Contents Insurance

New purchases and additions under £100,000 are automatically covered. The purchase of any new item or group of items or items on loan with a value in excess of £100,000 must be referred to the Insurance Office  immediately to enable cover to be arranged.

Any new loans with a value in excess of £100,000 must be referred to the Insurance Office immediately to enable cover to be arranged.  

If any items of equipment, or contents, are loaned to the University an agreement should be put in place. A template loan agreement is available from University Purchasing Team upon request to purchasing@admin.ox.ac.uk 



Cover extends worldwide for any item being taken abroad for business purposes and which will remain in the custody and control of the University. Referral must be made to the Insurance Office if items valued in excess of £100,000 are to be taken abroad. Equipment taken away from where it is normally kept is covered subject to suitable and sufficient risk assessments having been completed.

Details of contents located permanently overseas must be referred to the Insurance Office for cover to be arranged.

Travel Safety - Information Security

The University's contents insurance policy will cover University equipment whilst it is being used for work in an employee's home.  The arrangements are subject to the standard excess charge.  Items of equipment must be kept safe and secure at all times.

Referral should be made to the Insurance Office for items or groups of items valued £10,000 or over.

Theft of cash from within University departments is covered subject to cash being stored securely and in accordance with Finance Division guidelines. Claims are subject to the standard £2,000 excess.

Carrying large amounts of cash outside the UK is discouraged. Some cash, in the region of £50, is acceptable to cover immediate expenses but the emphasis is on carrying either a University credit card or the traveller's own card (for later recompense).

The University does not provide insurance cover for University cash taken outside the UK. If, under exceptional circumstances, there are no safer alternatives, the Insurance Office may be able to make special arrangements for cover. This will be limited to £2,500 and a charge will be made to the department for this. Claims settlement is subject to a £250 excess. Cover will only be considered on the production of a detailed and approved risk assessment.

For information on personal cash whilst travelling, please see details on cover information.

Cover is arranged on a reinstatement basis subject to an excess of £2,000 payable by the department.

Cover is subject to conditions and exclusions, for full details please contact the Insurance Office.

Examples of key conditions and exclusions:

• Losses from unattended vehicles are not covered
• Theft and malicious damage losses must be reported to the police
• Items must remain under the custody and control of the University for cover to operate
• Transit insurance is not provided unless the transportation is being undertaken by the University and the items remain in the University’s custody and control at all times
• All reasonable steps should be taken to avoid or minimise any loss or damage.
• As per the University Staff Handbook. The personal property of employees is not covered by university or departmental insurance policies. Members of staff are asked to ensure that their personal property is well secured and preferably covered by an extension to the employee's home contents insurance policy.