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Marine Cargo Insurance for Car Shipping
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Marine Cargo Insurance for Car Shipping
Specialist vehicle shipping agent — UK to 190+ destinations worldwide
Shipping your car overseas is a big decision. Whether you are sending a classic car to a collector in the USA, relocating your family vehicle to Dubai, or exporting a truck to Nigeria, the last thing you want is for it to arrive damaged with no financial protection in place. That is exactly why marine cargo insurance matters.
Ascope Shipping has spent over 15 years moving vehicles from the UK to destinations worldwide, helping private owners, dealers, collectors, and relocating families ship with confidence. One lesson we have learned from thousands of successful shipments is simple: never ship a car without marine cargo insurance in place.
Marine cargo insurance is a specialist policy that financially protects your vehicle against loss, damage, or theft during international transit. It is also known as marine transit insurance, and it is specifically designed for vehicles transported by sea.
Despite the name, it does not only cover the ocean voyage. A proper UK marine cargo insurance policy covers your vehicle from the moment it enters the care of the carrier, whether from your door or a UK port like Southampton, Tilbury, Liverpool, or Hull, all the way to its destination port abroad. Cover typically includes road transport to the port, loading and unloading, the full sea journey, and in many cases final delivery at the destination.
No. In almost every case, your standard UK car insurance does not cover international shipping. Most motor policies end the moment your vehicle leaves UK shores, which is why separate marine cargo insurance is essential before your car is shipped.
This catches many people off guard. Even fully comprehensive car insurance typically excludes ocean transit, port storage, and cargo handling. Always check your policy documents, but in our 15+ years of experience, we have never seen a standard motor policy that covers international sea freight.
Shipping lines do carry their own liability, but it is extremely limited. Under international maritime law, a carrier’s liability can be as low as a few hundred pounds per claim, nowhere near the real value of your car. Marine cargo insurance fills that gap entirely, protecting your vehicle against:
This is the most important decision when arranging marine cargo insurance from the UK. Getting it right protects everything.
All-risk is the most comprehensive level of marine cargo insurance available. It protects your vehicle against almost all physical loss or damage during transit, including accidental damage, water damage, fire, theft, storm, and rough handling, except for specific exclusions listed in the policy. If you are shipping a high-value car, a classic vehicle, an electric car, or any vehicle worth more than £5,000, all-risk cover is what you need.
Total loss cover is a more basic, lower-cost option. It only pays out if your vehicle is completely lost or destroyed, for example if the vessel sinks or catches fire and the car is a write-off. It does not cover partial damage, dents, scratches, or water ingress. The premiums are lower, but so is the protection, making it suitable only for lower-value vehicles where minor damage is an acceptable risk.
Both cover levels follow the Institute Cargo Clauses, the internationally recognised insurance terms published by the International Underwriting Association (IUA) that define exactly what is and is not covered during sea transit.
Our expert advice: for most customers shipping from the UK, all-risk marine cargo insurance is strongly recommended. The price difference is small, the protection difference is enormous.
Knowing the exclusions is just as important as knowing what is included. Standard marine cargo insurance policies for vehicles typically do not cover:
Marine cargo insurance from the UK covers a wide range of vehicle types. Here is what matters for each.
Roll-on Roll-off is the most cost-effective way to ship a car internationally. Because vehicles on a RoRo ship are exposed rather than enclosed, all-risk marine cargo insurance is especially important here, as weather, saltwater, and handling risks are higher on an open car deck. Compare full RoRo shipping options.
Container shipping places your vehicle inside a sealed steel box, protected from the elements and outside interference. It is the preferred method for classic, luxury, and high-value cars. The enclosed nature is generally lower risk, which can lead to more competitive premiums, though cover is still essential.
Groupage means your car shares a container with other vehicles, a budget-friendly option for single exports. Each vehicle is insured individually, so another customer’s claim has no effect on your own cover. Explore groupage shipping.
The cost of marine cargo insurance for car shipping depends on several factors:
Typically, all-risk marine cargo insurance costs between 0.5% and 1.5% of the declared vehicle value. For a car worth £10,000, that is roughly £50 to £150 for the full voyage. Total loss cover is cheaper, but the protection reflects that.
Please note: rates are indicative and vary by vehicle, route, and current market conditions. Request a quote for your exact cost.
We arrange insured vehicle shipping across all major international routes. Longer transit times mean greater exposure to risk, which is exactly why all-risk marine cargo insurance is the right choice for long-haul routes.
| Destination | Typical Transit Time | Recommended Cover |
|---|---|---|
| UK to USA | 14–21 days | All-Risk |
| UK to Dubai / UAE | 21–28 days | All-Risk |
| UK to Nigeria / West Africa | 14–21 days | All-Risk |
| UK to Australia | 28–35 days | All-Risk + warehouse cover |
| UK to Canada | 14–21 days | All-Risk |
| UK to New Zealand | 35–42 days | All-Risk + warehouse cover |
For our two busiest routes, see car shipping USA to UK and UK to Caribbean vehicle shipping .
To arrange marine cargo insurance for your vehicle from the UK, you will typically need:
For permanent exports, you must notify the DVLA that the vehicle is leaving the UK, a legal requirement that removes it correctly from UK records. We guide every customer through the full car shipping documentation process as part of our service.
Marine cargo insurance covers your vehicle’s value during transit. It does not cover import duties or customs fees at the destination. Import tax rates vary significantly by country, and in some destinations duty is calculated on the CIF value, the combined cost of the car, insurance, and freight. It is worth understanding the destination’s rules before you ship.
Ascope Shipping handles your export customs clearance and provides destination customs guidance as part of our service, ensuring your paperwork is correct before the vehicle leaves the UK.
If your vehicle arrives damaged or does not arrive at all, here is exactly what to do:
We are not just a shipping agent, we are your partner from the moment you book until your vehicle arrives safely. When you arrange your international car shipping with us, we handle your marine cargo insurance at the same time, one point of contact, joined-up paperwork, and zero gaps in your cover.
As your full-service vehicle shipping agent, we know every route, every port, and every step of the process inside out, sailing regularly to the USA, Dubai, Australia, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.
Yes. Even the best shipping companies carry liability cover for themselves, not for the full value of your vehicle. Marine cargo insurance protects you directly and covers risks no shipping company can fully guarantee against, including rough seas and port accidents.
Marine cargo insurance is the type of policy used to insure vehicles during international sea freight. So when people refer to car shipping insurance for overseas transit, they are typically referring to a marine cargo insurance policy.
No. Personal belongings inside the car are not covered by marine cargo insurance. Remove all personal items, documents, and valuables before handing your vehicle over for shipping.
A certificate of coverage, also called a certificate of insurance, is the official document confirming your transit policy is active. Some destination countries and port authorities require you to present it on arrival, so always request one before your vehicle departs.
Cover should be active from the point your vehicle enters the care of the carrier in the UK and continues through the voyage to the destination port. Transit cover ends on arrival, so you will need local motor insurance before driving on public roads abroad.
Simply contact our team with your vehicle details, make, model, value, and destination, and we will guide you to the right cover. We can arrange it alongside your shipping booking so everything is handled in one place.
Shipping your car overseas is a serious investment, so do not leave it unprotected. We make arranging marine cargo insurance simple, fast, and completely stress-free alongside your shipping booking, all in one place.
Call us on 01482 228366, reach us on WhatsApp at +44 7717 769925, or email sales@ascopeshipping.co.uk. You can also contact our team and we will come back to you promptly.
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