Agria pet insurance review

10 min Read Published: 04 Apr 2024

agria pet insurance review

In this independent review, we take a look at Agria's* pet insurance policies including the key features, the different policy types and how much an Agria pet insurance policy costs. We recommend that you read the review in full but you can skip to sections of the article via the following links:

What is Agria pet insurance?

Agria* originated in Sweden and first started offering pet healthcare in 1890. In 2009, after expanding across Europe, it came to the UK and now offers pet insurance for dogs, cats, rabbits and horses. Agria is passionate about providing the best healthcare for pets and therefore only offers lifetime pet insurance policies. Lifetime pet insurance is the most comprehensive pet insurance policy type as it will cover your pet's illnesses for the duration of its life. However, lifetime pet insurance is not the only type available on the market and more information on the different types can be found in our article, 'What is pet insurance?'

According to its website, Agria believes that pet insurance should be simple and uncomplicated and because of this, it offers policies that can be adapted so that you only pay for what you need. 90% of Agria's claim handling team are veterinary trained nurses and it won the "Best pet insurance provider of the year" and the "Best claims service" at the Moneyfacts Consumer Awards in 2018 & 2019. Agria was also rated "Most Trusted Pet Insurance Provider" by the Spring 2021 Fairer Finance Customer Experience Ratings.

Despite Agria originating in Sweden it is based and regulated in the UK, however, its insurance policies are underwritten by Agria Försäkring which is based and regulated in Sweden.

Agria pet insurance key features

  • Lifetime pet insurance policies with up to £20,000 in vet fee cover (policy dependant)
  • Pet insurance policies for dogs, cats, rabbits and horses
  • 97% of claims are paid
  • 5% multi-pet discount
  • Specialist pet insurance cover for breeders
  • Agria Rehoming Club
  • 24/7 vet video calls
  • £25 voucher towards your pets annual health check or vaccination (with Lifetime Plus policy)
  • Free pet tag service with Pet24 for the first 12 months on the policy

What does Agria pet insurance cover?

Agria* only offers lifetime pet insurance policies which is the most comprehensive pet insurance policy available and usually also the most expensive. This means that with an Agria pet insurance policy your pet is covered for any illnesses or injuries it sustains throughout the duration of its life.

Agria does impose some age limits on pets it insures. The maximum age limit varies depending on the type and breed of the pet. However, if your pet has been insured with Agria prior to reaching the maximum age limit then it will still be insured for any conditions that have previously been claimed for, for the duration of its life or for the remainder of the policy. Agria does not impose a maximum age limit if you are rehoming a pet via the Agria Rehoming Club.

Below is a brief summary of the policies on offer with Agria:

Agria Lifetime pet insurance

Agria offers four lifetime pet insurance policies with up to £20,000 of cover. The lifetime policies can be taken out for cats, dogs and rabbits but not all policies are available for each pet type. Lifetime pet insurance with Agria covers vet fees up to a set limit each year and then renews annually. More information on the Lifetime policies available can be found here..

Agira Lifetime equine insurance

Agria is the only pet insurance provider in the UK to offer lifetime equine insurance, most other policies are time-limited which means that illnesses or injuries are only covered up to 12 months after occurring. You can choose equine lifetime cover with Agria up to a value of £10,000 per policy year. More information on Agria's equine insurance can be found here.

Insurance for vets

Agria has a pet insurance scheme for vets that allows veterinary practices to offer 5 weeks of free pet insurance to puppies and kittens that they treat. More information on the veterinary scheme can be found here..

Agria Rehoming Club

Agria has a pet insurance scheme for rehoming centres that allows them to offer 5 weeks of free pet insurance to pets that are rehomed from their centre, no matter the pet's age. More information on the Agria Rehoming Club can be found here..

Insurance for breeders

Agria also offers insurance for those wishing to breed their pets and can get cover for complications that may arise throughout pregnancy and birth. Breeders can also send puppies or kittens to their new homes with up to 5 weeks of pet insurance. More information on Agria's breeding policies can be found here..

Agria pet insurance policy exclusions

Below we briefly summarise some of the policy exclusions with an Agria pet insurance policy*. This is not an exhaustive list and for a full list of exclusions, you will need to check the policy documents carefully.

Agria pet insurance excludes cover for the following:

  • Policy excess
  • Pets less than 8 weeks old
  • An illness within the first 10 days of the policy
  • Pre-existing conditions
  • The cost of neutering and spaying
  • Routine treatment such as vaccination or worming (however if you take out their most extensive policy you will get an annual £25 voucher to go towards the cost of routine care)
  • Dogs used to guard, race or for security
  • A claim will not be valid if your pet is lost or stolen and you cannot provide the microchip number
  • Dogs registered under The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Agria pet insurance policy type comparison

Agria offers up to three lifetime pet insurance policies and in the below comparison tables, we highlight the key differences between the policies available for cats, dogs and rabbits.

Agria pet insurance policy comparison for dogs and cats

Agria Lifetime Lite Agria Lifetime
Agria Lifetime Plus
Agria Lifetime Premium
Vet fee cover £3,000 £6,500 £12,500 £20,000
Excess^ Cats: £95/£170
Dogs: £105/£170
Cats: £95/£170
Dogs: £105/£170
Cats: £95/£170
Dogs: £105/£170
Cats: £95/£170
Dogs: £105/£170
Advertising £1,000 £1,000 £1,500 £1,500
Travel expenses & accommodation £300 £300 £300 £300
Third-party liability (dogs only) £1 million £2 million £3 million £3 million
£25 voucher
24/7 Free pet health helpline/video calls
Pet24 free pet tag service^^

^the excess, as well as a 10% co-payment, is required for each claim per condition

^^free for the first 12 months on the policy

Agria pet insurance optional extras

If you wish to insure your cat or dog with an Agria lifetime* pet insurance policy then there is also the option to add the following extras to the policy. This allows you to tailor your policy to suit your needs and means you do not have to pay for cover you do not require:

Agria Lifetime Lite Agria Lifetime Agria Lifetime Plus Agria Lifetime Premium
Death or loss (from theft or straying) £1,500 £1,500 £2,500 £2,500
Boarding fees (due to you or family member being hospitalised)  £1,000 £1,000 £2,000 £2,000
Holiday cancellation costs £1,000 £1,000 £3,000 £3,000
Cover for breeding risks and complications £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000
Cover for death due to complications from pregnancy or birth £1,500 £1,500 £2,500 £2,500
Overseas travel up to £2,000 up to £2,000 up to £2,000 up to £2,000

Agria pet insurance policy comparison for rabbits

Agria Lifetime
Agria Lifetime Plus
Vet fee cover £1,500 £2,500
Excess^ £75 £75
Complementary treatment (such as physiotherapy) £750 per illness or injury
£750 per illness or injury
Hydrotherapy 20 sessions per illness or injury
20 sessions per illness or injury
Clinical diet 50% of costs (up to £200) per illness or injury
50% of costs (up to £200) per illness or injury
Behavioural disorder £200 per disorder
£200 per disorder
Advertising £250
Travel expenses & accommodation
£300
Death from illness/injury
£100
Boarding/Minding fees
£250
24/7 Free pet health helpline/video calls
Cost for 1 year old medium sized cross breed rabbit ^^
£12.66 £19.02

^you can also choose to pay an optional 10% co-payment when you submit a claim for your rabbit ^^ based on a rabbit living in a SE postcode with £75 fixed excess and no co-payment (quotes correct on 31/01/24)

How much does Agria pet insurance cost?

In the below table, we have gathered quotes for a 1-year-old medium sized cross breed dog and cat. The quotes are generated based on a South East England postcode. For the purpose of the table, the cost is based on the lowest excess option.

Agria pet insurance policy quotes

Agria Lifetime Lite Agria Lifetime Agria Lifetime Plus Agria Lifetime Premium
Vet fee cover £3,000 £6,500 £12,500 £20,000
Excess Cats: £95
Dogs: £105
Cats: £95
Dogs: £105
Cats: £95
Dogs: £105
Cats: £95
Dogs: £105
Co-payment^ 10% 10% 10% 10%
Dogs £36.39 £45.54 £59.44 £74.58
Outdoor cats £20.60 £25.81 £31.73 £35.86
Indoor cats^^ £24.54 £30.14

^0% and 20% options are also available if you call Agria on 03330 30 82 69 ^^not covered for death outside the home or garden (Quotes correct as of 31/01/24)

Agria pet insurance policy excess

Agria has the option of two policy excesses for its cat and dog policies. The higher excess option is £170 and the lower excess option is £95 for cats and £105 for dogs. Agria rabbit policies have an excess of £75. As well as the policy excess, Agria has the option to add a co-payment to the policy. A co-payment is the percentage of the vet bill you agree to pay after your excess has been deducted when you make a claim. You can choose a percentage of 0%, 10% or 20%  with Agria cat and dog policies however, when you get a quote online there is only the option for a 10% co-payment. If you would like a 0% or 20% co-payment you will need to call Agria on 03330 308 269. Agria Rabbit policies have a co-payment option of 0% or 10%.

As the pet ages, a mandatory co-payment of 20% is applied for older pets "to help minimise age-related premium inflation". The age from which this is applied varies depending on the type and breed of your pet.

Does Agria pet insurance pay out claims?

If you wish to make a claim with Agria pet insurance you can do so by filling in the online claims form or your vet can submit the claim on your behalf. Claims must be submitted within the end date of the period of insurance or within 6 months of the first date of treatment, whichever is the latter. Agria claims to pay 97% of its claims and is able to deal directly with your veterinary practice if your vet is set up to do this.

In order to make a claim, you will need your policy number, your pet's clinical history from your vet as well as information about the claim including dates of treatment and receipts. If you do not wish to fill out the online claim form, you can download a form from the website and send it via post.

Agria pet insurance customer reviews

Agria* pet insurance has a rating of "Excellent" on Trustpilot with a score of 4.7 out of 5.0 stars from over 6,500 reviews. 83% of customers rated it as 5 stars citing polite, helpful and understanding customer service, an easy-to-understand product and website and no problems claiming. 4% rated it as "Bad" and most commented that they were dissatisfied with the cost of the premium increase when it came to renewing the policy.

Alternatives to Agria pet insurance

In this section of the review, we compare Agria pet insurance to its competitors ManyPets* (formerly Bought by Many) and Petplan. In the below comparison table, we compare the most comprehensive pet insurance policy that each pet insurer offers. The quotes are based on a 1-year-old dog (medium-sized mongrel) with no underlying health issues and living in a South East postcode. All figures are correct as of 31/01/24.

For more information on ManyPets and Petplan read our independent reviews:

You can also compare pet insurance via a comparison site such as Quotezone* or MoneySuperMarket*. Comparison sites allow you to easily compare a multitude of pet insurance providers to find a policy that suits your pet. One thing to consider is that not all comparison sites are whole of market so you may be able to get a better deal elsewhere with a provider that does not feature on comparison sites such as Petplan or Direct Line. Our article, 'Best pet insurance in the UK' compares some of the best pet insurance providers.

Agria vs ManyPets vs Petplan

Agria* ManyPets* Petplan
Policy type Lifetime Premium Complete lifetime cover Covered For Life 12k
Excess £105 plus 10% co-payment £99 £110
Vet fee cover £20,000 £15,000 £12,000
Cost per month £74.58 £33.05 £71.21
Public liability £3 million £2 million £2 million
Loss & theft £2,500 £6,000 £3,000
Free vet helpline/video calls
Trustpilot reviews* 4.7/5.0 3.9/5.0 4.7/5.0

* Trustpilot score is based on a varying number of reviews between providers (Quotes correct as of 31/01/24) 

Agria pet insurance pros and cons

Agria pet insurance pros

  • Only offers lifetime pet insurance policies which is the most comprehensive cover for your pet
  • Offers cover for cats, dogs, rabbits and horses
  • 0% co-payment option for cats and dogs but you need to call 03330 308 269
  • Pays 97% of claims
  • Online claims process
  • Free 24/7 vet helpline

Agria pet insurance cons

  • Does not insure some pets once they reach a certain age (You will need to contact Agria to find out the age limit for your pet as this varies based on the type and breed of the pet)
  • Compulsory 20% co-payment for older pets
  • Quite expensive in comparison to some other lifetime pet insurance providers
  • 10% co-payment payable when you get your quote online (this can be reduced or increased but you need to call Agria to have it amended)

Summary

Agria* says it pays out 97% of its pet insurance claims and its standout feature is the ability to offer insurance cover for those who breed from their pet. Most insurers do not offer cover for breeding due to complications caused by pregnancy or birth.

The percentage co-payment on an Agria pet insurance policy can also be changed but this is not clear on the website. If you wish to take advantage of a 0% or 20% co-payment then you have to call Agria to change this from the 10% default co-payment when getting a quote online. The maximum age limits and claim restrictions for older pets are also not clear on the Agria website and you will need to call for more information to find out the age at which restrictions are enforced for your particular breed of pet.

Overall, I really like the fact that Agria only offers lifetime pet insurance policies as this ensures your pet is better protected because it is the most comprehensive pet insurance policy available. Additionally, Agria pet insurance allows you to tailor your pet insurance with optional features that can be added to your policy. Choosing not to insure your pet for boarding fees or travel cover could save you money on your pet insurance premium by leaving them out of your policy.

 

 

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 - Agria, ManyPets, MoneySuperMarket, Quotezone