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PhrasesAt the Post OfficeVorrei assicurare il pacco.
B1formal

Vorrei assicurare il pacco.

I would like to insure the parcel.

Pronunciation

as-si-cu-RA-re — five syllables; stress on the fourth. Double 's' is a geminate — hold the 's' slightly before releasing.

When to use it

Use this when sending a parcel containing valuable items. Postal insurance (assicurazione postale) covers loss or damage up to a declared value.

What it means

'Assicurare' means to insure. For postal insurance, you declare the value of the contents and pay an additional premium. In case of loss or damage, you are compensated up to the declared amount. The premium is proportional to the declared value. Items like jewelry and cash cannot be insured.

Variations

Quanto vale il contenuto?

How much is the content worth?

The clerk will ask this to calculate the insurance premium

Cosa non si può assicurare?

What cannot be insured?

Cash, securities, and certain fragile items may be excluded

Se il pacco va perso, come faccio il rimborso?

If the parcel is lost, how do I claim a refund?

Understanding the claims process before insuring

Mini Dialogue

— Vorrei assicurare il pacco. — Qual è il valore del contenuto? — Circa trecento euro — è un orologio. — Perfetto, l'assicurazione costa cinque euro in più. — Va bene.

— I'd like to insure the parcel. — What is the value of the contents? — About three hundred euros — it's a watch. — Perfect, the insurance costs five euros extra. — That's fine.

Cultural Note

Postal insurance in Italy (assicurazione del valore dichiarato) has been available since the postal service's early days. In practice, many Italians are sceptical of its effectiveness and prefer to use private couriers for valuable items. The burden of proving the contents' value in a claim can be onerous.