Are Your Belongings Insured During an International Move?
Most people assume that when a removal company takes their belongings, those belongings are insured. It seems like a reasonable assumption. You’re handing over your sofa, your grandmother’s mirror, your children’s bikes – of course they’re covered if something goes wrong.
The reality is more complicated, and the gap between what people expect and what’s actually in the contract catches people out more than almost anything else in the moving process.
Here’s what you need to know before you sign a removal contract.
What “liability” actually means
Removal companies don’t automatically provide insurance. What they provide is liability – and there’s a meaningful difference.
Liability means the company is responsible for damage they cause through negligence. If a removal crew drops your washing machine down the stairs, or a box marked “fragile” arrives looking like it lost a fight, the company is liable for that.
But liability has limits. Most standard removal contracts cap the company’s liability at a fixed amount per item, or per total shipment weight. That cap is often far lower than the actual value of what’s being moved. A contract that limits liability to £40 per kilogram sounds reasonable until you’re trying to replace an antique desk.
The three scenarios where claims get complicated
You packed it yourself. If you packed a box and it arrives damaged, most companies will argue that the damage occurred because of how it was packed – not how it was handled. Unless a surveyor documented the condition of items before the move, this is very difficult to dispute.
The item was already damaged. Pre-existing damage is one of the most common reasons claims are rejected. A good removal company does a full inventory with condition notes before loading. Without that, you have no baseline to argue from.
The damage happened at the border. Customs inspections occasionally require goods to be opened and examined. If something is damaged during an inspection, liability becomes a grey area between the removal company and the customs authority. Most standard removal contracts don’t address this at all.
What good coverage actually looks like
There are two things worth asking any removal company before you commit.
First, ask whether they offer all-risk transit insurance, not just basic liability. All-risk insurance covers accidental damage during the move regardless of who caused it, and typically covers the replacement or repair value of the item rather than a capped amount per kilogram. It costs more, but it reflects what your things are actually worth.
Second, ask how they document the condition of your belongings before they load them. A written inventory with condition notes – ideally with photographs – is your evidence if anything goes wrong. Without it, a claim becomes your word against theirs.
Check your home insurance policy too
Some home insurance policies include cover for belongings in transit, either as standard or as an add-on. It’s worth reading your policy before the move, because you might already have more cover than you think – or you might find that the policy excludes international moves entirely.
If your policy does cover transit, check whether it applies while goods are in storage as well as in the vehicle. Moves frequently involve a period in a warehouse, and not all policies extend to that.
What we do at JCL
Before we load anything, our team carries out a full written inventory of your belongings. Condition is noted, photographs are taken where relevant, and you receive a copy. This isn’t just good practice – it means that if something does go wrong, you have documentation to support a claim.
We also offer all-risk transit insurance for international moves, which we can arrange as part of the booking process. It’s not mandatory, but for moves involving valuable furniture, art, or specialist items, it’s worth serious consideration.
If you have questions about cover for a specific item – a piano, a vintage car, a piece of artwork – ask us before the move. Some things require specialist handling or separate cover, and it’s much easier to arrange that in advance than to deal with it after.
Damage during a move is relatively rare when a company takes the job seriously. But “relatively rare” isn’t the same as “impossible,” and knowing exactly what you’re covered for before anything goes wrong is the kind of thing most people are glad they checked.
Get a free quote and ask us about insurance options →
