Who pays for insurance under DAP?

Under DAP the seller has no obligation to insure the goods for the buyer.

Who is responsible for unloading at destination under DAP?

The buyer. The buyer unloads, unless the seller's contract of carriage already includes unloading at the destination.

DAP (Delivered at Place) Incoterms® 2020 rule

The seller bears cost and risk to the named destination, ready for unloading; the buyer unloads and clears import.

In our own words, checked against public explanatory sources. The official rule text is published by ICC.

Transport mode: Any mode of transport
Risk passes: At the destination, before unloading
Seller must insure?: No

Who pays, at a glance

Seller pays or arranges:: packaging, loading at origin, export clearance, pre-carriage, main carriage, insurance, on-carriage.
Buyer pays or arranges:: unloading at destination, import clearance, import duties.

Where risk passes

Risk passes when the goods arrive at the named place on the arriving vehicle, ready for the buyer to unload.

Cost and risk diagram

Rows follow the goods from the seller (top) to the buyer (bottom); the dashed line marks where risk passes. Generated from the table below. Positions are schematic — the named place in your contract decides the exact point.

Who pays for what

Cost item	Paid / arranged by	Notes
Packaging	Seller
Loading at origin	Seller
Export clearance	Seller
Pre-carriage	Seller
Main carriage	Seller
Insurance	Seller	No party has to insure under this rule. The seller carries the transit risk all the way to the named place, so any cover is the seller's choice and cost.
Unloading at destination	Buyer	The buyer unloads, unless the seller's contract of carriage already includes unloading at the destination.
Import clearance	Buyer
Import duties	Buyer
On-carriage	Seller	The seller pays transport up to the named place, which can be the buyer's premises or another inland point; any further leg is the buyer's.

Insurance

This rule puts no obligation on the seller to insure the goods for the buyer. Either side may still choose to buy cover for its own risk.

Common mistakes

Not describing the exact point at the destination, although that is where risk passes.
Assuming the seller clears the goods for import; under DAP the buyer must, or the goods can be held at the port or terminal.

In your ERP and on invoices

Practical consequences of the cost split above for order data, cost bookings and invoice layout. Generic — not specific to any ERP product.

Store the rule code, the edition (for example 2020) and the named place as separate fields on orders, and print all three on the invoice.
Main-carriage freight is a seller cost: expect it on the sales side (as a freight line or built into the price), not as a separate line on the buyer's purchase order.
Cargo insurance is paid by the seller: if you track insurance as a separate cost, book it against the sale.
Import duties are a buyer cost: the buyer's landed-cost calculation should add duties and clearance fees on top of the purchase price.

When to look at another rule

Derived from the cost tables: rules for the same kind of route that differ from DAP in one of export clearance, main carriage, import clearance or insurance.

If the buyer should arrange the main carriage: FCA.
If the seller should clear import and pay the duties: DDP.
If the seller must insure the goods: CIP.
Same split of those four duties but a different risk point: CPT, DPU.

Compare DAP with

Questions about DAP

Where does risk pass from seller to buyer under DAP?: Risk passes when the goods arrive at the named place on the arriving vehicle, ready for the buyer to unload.
Which transport modes can DAP be used for?: Any mode of transport.
Who pays for insurance under DAP?: Under DAP the seller has no obligation to insure the goods for the buyer.
Who is responsible for export clearance under DAP?: The seller.
Who is responsible for main carriage under DAP?: The seller.
Who is responsible for import clearance under DAP?: The buyer.
Who is responsible for import duties under DAP?: The buyer.
Who is responsible for unloading at destination under DAP?: The buyer. The buyer unloads, unless the seller's contract of carriage already includes unloading at the destination.

Sources

Checked on 11 October 2026.

Export Development Canada — edc.ca
Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) — kvk.nl
US International Trade Administration — trade.gov
Maersk (chart by Pilot Freight Services) — delivers.maersk.comsecondary