Vital Documents Folder
ID, policies, deeds, prescriptions, contacts: what to copy, how to protect it, and the folder that leaves with you.
Why a documents folder
After a fire or flood, recovering an ID, a deed, or an insurance policy can take weeks. With a prepared folder, the bureaucracy afterward takes minutes. The rule: originals at home (in a fireproof box if possible), copies in the backpack, digital copies off-device.
What to include (base list)
- ID/NIE and passport of each member (photocopy)
- Family book / birth certificate
- Health card and chronic prescriptions
- Deed or housing/rental contract
- Home, car, and life insurance policies (number and phone)
- Recent pay stub or proof of income
- Titles, certificates, and car registration
- Bank details and cards (photocopy, without the CVV)
- Account numbers and insurer contacts
- Digital certificate / Social Security app PIN
- Advance directives (if any)
- Written emergency contact list
Secure digital copies
- Scan or photograph each document (with your phone, no sketchy apps).
- Save the photos in an encrypted folder on your phone and in the cloud (drive/icloud) in a separate folder.
- Copy the files to a USB drive and keep it in the backpack along with the paper copies.
- Write down master passwords on paper (not on your phone) and keep it in the physical folder.
- Do not upload photos of documents to social media or messaging apps.
The evacuation folder
A plastic sleeve folder (or a waterproof bag) with paper copies, the USB drive, and the contact list. It should ALWAYS be in the evacuation backpack or in the same place as the backpack. If you leave home with the backpack, you leave with the folder.
Maintenance
- Update copies when you renew your ID, policies, or contracts.
- Check every 6 months (with the time change) that the folder is still in the backpack.
- Verify that the USB drive is readable and that written passwords are still valid.
- Also keep a recent photo of each family member (for reports and searches).
Do not put original documents you can't afford to lose in the folder: originals stay at home (preferably in a fireproof box) or in a bank safety deposit box.