What is MoveProtect? How Marine Insurance Works for Your International Move

Totally confused by how marine insurance works?

When you are shipping your belongings halfway around the world, insurance is rarely the exciting part of planning a move. It is, however, one of the most important.

If you are organising international removals UK-wide, you have probably come across the term marine insurance and wondered what it actually covers, and how it relates to the protection your removals company already provides.

At White & Company, our approach to protecting your possessions is called MoveProtect.

This guide explains, in plain English, what MoveProtect is, how it relates to traditional marine insurance, and how to make sure your belongings are properly protected on their journey overseas.

A Short Overview of This Blog

This guide breaks down what MoveProtect is and how it compares to traditional marine insurance, so you can protect your belongings with confidence before your international move. Here is a quick look at what we cover.

• Marine insurance explained, covering what it traditionally means for goods travelling by sea, air, or road, and why it still matters today.
• What MoveProtect is, and why White & Company offers this contractual liability solution rather than traditional insurance.
• How MoveProtect is calculated, including how declaring a value for your goods affects your cover and cost.
• What is and is not covered, with the practical detail on transit, storage, and self-packed items.
• Checking your home insurance and why relying on an existing policy alone could leave gaps for an international move.
• What happens if something goes wrong, including your rights under the BAR dispute resolution scheme.
• How to arrange cover for your move, with simple next steps before moving day arrives.

Understanding your options early means one less thing to worry about when moving day arrives. Read on for the full detail on each point.

What Is Marine Insurance?

Securing cargo across international borders. Understand why traditional marine insurance remains essential for household goods passing through ports, customs checks, and overseas warehouses.

Marine insurance is one of the oldest forms of insurance in the world, originally developed to protect cargo travelling by sea.

Today, the term is still used across the removals industry to describe cover for goods in transit internationally, even when part of the journey is by road or air rather than by ship.

For anyone arranging international removals, this matters because your belongings will typically be handled several times before they reach your new home.

They may be packed, loaded onto a vehicle, transferred into a shipping container, transported by sea or air, then unloaded and delivered at the other end. Each stage carries a small risk of accidental damage, loss, or delay, which is exactly why marine insurance, or a modern equivalent like MoveProtect, exists.

International moves also bring a few risks that a straightforward local house move simply does not involve. Goods may sit in a port warehouse awaiting a sailing slot, spend several weeks at sea, or pass through customs checks in an unfamiliar country.

None of this is unusual, and the vast majority of international moves go smoothly, but it does explain why marine insurance became such a well-established part of shipping practice in the first place, and why it is worth thinking about before your moving date rather than after.

If you would like an overview of how the wider process works before you focus on insurance, our guide to planning your move is a useful starting point, as is the GOV.UK guidance on moving or retiring abroad, which covers the wider practicalities of relocating overseas.

What Is MoveProtect?

Modern liability protection for global relocations. Discover why White & Company offers an FCA-compliant contractual liability solution as a straightforward alternative to traditional insurance policies.

Following regulatory changes overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority, most removals companies, including White & Company, no longer sell traditional insurance policies directly.

Instead, we offer MoveProtect, a specialist contractual liability solution designed to give you clear, straightforward protection while your goods are in our care.

MoveProtect is not an insurance policy in the traditional sense. It is a contract that sets out how much we are liable for if something goes wrong, based on the value you declare for your goods.

This distinction matters because it changes how claims are handled and what you are agreeing to when you sign up for the service.

How Does MoveProtect Work?

The principle behind MoveProtect is simple. Before your move, you declare a value for your belongings, known as the Maximum Replacement Value. Our charge for MoveProtect, which includes VAT, is calculated in proportion to this declared value.

If you choose not to opt in, your goods are automatically covered under our standard Limited Liability terms, which caps our liability at £40 per item regardless of its actual worth.

For anything of real sentimental or financial value, from antique furniture to family heirlooms, this default level of cover is unlikely to reflect what it would actually cost to replace the item.

One reassuring point is that claims made under MoveProtect do not affect your personal home insurance no-claims discount, since the claim sits entirely outside your own policy.

What Does MoveProtect Cover?

Under MoveProtect, White & Company accepts a duty of care for your goods while they are in our custody. This generally includes loss or damage that occurs during loading, transport and unloading, as well as while items are in our storage facilities awaiting onward shipment.

There are, as with any liability agreement, some sensible exclusions. These typically include damage caused by extreme weather, pre-existing wear and tear, and items you have packed yourself rather than having our trained team pack them for you.

If you do want to pack certain boxes personally, it is worth reading our guide to packing for export first, since self-packed items are usually only covered at the standard £40 per item rate.

To put the numbers into perspective, imagine you are shipping a home full of furniture and personal items worth around £30,000 in total. Under standard Limited Liability, if a container held 300 items, your maximum possible payout would be capped at £40 per item, regardless of what any individual piece was actually worth.

Declaring a realistic value under MoveProtect means the level of cover is based on what your belongings are genuinely worth to you, not an arbitrary flat rate.

Do I Need MoveProtect If I Already Have Home Insurance?

Check your domestic contents policy. Understand why standard home insurance rarely covers international shipping, port storage, or overseas transit.

It is a fair question, and one we hear often. Many home contents insurance policies do offer some cover for goods in transit, but the details vary enormously between providers, and international moves are often treated differently to a straightforward move across town and are very unlikely to be included in your home insurance.

Before assuming you are covered, it is worth calling your insurer and asking a few direct questions. Are your belongings covered while in transit overseas? Is storage included, and for how long? Do high-value items need to be declared separately?

Which? has some helpful independent guidance on reading the small print of a home insurance policy, which can make this conversation easier.

If your existing policy has gaps or simply isn’t designed with an international move in mind, MoveProtect provides a straightforward additional layer of protection tailored specifically to the removals process.

What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?

Choosing a removals company that belongs to a recognised trade body gives you somewhere to turn if a dispute does arise.

White & Company is a long-standing member of the British Association of Removers, and MoveProtect contracts are approved under the BAR framework.

This means that, in the unlikely event a claim cannot be resolved directly between you and us, you have access to an independent dispute resolution scheme as an extra layer of reassurance.

It is always worth looking for the BAR badge when comparing removals companies for exactly this reason.

How to Arrange MoveProtect for Your Move

Getting MoveProtect in place is straightforward and is usually discussed as part of your initial survey.

Once you have booked a free survey, your surveyor will talk you through the process of valuing your goods and can answer any questions specific to your move.

If you would rather speak to someone in person, your nearest White & Company branch will be happy to help.

You can find your local team using our branch locator.

Final Thoughts

Insurance can feel like a minefield, especially when you are already juggling everything else that comes with moving abroad.

The good news is that MoveProtect is designed to keep things simple. You declare a value, you know exactly what you are covered for, and you have the backing of an established, BAR-registered removals company behind you.

If you are planning an international move and want to talk through your options, get in touch with White & Company today.

Our team will be glad to help you protect what matters most. Whether you are moving to the next street, hundreds of miles away in the UK, or abroad, White & Company can help make the process easier to handle.

Frequently Asked Questions about How Marine Insurance Works

Is MoveProtect the same as insurance?

Not quite. MoveProtect is a contractual liability arrangement rather than an insurance policy. It sets out how much White & Company is liable for if your goods are lost or damaged while in our care, based on the value you declare, rather than being underwritten by a separate insurer.

How much does MoveProtect cost?

The charge is calculated in proportion to the Maximum Replacement Value you declare for your belongings, and includes VAT. Your surveyor will talk you through the figures for your specific move once they know roughly what you are shipping and how much it is worth.

What happens if I do not take out MoveProtect?

Your goods are still covered, but only under our standard Limited Liability terms, which cap our liability at £40 per item regardless of its actual value. This is usually enough for everyday belongings, but it rarely reflects the true worth of furniture, electricals, or sentimental items.

Are items I pack myself covered under MoveProtect?

Self-packed boxes are generally only covered at the standard £40 per item rate, even if you have taken out MoveProtect. For full cover, it is worth having our trained team pack fragile or valuable items for you. Our packing for export guide explains what this involves.

What should I do if an item is lost or damaged during my move?

Contact your White & Company branch as soon as possible so we can start the claims process. If a claim cannot be resolved directly, you also have access to the independent BAR dispute resolution scheme for extra peace of mind.

Max Peterson

Max is a seasoned writer and blogger in the real estate and home moving sectors, as well as a knowledgeable source of information for expatriates living and working abroad. His detailed insights have helped thousands of people move and live abroad with greater simplicity and ease.