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Renew your car insurance online
Car insurance renewals stay simple as long as you renew on or before the expiry date: your cover and your No Claim Bonus both carry over. Renewal is also the one point each year when the policy is yours to reshape.
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Renew with Kiwi Insurance
Avail special benefits when you renew
No Claim Bonus carries over
Kiwi Super NCB up to 90%
Kiwi Claims Specialist on every claim
Why renew your car insurance before it expires
Most insurers allow a grace period of up to 90 days after your policy ends. It is easy to misread what that window actually protects. It preserves your No Claim Bonus, but it does not keep you insured. From the moment the policy expires your cover stops, and you cannot raise a claim. More on how the grace period works. That leaves you exposed on 3 fronts at once. You need at least Third-Party cover to drive legally, so being stopped without it means a fine of ₹2,000 for a first offence and ₹4,000 for every offence after that, up to 3 months imprisonment, and a car that can be impounded. The No Claim Bonus you have built over several years resets to zero once you pass the window, so the renewal you eventually pay is noticeably higher than the one you skipped. And anything that happens while the policy is lapsed - an accident, a theft, one waterlogged morning, is a bill you settle out of your own pocket. There is an upside to the date coming round, though. This is the one point in the year when the policy is genuinely yours to reshape around how you actually drive now. Add the optional covers that have earned their place, drop the ones that no longer have one, move up or down between plan types, and correct the Insured Declared Value (IDV) so it matches what the car is worth after another year on the road. None of last year's choices have to be repeated.
Common car insurance renewal terms
The words you will read on this page explained in plain language. Worth a quick read before diving into the details.
Premium
The yearly amount you pay to keep your car insured
Expiry date
The date your cover ends. Renew on or before it to stay insured and avoid a gap in cover
Lapsed policy
A policy that has expired and not been renewed. You are uninsured until you renew
Grace period
Usually 90 days after expiry. It protects your No Claim Bonus, but you are not covered during it
Insured Declared Value (IDV)
The maximum amount your insurer will pay you if your car is stolen or damaged beyond repair
IRDAI
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, the regulator that oversees insurers
No Claim Bonus (NCB)
A renewal discount you earn for each claim-free year, up to 50%
Kiwi Insurance Super NCB
Only with Kiwi. Takes your No Claim Bonus up to 90%, and keeps most of it even after a claim
Endorsement
An official change to your policy, such as updating your cover or your details at renewal
Break-in inspection
The inspection an insurer may ask for before restarting comprehensive cover on a lapsed policy
NCB certificate
Proof of your claim-free years from your insurer. It carries your discount when you switch
Deductible
The fixed part of an own-damage claim you pay yourself: ₹1,000 up to 1500cc, ₹2,000 above it
Two ways to renew: Offline and online
A renewal has traditionally meant a phone call or a branch visit. An agent pulls up your policy, quotes a price, and posts the documents once you have paid, and any change to your cover goes through them rather than through you. That route still exists and still works, and it suits anyone who would rather a person handled it. What it costs you is time and visibility: the price arrives as a single amount unless you ask for a breakdown, and adjusting your IDV or your covers means another conversation. Renewing online puts the same decisions in front of you, with the price updating as you make them.
| At renewal | Offline, via an agent | Online (with Kiwi Insurance) |
|---|---|---|
Time it takes | A call or visit with your agent |  A few minutes, using your car number |
What you see on price | A full breakdown from your agent, on request | The full breakdown, updating as you choose |
Changing your IDV or covers | Your agent updates it for you | You adjust it yourself before you pay |
Getting your policy copy | Emailed or shared by your agent | Emailed at once, and saved in the app |
Switching insurer | Your agent handles the paperwork with the new insurer | The same short process, NCB carried across |
If the policy has lapsed | Your agent arranges the inspection | A self-inspection through the app |
Why renew your car insurance with Kiwi
A renewal should take minutes and leave you better off than the policy you are replacing. Six things make that true at Kiwi.
Just your car number
Your expiring policy, its dates, and your No Claim Bonus come up on their own. There is nothing to dig out of a drawer
One app for everything
Your policy, FASTag, challans, and PUC all sit in the same app, so renewal is one more thing you do there, not a separate errand
Your NCB keeps building
A standard No Claim Bonus stops at 50%. On Kiwi Insurance Super NCB it keeps climbing to 90%, and drops only one level if you claim
You set the cover
Every change updates the price on screen, so you can see what each decision is worth before you commit to it
Switching is equally quick
Coming from another insurer takes your policy number and an NCB certificate, and the discount comes with you
Kiwi Claims Specialist
One person handles your claim from start to finish. Kiwi PayFirst and the Kiwi cashless partner garages are ready from the moment your claim is registered
What you can change when you renew
A car insurance renewal is not last year's policy repeated. Spend a minute on these before you confirm, because most of them cannot be changed once the year has started.
| Worth reviewing | Bear in mind |
|---|---|
The IDV, so it still tracks what the car is worth today |  Optional covers attach only at renewal, never part way through the year |
Which optional covers earn their place for the year ahead | Lowering the IDV lowers the premium only slightly, but lowers your payout by the full amount |
Moving up from Third-Party cover to a comprehensive plan | A gap past the grace window resets your No Claim Bonus to zero |
Bringing your No Claim Bonus across if you are changing insurer |
What the grace period actually protects
The grace period is the window most insurers allow after your policy expires, usually up to 90 days. It exists for one specific reason: to preserve your No Claim Bonus if you miss the renewal date. It does not extend your cover, and it is easy to misunderstand what it actually covers. From the moment your policy expires you are uninsured. The grace period does not change that. You cannot raise a claim during it, and if you are stopped without at least Third-Party cover the fine is ₹2,000 for a first offence and ₹4,000 for every offence after that. What the window does is keep your NCB alive, so if you renew within the 90 days, the discount you have built up carries over. Once you pass day 90, that changes. The bonus resets to zero however many claim-free years you had earned, and Comprehensive cover restarts only after a break-in inspection. Treat the grace period as a short window to save your bonus, not extra time to drive.
Preserves your No Claim Bonus if you renew within 90 days of expiry
Applies at most insurers in India, including Kiwi
Runs from the day after your policy ends
Renewing a lapsed policy
A lapsed policy is one that has expired and not been renewed. You are uninsured from the expiry date until the new policy goes live, so the first thing to do is get it back in force. How quickly that happens depends on the cover. Third-Party cover can usually be restarted at once, because its price is fixed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and there is nothing about your car to assess. Comprehensive and Own Damage cover are treated differently, because the insurer is taking your car back on after a gap and has no record of its condition during it. You will need to do an inspection of your car to renew a lapsed policy.
What is break-in inspection?
A break-in inspection is the check an insurer asks for before restarting comprehensive cover on a lapsed policy. Its purpose is straightforward: to confirm that any damage already on the car is not claimed for as though it happened after the new policy started.
With Kiwi it is a self-inspection through the app. You are asked for a short video and a few photos of the car from set angles, usually in daylight, and the own-damage part of your cover goes live once it is accepted. Traditional insurers more often send a surveyor or ask you to bring the car in, which is what turns a lapse into a wait of several days.
What a lapse costs you
- Your No Claim Bonus, if you renew more than 90 days after expiry. Inside that window it carries over intact; outside it, a discount built over years resets to zero
- A fine of ₹2,000 for a first offence and ₹4,000 for every offence after that, for driving without at least a Third-Party plan
- The whole of any bill for damage, theft, or a third-party liability that arises while you are uninsured
- Time, because the own-damage side of your cover only restarts once the inspection is accepted
Our take: Renew first, tidy up after. If the date has already passed, getting the policy live again matters more than getting it perfect. You can review the IDV and your optional covers at the same time, but do not let that hold up putting cover back in force.
Expired policy
Get your policy active again today
Quick self-inspection on the app
Your NCB bonus stays safe up to 90 days of policy expiry
Third-Party cover activates instantly
How to renew your car insurance
There are 2 routes, depending on who your policy is with today. Pick the one that describes you. Both are done online and both take a few minutes. Renewing your existing Kiwi policy
- 1
Enter your car number
Your expiring policy, its dates, and your No Claim Bonus come up
- 2
Recheck your IDV
Lower it as the car ages, without leaving yourself underinsured
- 3
Review your optional covers
Keep, drop, or add covers for the year ahead. The price updates as you go
- 4
Pay and go live
Cover restarts from the start date, with the renewed policy in your inbox
Documents required
- Your car registration number
- Your expiring policy number
- In most cases, nothing else
Switching to Kiwi at renewal
- 1
Enter your car number
Your car and its details come up, whoever your current insurer is
- 2
Add your expiring policy details
The policy number and expiry date, so the new cover starts without a gap
- 3
Bring your No Claim Bonus across
An NCB certificate from your previous insurer carries the discount you have earned
- 4
Choose your plan and covers
Set the IDV, pick your optional covers, and add Kiwi Insurance Super NCB
- 5
Pay and go live
Your Kiwi policy starts the day your old one ends, with nothing in between
Documents required
- Your previous policy, or its number
- The registration certificate (RC)
- An NCB certificate, to carry your bonus across
- A quick inspection, if the policy has already lapsed
Kiwi Insurance optional covers
Renewal is the moment to review these, because a cover attaches at renewal and not mid-year
- Only with Kiwi
Kiwi Insurance Super NCB
Builds your No Claim Bonus to 90% rather than stopping at 50%, and drops it only one level after a claim instead of resetting it to zero For: anyone renewing with claim-free years already built up
Zero Depreciation cover
Pays the full cost of replaced parts with no deduction for age or wear. On a ₹20,000 bumper and headlamp repair, that can save you around ₹3,000 that would otherwise come out of pocket For: cars under 5 years old
Engine Secure cover
Pays for engine and gearbox repairs caused by water getting in or oil leakage, which a standard plan excludes outright For: flood-prone cities and low-lying parking
Return to Invoice cover
Pays back the full invoice value of the car if it is stolen or damaged beyond repair, instead of the depreciated IDV For: cars under 3 years old
Roadside Assistance cover
Round-the-clock help for a breakdown, tow, flat battery, or puncture. Using it does not affect your No Claim Bonus For: older cars and long-distance driving
Consumables cover
Pays for the small items a repair uses up, such as engine oil, coolant, nuts, and bolts, which are otherwise left off the payout For: anyone taking Zero Depreciation cover
Key Secure cover
Pays to replace or reprogram lost, stolen, or damaged keys and locks. A single smart key can cost ₹15,000 or more For: cars with smart or electronic keys
Tyre Secure cover
Pays for accidental cuts, bursts, and structural damage to tyres, which a standard plan treats as age-related damage For: rough roads and high mileage
Personal Belongings cover
Pays for personal items stolen from or damaged inside the car, up to the amount set in your policy For: owners who leave belongings in the car
When you need to claim
The first new car insurance claim is the one that tests your insurer. The steps are much the same wherever you insure. What really differs is how much of the running-around lands on you.
If your policy has lapsed when something happens, there is no claim to raise. The repair, the replacement, or the liability to another person is yours to pay in full, and a serious accident can run well past what a year of premiums would ever have cost. That is the plain reason renewal dates matter more than they look.
With a live policy, the same event becomes a process rather than a bill. You report it, the damage is assessed, and the payout is worked out from the cover you hold. What you pay is your deductible, plus anything no cover on your policy takes care of.
What a claim does to your No Claim Bonus
Every claim-free year earns you a discount on the own-damage part of your premium. It begins at 20% after your first clean year and builds to 50%, where a standard No Claim Bonus stops.
On a standard plan, one claim takes that discount back to zero at your next renewal, whatever it had reached. That is why so many owners quietly pay for small damage themselves rather than raise a claim they are entitled to, and it is the problem Kiwi Insurance Super NCB was built to solve.
Kiwi Insurance Super NCB
Kiwi Insurance Super NCB does 2 things a standard No Claim Bonus cannot. It keeps building past 50%, all the way to 90%, and when you do claim it steps down only one level rather than resetting to zero.
That is up to 40% more discount than a standard bonus after 6 clean years, which shows up on the own-damage part of your renewal each year.
The protection matters as much as the discount. A claim steps the bonus down one level instead of clearing it, so you can raise a claim the car genuinely needs without undoing years of clean renewals. The bonus also belongs to you rather than the car, so it carries across when you switch insurers and on to your next car.
What you get with Kiwi Insurance
What a Kiwi policy gives you beyond the cover itself, and what stays with you through every renewal after this one. Five of these are available only with Kiwi Insurance, including the industry-first Kiwi Claims Specialist.
Kiwi Insurance Super NCB
Your No Claim Bonus keeps building to 90% instead of stopping at 50%, and steps down only one level after a claim rather than resetting to zero
Kiwi Claims Specialist
Once you raise a claim, a single Kiwi Claims Specialist is assigned to it and stays with you from that first call through to the final payment, so you never repeat your case to different people each time
Kiwi PayFirst
Your claim amount reaches your bank account before you pay the garage, at any garage you choose
Kiwi Flexi Repair
Hold back minor damage and combine it with a larger claim later, instead of paying a deductible on each one
Kiwi cashless partner garages
Hand the car over and walk away. The bill is settled directly with the garage and you pay only your deductible
Kiwi InstaCash
Cash reaches your account the day your car is booked in for repair, before the claim is settled
Our customers tell the story best
“My old policy had run out 2 weeks earlier and I assumed I had lost the bonus. The self-inspection took 5 minutes on my phone and the discount came across intact.”
Abhinav P, Mumbai · 27 Jul 2026
Car insurance renewal FAQs
Enter your car number, confirm the IDV and the optional covers you want for the year ahead, and pay. Your new cover begins the moment the old one ends, with no fresh waiting period.
- Comprehensive car insuranceBoth covers in one plan
- Optional coversReview yours at renewal
- Own Damage coverProtection for your own car
- Third-Party coverThe legal minimum
- Insuring a new carCover from day one
4-in-1 insurance app
All your policy and vehicle needs in one place
As a policyholder, you can recharge FASTag, pay traffic fines, and check your car's PUC expiry