Most Australian insurance claims are wrapped up within two to eight weeks, yet the General Insurance Code of Practice lets insurers take up to four months—or 12 months for particularly complex cases—just to reach a decision.
A decision, however, isn’t the same as cash in your bank account. Car, home, travel, health, life and business policies all follow slightly different clocks, and repair queues, medical reports or missing paperwork can quickly stretch the calendar further. In the guide that follows, you’ll see the typical Australian claim stages, statutory deadlines, product-by-product averages, the snags that slow everything down, and practical tactics to keep your own claim moving. By the end, you’ll know precisely what’s reasonable—and what to do when it’s not.
Snapshot: Typical Aussie Claim Timelines at a Glance
Need the elevator-pitch version? The cheat-sheet below shows how long straightforward Australian claims generally take once the insurer has everything it needs. Treat them as ball-park guides, not hard deadlines.
Quick-reference timelines table
| Insurance Type | Average Time to Settlement* |
|---|---|
| Car | 2 – 6 weeks |
| Home / Contents | 4 – 8 weeks |
| Travel | 5 – 15 business days |
| Health | 2 – 10 business days |
| Life / TPD | 2 – 12 months |
| Commercial Motor / Fleet | 3 – 8 weeks |
*Catastrophes such as hailstorms, bushfires and floods can add weeks—or months—to motor and property claims.
What does “complex” really mean?
A claim becomes complex when injuries, liability disputes, suspected fraud, multiple vehicles, high-value property or third-party legal action enter the mix. Expect more experts, more paperwork and potentially year-long timelines.
Key regulatory deadlines to remember
- General Insurance Code of Practice: insurer must update you every 10 business days and decide within 4 months (or 12 months if complex).
- Internal dispute resolution: once you complain, the insurer has 45 calendar days to issue a final response before you can head to AFCA.
The Claims Journey: Step-by-Step Timeline
Every insurer labels the steps slightly differently, yet almost every Australian claim—be it car, home or travel—moves through the same four checkpoints. Use the timeline below to work out where you sit and what should happen next.
Lodgement & Acknowledgement (Day 0 – 3)
Lodging starts the clock. Give the insurer everything you can on day one:
- policy number and contact details
- date, time and location of the incident
- short description of what happened
- photos or video of damage
- police or medical report numbers
- names of any witnesses
Under the General Insurance Code of Practice your insurer must confirm receipt and issue a claim number within three business days. Keep that email or SMS—it’s your proof the claim is alive.
Information Gathering & Investigation (Day 3 – 20)
Next come assessors, repair quotes and reports. You might be asked to:
- let a loss adjuster inspect the damage
- supply medical certificates or valuation documents
- obtain two independent repair quotes
Each time you hand over fresh evidence, the 10-business-day rule kicks in: the insurer has ten business days to either seek more information or explain the next step. Quick responses here can shave weeks off the total.
Assessment & Decision (Week 3 – 16)
The claim team now compares your policy wording against the facts. Straight-forward claims are often green-lit inside a month; thornier ones—think disputed liability, injuries or police investigations—can run right up to the Code’s four-month limit (or twelve months once declared “complex”). If the deadline is approaching, insist on a written explanation.
Settlement & Payout (Within 10 business days of decision)
Once approved, the insurer must finalise payment or repairs inside 10 business days. Cash settlements land by EFT fastest; cheques add postal time. For car repairs, bookings depend on workshop and parts availability, but using an insurer-approved repairer usually means priority slots and a lifetime workmanship warranty. Total-loss write-offs are typically paid 5–10 business days after you accept the valuation, with finance payouts handled simultaneously if a loan exists.
Timeframes by Insurance Product
No two policies march to the exact same drum. Below you’ll find the typical clocks for each major cover so you can stop asking “how long do insurance claims take?” and start marking real dates in your diary.
Car Insurance (Comprehensive, Third-Party & CTP)
Most bumper-to-bumper repairs wrap up in two to six weeks. Day-one photos and a police event number help the assessor fast-track liability, but delays creep in when parts are on back-order, multiple drivers disagree on fault, or the smash repairer queue stretches after a hailstorm. In NSW the CTP scheme lets you lodge up to three months post-crash, yet lodging within 28 days preserves any back-pay benefits. If your car is written off, expect the payout to hit your bank—or your finance company’s—five to ten business days after you sign off on the valuation.
Home & Contents
Storm-shattered windows or burst pipes usually trigger an “emergency make-safe” within 24 hours, but the full claim cycle spans four to eight weeks. Builder allocation takes roughly a week; quoting and scope approval another one to two. Major catastrophes (floods, bushfires) stretch the line: insurers triage first, assess later, and large rebuilds can queue for months while tradies are redeployed.
Travel Insurance
The speed champ. Straightforward luggage or flight delay claims lodged through online portals are often settled inside five business days. Add overseas hospital bills, medical evacuations or third-party injury and the clock can push past 30 days as doctors, airlines and embassies trade paperwork.
Health & Extras
Tap your card at the dentist and HICAPS pays instantly—that’s effectively zero days. Larger inpatient claims go through the fund; legislation requires prompt payment to hospitals, so members usually see the final benefit statement inside two to ten business days.
Life, TPD & Income Protection
These are paperwork heavy. Gathering specialist reports, financial statements and trustee approvals often takes three to nine months. Complex occupational injuries or disputed medical opinions can keep the file open up to a year, though insurers must update you at least every month.
Commercial Motor & Liability (incl. rideshare)
Expect timelines similar to private cars—around three to eight weeks—once driver statements, dash-cam footage and GST calculations are squared away. Multi-vehicle fleets add a layer of excess allocation that can tack on an extra week if spreadsheets aren’t pristine.
Factors That Speed Up or Slow Down a Claim
Two drivers crash on the same corner and one claim finishes weeks earlier than the other—why? The variables below explain most of the gap and can turn the answer to “how long do insurance claims take?” from a fortnight to a season.
Claim complexity & dispute over liability
If fault is unclear, injuries are involved or fraud is suspected, expect extra investigators, legal reviews and even police input—each adding calendar creep.
Documentation completeness
Missing receipts, rego papers or medical certificates often push the file to the “waiting” pile. Supplying everything in one hit keeps it active.
Repair or parts availability
Global parts shortages and crowded panel shops mean your car can’t be fixed even when the insurer is ready to pay. Booking early helps.
External events & catastrophe load
Floods, fires and hail outbreaks flood call centres and tradies alike. Insurers triage genuine emergencies first; routine claims shuffle back.
Insurer-specific processes & workload
Some brands outsource assessing, others keep it in-house. A heavy backlog or clunky system can stall approvals, while tech-savvy insurers fly through.
How to Make Your Claim Move Faster
Waiting weeks for movement is painful, but a few simple tactics can shave serious time off the clock.
Get your paperwork right the first time
Attach crystal-clear photos, receipts and police or medical reports at lodgement. A complete file stops the back-and-forth that restarts the insurer’s 10-day questioning clock.
Communicate proactively & keep a claims diary
Record every call, email and promised action date. A polite follow-up the moment a deadline slips keeps your claim on the assessor’s radar.
Use recommended repairers strategically
Preferred repairers have pre-approved rates and direct upload portals—quotes get ticked off in hours, not days. You still control the final choice.
Pay or arrange excess early
Most insurers won’t authorise repairs or issue settlement until the excess is received. Paying upfront removes that hidden handbrake.
Lean on experts when needed
Brokers, licensed loss assessors or consumer advocates know the Code and escalation channels. Their nudge can remind an insurer exactly how long insurance claims should take.
Dealing With Delays: Your Rights & Escalation Paths
If the calendar keeps slipping and you’re hearing crickets from your insurer, you don’t have to just “wait it out.” Australian rules spell out clear service standards and step-by-step escalation channels—use them and the wheels often start turning again.
The General Insurance Code of Practice obligations
Insurers must:
- update you at least every 10 business days
- act reasonably and without unnecessary delay
- give written reasons and a new timeframe if deadlines blow out
Politely quoting these points (and asking for dates in writing) reminds the handler you know the playbook.
Insurer Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR)
Still stuck? Lodge a formal complaint through the insurer’s IDR team. Do it in writing, attach your claims diary, and state the outcome you want. The insurer has 45 calendar days to deliver a final response.
External resolution: AFCA & state-based ombudsmen
If IDR fails, escalate free of charge to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA can order interest, extra compensation, or enforce timeframes. For compulsory schemes like NSW CTP, use the relevant state regulator.
When to seek legal or specialist advice
Consider independent advice when:
- liability or injury claims exceed about $15 k
- business interruption or income loss is disputed
- deadlines or Code provisions keep being ignored
Brokers, consumer advocates or solicitors can apply real pressure—and recover their costs in many cases.
Common Claim Timeline Questions Aussies Ask
How long do I have to lodge a claim after an accident?
As soon as practical is safest. NSW CTP demands within three months, but lodging within 28 days keeps wage back-pay alive.
How quickly will I be paid if my car is written off?
Once you accept the valuation, insurers usually EFT the settlement inside five to ten business days; finance payouts happen simultaneously.
Can I drive my car while waiting for repairs?
Only drive if the vehicle is road-worthy. New damage before repairs may void cover and complicate liability arguments.
What if the other driver’s insurer is dragging their feet?
Claim on your own policy, pay the excess, then let your insurer chase recovery; AFCA remains a free escalation option.
Do holiday periods affect claim times?
Yes. Public holidays close repairers and call centres, so lodge early and follow up the week beforehand.
Wrapping Up on Claim Timelines
In most cases, Australian insurance claims wrap up inside a few weeks; only the tricky files push toward the Code’s four-month (or 12-month) ceiling. Staying on the short side of that curve is largely about paperwork, polite persistence and knowing the service rules that protect you. Gather evidence early, diary every conversation and quote the 10-day update obligation if silence drags on. And if you’re shopping for cover, look for an insurer that backs speedy, transparent claims—National Cover ticks all three boxes.
