Certificate of insurance for cargo

The document that proves a shipment is insured. Here's what's on it, who asks for it, and how to get one without a broker chain.

What the certificate contains

• The insured party — whoever holds the risk at the time of loss.
• Goods description and packing.
• The insured value — goods + freight + uplift (CIF + 10% convention).
• The conditions — e.g. ICC (A) — plus added war/strikes clauses.
• The voyage: origin, destination, transhipments, coverage period.
• Conveyance and dates, certificate number, and where claims are payable.

Who asks for it — and why

• The buyer — proof of cover before goods ship, on many contracts.
• The bank — when financing via letter of credit; under CIF the contract itself must provide insurance of at least 110% of the contract price.
• Customs or regulators — for import clearance in some markets.

How to get one in about a minute

1. Upload the commercial invoice or the bill of lading (PDF or photo).
2. The platform extracts goods, value, HS code, mode, origin, destination; you review and approve.
3. Pay the licensed party directly — the certificate is issued instantly as a PDF, with a certificate number your bank can verify.

Before you rely on it

Check the certificate against the commercial invoice and the transport document: goods description, value, weights, route. Mismatches are the commonest reason bank documents bounce — and corrections after shipping are slow. Read: cargo insurance documents.