best pet insurance providers in our article, 'Best pet insurance in the UK in 2025'.
Admiral Pet vs Petgevity vs PDSA
| Admiral Pet | Petgevity* | PDSA | |
| Offers lifetime policies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offers time-limited policies | Yes | No | Yes |
| Option to pay no excess | No | Yes | No |
| Cover pre-existing conditions | No | Yes | No |
| Covers older pets | Yes | Yes | No¹ |
| Trustpilot score | 4.5 out of 5.0 | 4.4 out of 5.0 | 4.7 out of 5.0 |
Trustpilot scores are accurate as of January 2026. 1New policies are only available to dogs under the age of 8 (5 in some cases) and cats under the age of 10.
Pros and cons
Below, we've outlined some of the pros and cons of taking out pet insurance with Admiral.
Pros
- 15% off multi-pet insurance
- Good choice of cover
- No upper age limit
Cons
- Higher excesses for older pets (£199 if aged 6 or above)
- No cover for pre-existing conditions
Summary
Admiral's pet insurance policies are a solid choice if you're looking for pet insurance. There are both time-limited and lifetime policies on offer, with annual vet fee limits of up to £10,000 for the most comprehensive lifetime option. Admiral's Gold and Platinum lifetime policies also have a 5-star Defaqto rating.
Older pets' policies come with a higher excess and there is no cover for pre-existing conditions, which could be an issue for some pet owners. Options like Petgevity*or ManyPets which cover pre-existing conditions could be an alternative if this is important. However, if not, Admiral offers highly rated pet insurance policies with decent features in line with the rest of the market.
If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses or take advantage of any exclusive offers - Petgevity, MoneySuperMarket
