Which documents to include in an emergency kit, how to protect them from water and fire damage, and how to prepare digital backups that are accessible offline.
Documents are among the most overlooked elements of emergency preparedness. A house fire, flood, or evacuation that destroys personal identity documents, insurance policies, and financial records can create months of administrative burden on top of the original emergency. Rebuilding from a disaster is significantly harder without identification, insurance policy numbers, and evidence of ownership.
The goal is not to carry originals in your go-bag — that creates risk of loss if the bag is stolen or damaged. The goal is to ensure copies and backups are prepared in advance and that the right subset of documents goes with you in an emergency.
| Document | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Critical | Photocopy + photo of the bio page |
| Driving licence | High | Photocopy |
| Birth certificate | High | Photocopy; original rarely needed in emergency |
| National Insurance number (UK) / Social Security card (US) | High | Memorise the number; do not carry the card routinely |
| Marriage certificate | Medium | Copy; relevant for insurance and property claims |
| Adoption certificates | High for affected | Copy |
| Document | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bank account numbers and bank contact details | Critical | Key account numbers; bank's emergency number |
| Credit and debit card numbers | High | In case cards are lost; also note expiry and 3-digit CVV in a secure location |
| Investment accounts (SIPP, ISA) | Medium | Account provider contact details |
| Mortgage documents | Medium | Account number; lender contact |
| Document | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Home/contents insurance | Critical | Policy number; insurer phone number; claims line |
| Vehicle insurance | High | Policy number; insurer contact |
| Health insurance (if applicable) | High | Policy number; GP contact |
| Life insurance | Medium | Policy number; insurer contact |
| Document | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Medication list | Critical | Current medications, doses, prescribing doctor name |
| Allergies and adverse reactions | Critical | Particularly drug allergies — critical for emergency medical care |
| Blood type | High | Recorded in advance; critical for trauma care |
| Chronic condition summary | High | Diabetes, heart condition, epilepsy — brief summary for emergency care |
| Vaccination records | Medium | COVID, travel vaccinations, tetanus |
| Children's medical records | High | Vaccinations, conditions, medications |
| Document | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Property title / deeds | Medium | Copy; relevant for insurance claims |
| Vehicle registration | Medium | Copy |
| Lease agreement | High for renters | Evidence of tenancy for insurance and rehousing |
| Inventory of home contents | Medium | Photos or video of rooms and valuable items |
A waterproof document pouch (or large ziplock bag) protects documents from flood and rain during evacuation. Dedicated dry bags for documents are available from outdoor stores for under £10. These should be sealed and inside the go-bag.
For documents kept at home rather than in the go-bag, a small fire-resistant document box (typically rated for 30 minutes at 843°C) provides protection from house fires. These are available from major retailers for £20–50. Store critical originals here.
Fire-resistant does not mean fireproof — these boxes provide limited time protection. Smoke and water damage from firefighting may affect contents. Digital backup is still important.
A digital backup is the most resilient document storage:
Cloud access during an emergency: If you need the documents during an evacuation, you need either a fully charged phone or tablet, or the documents downloaded and available offline. Pre-download your document folder to your device before a potential emergency event.
The go-bag should contain copies (not originals) of critical documents:
Original documents (passport, birth certificate, deeds) should either be:
If you have time to grab originals, do so. The copies in the go-bag ensure you are not helpless if you cannot.
If you have more than 10 minutes before evacuation:
| Document Type | In Go-Bag | In Fire Box | Digital Backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport (photocopy) | Yes | Original | Yes |
| Driving licence (photocopy) | Yes | Original | Yes |
| Insurance policy numbers | Yes | Copy | Yes |
| Bank account numbers | Yes | — | Yes (encrypted) |
| Medication list | Yes | Copy | Yes |
| Medical conditions summary | Yes | Copy | Yes |
| Property deeds | Copy | Original | Yes |
| Cash | £50–200 | — | — |
| Emergency contacts (printed) | Yes | — | Yes |
Take Documents and Valuables in Your Go-Bag with you — no internet needed when it matters most.
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