Assurance-vie: how long does it take for the capital to be paid to the beneficiary?

After a death, the insurer must pay the capital within one month of receiving all the necessary documents. Beyond this period, the unpaid capital accrues interest at twice the legal interest rate for two months, then at three times the rate thereafter. This is the rule stated on the official website service-public.gouv.fr, which refers to Article L132-23-1 of the French Insurance Code.

This page addresses the payment deadline and its consequences: delays, related deadlines, retention periods, and statutes of limitations. It does not cover the list of documents insurers require, the applicable legal interest rate, the taxation of capital received, or lifetime redemption.

The time frame at a glance

The first two lines concern the case where a search is requested from Agira. The search procedure is explained on another page of our website: "Death of the insured: recovering the capital of a assurance-vie policy".

From what point does the one-month period begin?

According to service-public.gouv.fr, the deadline begins after receipt of all the documents necessary for payment of the capital. The insurer requests these documents from the beneficiary.

The official information sheet does not list these documents. Therefore, we are not reproducing it here: this information should be requested from the insurer, who knows which documents are required for your policy. The same sheet also does not specify who determines whether a file is complete.

As a practical matter, note the date your last document arrives at the insurer's office and keep proof of receipt. This is a precautionary measure, not a requirement of the official document.

If the insurer exceeds the deadline

After one month, the unpaid capital accrues interest. The official document specifies the interest rate as follows:

• at double the legal interest rate for 2 months; ;
• then at three times the legal interest rate.

We do not provide an amount. The value of the legal interest rate changes and is not included in the information sheet describing this rule: it can be found on the official website at the time of calculation.

These interest payments are not the same as those for a redemption. Redemption payments are subject to a different timeframe, two months according to the service-public.gouv.fr information sheet on how the contract works.

If the delay lasts

A delay isn't resolved solely through interest. Actions arising from an insurance contract are subject to a statute of limitations: the time to take action is limited. For the beneficiary of a contract taken out by another person, the service-public.gouv.fr information sheet stipulates 10 years from the insured's death. The general rule, except in the case of the beneficiary, is 2 years from the event giving rise to the action.

The document also lists actions that interrupt the statute of limitations, including the insurer's acknowledgment of the beneficiary's right, a legal claim, or the insured sending a registered letter to the insurer requesting payment of the claim. The conditions for each event are examined on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the relevant legislation.

When the insurer no longer has the capital

The funds do not remain with the insurer indefinitely: the official information sheet on unclaimed assurance-vie policies sets retention periods.

• 10 years with the insurer. The insurer holds the funds for 10 years. If the insured is deceased, this period begins from the date the insurer became aware of the death.
• 20 years at the Caisse des dépôts. The insurer then transfers the funds to the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (French Deposits and Consignments Fund). The Caisse des dépôts et consignations holds them for 20 years from the date of transfer.
• After 20 years. If no one comes forward, the Caisse des Dépôts transfers the funds to the State or to the overseas territories, according to the information sheet. Once this transfer has been completed, it is no longer possible to recover the money.
• Ciclade. This online service lists the funds already transferred to the Caisse des Dépôts. For a more recent death, or one known to the insurer for less than 10 years, the information sheet refers to Agira.

The preservation of funds and the statute of limitations are two distinct concepts. The former relates to the safekeeping of funds, the latter to the time limit for taking action.

When the capital is not paid out

In some cases, the death benefit is not paid to the designated beneficiary because the contract does not provide for it or has no effect:

• Insured suicide during the first year of the contract. Death coverage does not apply. For a contract with a surrender value, the accumulated savings are paid out.
• No identifiable beneficiary. The capital is not transferred as assurance-vie payouts; it reverts to the insured's ordinary estate. According to the information sheet, this occurs when the beneficiary clause is incomplete, imprecise, or when the beneficiary has predeceased the insured without designated representatives.
• Nullity or termination. The document specifically states that any assurance-vie policy taken out on the life of a minor under 12 years of age or an adult under guardianship is null and void. In the event of non-payment of premiums, the policy may be terminated.

The official document also addresses the case of a beneficiary convicted of intentionally causing the death of the insured. We will not go into detail about this here.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Léa is named the sole beneficiary of her father's assurance-vie policy. He dies on January 12, 2026. Unaware of the insurer's identity, she files a claim with AGIRA on January 26. The insurer was notified of the death on January 20 (hypothetically). Léa gathers the documents requested by the insurer; they receive them all on March 24.

Issue. On what date must the capital be paid, and what happens if it arrives on July 1st?

Strategy. Apply the deadlines from the official document, starting from the dates above.

Result.

In this example, 88 days separate the application to Agira from the payment deadline. If the capital is only paid on July 1st, it is 68 days late: 61 days during the period of double the legal rate, then 7 days during the period of triple the rate.

For this hypothetical profile, if the capital remained unpaid, the insurer would retain it for 10 years from January 20, 2026, the date on which it became aware of the death, i.e. until January 20, 2036. The 10-year period to act as beneficiary starts from the date of death, i.e. January 12, 2036; the 30-year limit, from January 12, 2056.

Assumptions of the fictitious profile: all dates are chosen for the sake of example; the insurer is notified of the death on January 20, 2026; the insurer receives the claim from AGIRA on the day it is forwarded to them; time periods are calculated from date to date. The exact date on which interest begins, and its amount, are not calculated here. This profile is not a real client.

What changes depending on your situation

• The date on which your application is complete. It sets the start of the one-month period.
• Whether or not you knew the insurer. If you are unaware, the search goes through Agira, with its associated delays.
• The beneficiary clause. If no beneficiary can be identified, the capital reverts to the ordinary estate.
• The reason for non-payment. Suicide in the first year, nullity, termination: everyone has their own rules.
• The age of death. Beyond 10 years of the insurer's knowledge of the death, the funds are no longer held by them.
• Your knowledge of the death, which can shift the starting point of the prescription.

These points are examined on a case-by-case basis, according to the contract and the clause. No outcome is guaranteed.