Endorsement
An endorsement (also called an addendum or indorsement in some markets) is a written document that formally modifies the terms of an existing insurance policy. Where the endorsement and the base policy wording conflict, the endorsement prevails.
Types of endorsement
Endorsements are broadly categorised by their effect on the policy:
- Adding a named driver to a motor policy
- Adding a high-value item to a home policy
- Extending cover to business use
- Adding flood cover to a home policy
- Excluding a specific driver (after a conviction)
- Increasing the excess for a specific peril
- Adding a condition (e.g., security requirement)
- Excluding a pre-existing structural defect
- Correcting a name or address
- Updating a vehicle registration
- Changing the policyholder
- Updating a beneficiary
- Increasing the sum insured
- Reducing cover at renewal to lower premium
- Adding a sublimit for a specific category
- Adjusting the aggregate limit
Where to find endorsements on your policy
Endorsements are listed in your policy schedule — the personalised document sent with your policy documents. The schedule typically shows an endorsement number or code (e.g., "Endorsement 12 — Named driver exclusion applies") alongside the standard policy wording it modifies.
This is one of the five core components of a policy. Our guide to the five parts of every policy explains how the schedule, the wording, the conditions, and the exclusions all relate to each other — and why endorsements in the schedule take precedence over the standard wording.
When switching insurers at renewal, check that cover you rely on through an endorsement is replicated in the new policy — it will not transfer automatically.
Endorsement FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Both modify the base policy, but they are used differently by convention. A rider is typically a pre-defined optional add-on chosen at policy inception — for example, a waiver of premium rider on a life insurance policy. An endorsement is often applied mid-term or at renewal to make a specific change to an existing policy. In practice, the two terms are used interchangeably in some markets and products, so checking the policy document for the exact effect is always the right approach.
- It depends on what the endorsement does. An endorsement that adds cover (such as adding a listed high-value item to a home policy, or adding a named driver to a motor policy) will typically increase the premium. An endorsement that removes cover or increases an excess may reduce the premium or trigger a mid-term adjustment (MTA) credit. Your insurer should confirm any premium change in writing when the endorsement is issued.
- All endorsements applicable to your policy should be listed in your policy schedule — the personalised document that accompanies the standard policy wording. The schedule typically shows endorsement reference numbers and a brief description of each. If you are unsure what an endorsement means, ask your insurer or broker to explain it in plain language. See our guide to the five parts of every policy for how the schedule and the wording relate to each other.
- In most jurisdictions, an insurer can issue an endorsement at renewal by updating the policy terms — provided they give you adequate notice (typically at least 21 days in the UK). Mid-term changes that increase your premium or restrict cover generally require your agreement. Changes that are purely administrative (correcting a name, updating an address) may not. The FCA's rules on contract changes require insurers to notify policyholders clearly of material changes at renewal.