Yes. The service is called Shipment Value Protection and covers physical loss or damage up to the declared value, for domestic and international shipments. For documents, there is Extended Liability.
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Shipment insurance in Brazil: how to protect the value of your DHL Express parcel
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Shipment insurance in Brazil with DHL Express is called Shipment Value Protection. You declare what your parcel is worth, pay a small fee and, if the shipment is lost or arrives damaged, compensation is based on the full declared value. It works for domestic and international shipments, at a DHL store or on MyDHL+.
Without it, every shipment already travels with basic cover, but that cover is calculated by weight, not by value. For a phone or a piece of jewellery that weighs little and costs a lot, the gap matters. The good news: adding protection takes a minute at the counter.
What is DHL Shipment Value Protection?
It is the optional DHL Express service that covers physical loss of or damage to your shipment up to the value you declared, instead of the standard per kilogram limit. DHL recommends it for valuable or personal shipments, so you have peace of mind in the unlikely event something goes wrong. Source: MyDHL+ Brazil, Optional Services, September 2026.
In practice it works like insurance bought together with the shipment. There is no separate policy to sign and no broker involved: the protection is recorded on the waybill (the document that travels with your parcel) and applies from the moment DHL accepts the shipment until delivery.
Documents have their own version, called Extended Liability. It raises DHL's liability when you send papers that are hard to replace, such as passports, visa applications or regulatory certificates, and it provides reimbursement in case of loss or damage.
What does DHL cover if you add nothing?
Every DHL Express shipment travels on a limited liability basis, as set out in the Terms and Conditions. For air transport, the limit is the lower of the goods' market value and about US$ 35 per kilogram (26 Special Drawing Rights), under the Montreal or Warsaw Convention. For shipments carried only by road, the limit drops to about US$ 11 per kilogram. Source: DHL Express Terms and Conditions, section 6, September 2026.
That model works well for clothes, ordinary documents or cheap, heavy goods. The problem shows up when the value is packed into very little weight. Compare:
Situation | Without protection | With Shipment Value Protection |
Basis for compensation | Shipment weight | Declared value |
Limit for air transport | About US$ 35 per kg | Full declared value |
1 kg parcel worth US$ 800 | Up to about US$ 35 | Up to US$ 800 |
Cost | Included in the shipping rate | Fee per shipment |
Indirect loss or delay | Not covered | Not covered |
The table shows why protection makes sense: without it, a high-end pair of headphones is compensated like any ordinary 1 kg box.
How much does it cost to protect a parcel in Brazil?
The fee is small compared with the value protected. On the MyDHL+ optional services list for Brazil, Shipment Value Protection costs US$ 16.00 or 1% of the shipment value for international shipments, whichever is higher. For domestic shipments it costs R$ 16.50 or 1% of the shipment value, whichever is higher. Source: MyDHL+ Brazil, Optional Services, September 2026.
Service | International shipment | Domestic shipment |
Shipment Value Protection | US$ 16.00 or 1% of the value | R$ 16.50 or 1% of the value |
Extended Liability (documents) | US$ 6.50 per shipment | R$ 31.00 per shipment |
These are the reference prices published on MyDHL+. At a DHL store, the team confirms the exact amount together with the shipping rate before you commit.
When is it worth adding protection?
It is worth it whenever losing the parcel would cost much more than the fee. Typical cases:
- High value, low weight items, such as watches, designer glasses, collectibles or camera gear.
- Gifts with sentimental value or items that are hard to buy again.
- Commercial samples you cannot remake in time for a meeting or trade show.
- Original documents, such as passports, diplomas or certificates, that take time and money to reissue.
- Goods your company has sold, when an uncovered loss would wipe out the margin on the sale.
If what you are sending is cheap relative to its weight, the standard cover is usually enough. The decision is simple: compare the value of the parcel with the per kilogram limit and see whether the gap bothers you.
How do you add protection at a DHL store or on MyDHL+?
At a DHL store in Brazil (page in Portuguese), just ask. The team adds the protection during the same visit in which they pack your parcel and prepare the shipping documents:
- Tell the counter staff you want to protect the value of your parcel.
- State the real value of what you are sending, which is the amount that will be protected.
- Check the quote, which shows the shipping rate with the protection fee included.
- Keep the receipt and the tracking number: they identify your shipment if you ever need to make a claim.
On MyDHL+, protection appears as an option while you create the shipment, in the optional services step. Frequent shippers can set it as a default in their shipment preferences.
The declared value must be accurate. It goes into the shipping documents, such as the commercial invoice for international shipments, and it is the figure DHL uses to calculate compensation.
What does Shipment Value Protection not cover?
Shipment Value Protection covers physical loss of or damage to the shipment. It does not cover indirect loss, such as lost profit, or losses caused by delays. Source: DHL Express Terms and Conditions, section 8, September 2026.
Two habits keep things simple:
- Pack properly. The Terms and Conditions treat inadequate packaging as a shipper risk, and at the store packing is handled by the team. If you pack at home, follow the guide on how to pack a parcel.
- If something goes wrong, submit your claim in writing within 30 days of the date DHL accepted the shipment. After that, DHL has no further liability. Source: DHL Express Terms and Conditions, September 2026.
Shipment insurance or cargo insurance: which one do you need?
Shipment insurance is for anyone sending boxes and documents through the express service, whether an individual or a company. It is bought together with the shipment and handled by DHL itself.
Companies moving larger freight under an international sales contract usually rely on a different product: cargo insurance, with its own clauses and defined by the Incoterm of the deal.
If that is your case, the guide to cargo insurance in Brazil explains what it covers and who buys it. For your first steps shipping abroad, see the basics of international shipping.
Frequently asked questions about shipment insurance in Brazil
According to the MyDHL+ Brazil list in September 2026, international shipments pay US$ 16.00 or 1% of the value, whichever is higher, and domestic shipments pay R$ 16.50 or 1%, whichever is higher. The store confirms the amount on the spot.
Yes, within the standard weight-based limit. For air transport, the limit is about US$ 35 per kilogram under the Terms and Conditions. To be compensated for the full value, you need to add protection.
Yes. Just ask at the counter and state the real value of your parcel. The team includes the protection in the quote together with shipping, packing and documents.
Claims must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the date DHL accepted the shipment, according to the DHL Express Terms and Conditions.
Sources
- DHL Express: MyDHL+ Brazil, Optional Services
- DHL Express: MyDHL+ Brazil, Terms and Conditions of Carriage
Protect your next shipment with DHL Express
A valuable parcel deserves to travel protected, and you do not have to sort it out alone. At a DHL store, the team packs your parcel, prepares the documents, adds value protection and shows the full price before you confirm.
If you ship regularly for your company, open a DHL Express business account and set Shipment Value Protection as a default on MyDHL+.
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