If you dispatch or receive goods regularly, buying a separate policy for each shipment is slow and easy to forget. An open marine policy covers all your transits for a year within agreed limits. You declare shipments as they happen, and every consignment is protected from the moment it leaves.
Who needs it
- Manufacturers and traders who ship goods regularly
- Importers and exporters
- Distributors moving stock between warehouses
What's covered
All transits in the year
Every consignment within the agreed annual value and per-transit limit.
Inland, import and export
Road, rail, sea and air, as agreed in the policy.
Choice of cover
All risks (ICC A) or named perils (ICC B / C), and inland transit clauses.
Loading and unloading
Where included, from your warehouse to the buyer's.
What's not covered
We show you the catch before you buy. Common exclusions (exact terms vary by insurer and plan):
- Improper or insufficient packing
- Delay, loss of market and inherent vice of the goods
- Wilful misconduct of the insured
- War and strikes, unless added
Popular add-ons
Strikes, riots and war
Extension for these risks during transit.
Warehouse-to-warehouse
Cover from the seller's warehouse to the buyer's final warehouse.
Documents checklist
To get a quote or buy
- Estimated annual dispatch value
- Nature of goods and packing
- Usual routes and modes of transport
- Past claims experience
- Business KYC: PAN, GST certificate and address proof
To make a claim
- Claim form and policy or certificate
- Invoice and transport document (LR, bill of lading, airway bill)
- Damage or short-delivery certificate and survey report
- Copy of the claim lodged on the carrier
Frequently asked questions
How does declaration work?
You report each dispatch (or a monthly statement) to the insurer. The annual sum insured is used up as you declare.
Single-consignment or open policy?
A specific policy suits occasional shipments. If you ship regularly, an open policy is usually cheaper and you never miss a shipment.
Related cover
Specific Marine (Cargo) Insurance
Insurance for goods in transit, one shipment at a time: domestic, import or export, on all-risk or named-peril terms.
ExploreFire & Burglary Insurance
Property cover for buildings, machinery and stock against fire and allied perils, with burglary cover for theft after forced entry.
ExploreGroup Term Life Insurance (GTLI)
Employer-paid life cover for employees, as a flat amount or a multiple of salary, with simple group underwriting.
ExploreNot sure what you need?
Tell us about your family or business and we will suggest the right cover, in plain language.
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