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Guide · GUIDE 36

Secure important documents

Last reviewed on 05.07.2026

Secure IDs, insurance policies, bank and property documents and health records in three ways: as originals or copies in a waterproof document folder ready for your emergency bag, as a digital copy (encrypted), and as a second set of copies with a trusted person outside your household. The Alertswiss emergency plan recommends such a document file.

Important documents belong in your emergency bag: if you have to leave your home quickly due to a fire, flood or official order, IDs, insurance policies and bank documents are often crucial – and in an emergency may be unreachable. The Alertswiss emergency plan from the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) explicitly recommends creating a document file with the most important personal documents and keeping it accessible. Secure your documents in two ways: physically in a waterproof folder and additionally as a digital copy. Keep a second set of copies outside your household with a trusted person.

Why document planning matters

Documents cannot be gathered at the last moment. With a house fire, a flood or an ordered evacuation, there is often only a short warning period – or none at all. What is not packed and accessible by then remains behind.

The loss of important papers costs time, money and nerves after an event: claims against insurers need to be proven, identity and marital status must be documented, bank and property matters must be clarified. Many documents can be replaced, but the process takes time and requires exactly the proofs you have just lost.

That is why Swiss emergency preparedness draws a distinction: the emergency supply (food, water) is meant for staying at home; important documents belong to your emergency bag for the case you have to leave your home. The Alertswiss emergency plan from FOCP explicitly lists documents in the emergency bag checklist.

Good preparation means: create a document file once, keep it accessible in a fixed location and update it occasionally. The effort is minimal, the benefit in an emergency is significant.

Which documents go in?

Organize your documents by five purposes. The first four – identity, finances/insurance, health, property/contracts – are anchored in official emergency guidelines (Switzerland: FOCP/Alertswiss; Germany: BBK). The fifth, a printed contact list, is a practical addition that works without power and without a mobile phone.

You do not need to take every document as an original. Official ID cards (ID, passport, driver's licence) you carry with you anyway in daily life – a copy goes in the folder. Details about original/copy questions are in the next section and in the reference table.

  1. Identity/personal status: ID card, passport, driver's licence; family book; birth and marriage certificates
  2. Finance/insurance: insurance policies (e.g. household contents, liability, building, life), savings accounts and securities, account documentation, pension/income certificates, receipts of expensive purchases
  3. Health: health insurance card (which also carries the social security number), vaccination certificate, medications and allergies list, advance directive
  4. Property/contracts: land register excerpts, rental, purchase and lease contracts, will, powers of attorney
  5. Important contacts (practical addition): printed emergency phone list – family, GP, health insurance/insurer, bank, landlord/management

How do I secure my documents physically?

  1. Gather all important documents in a single place – a file or folder you grab in seconds in an emergency
  2. Keep originals of vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates) in the folder – they are virtually irreplaceable
  3. File financial and contract documents (policies, savings accounts, securities, contracts, will, power of attorney) as originals or certified copies; if in doubt, ask the issuing authority which form is needed
  4. Include a simple copy of official ID cards (ID, passport, driver's licence, vehicle documents, vaccination certificate) and land register excerpt – originals stay in your wallet or at home
  5. Pack the folder waterproof (e.g. waterproof pouch or box), ideally in a fire- and water-resistant container
  6. Include some cash – the Alertswiss emergency plan mentions cash and documents together
  7. Tell all adult household members where the folder is kept so everyone can grab it in an emergency
  8. Store a second set of copies outside the household – with relatives, friends, a solicitor/lawyer or in a safety deposit box (box for copies only, not for originals you might need quickly)

How do I secure my documents digitally?

In addition to the physical folder: scan or photograph your most important documents and store the digital copy in a second location – on a USB stick, external hard drive or in cloud storage. That way the contents are available even if the paper folder is lost. This recommendation comes from German BBK guidance; there is no official Swiss requirement for digital backup – here it counts as sensible, widely recognized practice.

Protect the files with a password or encrypt them before filing or uploading to the cloud. Encryption is not an official requirement, but recommended IT practice: a lost or hacked storage device with unencrypted IDs and bank documents is a serious risk. Prefer cloud providers with servers in Switzerland or the EU.

Health data deserves special protection. Handle vaccination certificate, medication list and advance directive digitally with extra care (encryption, no openly accessible cloud folders).

Think about access for relatives: your backups are useless if no one can access them in an emergency. Store the necessary password so a trusted person can access it in case of need – for example in a sealed envelope, a password safe with emergency access or via the legacy/emergency functions of the platform. This is general guidance (digital estate), not a government requirement. Be mindful of data protection for sensitive information.

Update regularly

A document folder grows outdated. Review it at least once a year and whenever something important changes in your life: moving house, marriage, birth of a child, new insurer or policy, account or contract change. This event-based review is the most practical rule; neither FOCP nor BBK sets a fixed official interval.

With each review, update the digital copy and the second set stored outside the household so all three are in step. Add new documents immediately, remove expired ones.

A good occasion not to forget the review is a fixed annual date – around tax time, the new year or a birthday.

Common mistakes

  1. Only originals, unprotected in a drawer – a fire or flood destroys them permanently, and in an emergency you cannot find them quickly enough
  2. Everything only digital, without physical backup – in a total power outage, lost phone or cloud lockout you have no access
  3. Digital copies unencrypted on stick, phone or in an open cloud – loss exposes IDs and bank data
  4. Password for encrypted files not stored anywhere – unfindable in an emergency (or for relatives), the backup is worthless
  5. Folder complete, but no one in the household knows where it is or how to grab it
  6. Both sets of copies in the same place – the same disaster (fire, flood) strikes both; the second set must be outside the home
  7. Created once and never updated – expired IDs, old policies, missing new contracts
  8. Originals in a safety deposit box that you would need immediately in an evacuation – they are not accessible there
Important documents – categories, examples and backup method
Category Examples Physical Digital
Identity/personal status ID, passport, driver's licence; family book; birth/marriage certificates IDs: simple copy in folder (original on you). Certificates: original Yes (encrypted)
Finance/insurance Policies, savings accounts, securities, account documents, pension/income certificates Original or certified copy Yes (encrypted)
Health Insurance card (with social security number), vaccination certificate, medications/allergies list, advance directive Vaccination certificate: simple copy (original at home); advance directive: original/certified Yes (especially sensitive)
Property/contracts Land register excerpt, rental/purchase/lease contract, will, power of attorney Land register: simple copy; contracts/will: original or certified Yes (encrypted)
Important contacts Emergency phone list (family, GP, insurer, bank, landlord) Printed in folder (works without power) Yes

Categories and original/copy assignment follow BBK system (Germany, applicable across German-speaking regions); document list follows Alertswiss emergency plan (FOCP, Switzerland). Quantity and backup recommendations are guidelines, not official requirements. July 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which documents belong in the emergency bag?

The Alertswiss emergency plan from FOCP names passport and/or ID card, wallet with cash and cards, and – if there is more time – family book, land register excerpts, pension/income certificates and savings accounts, securities and wills. Add insurance policies and your health insurance card. It is best to create a document file for this.

Original or copy – what goes in the folder?

Vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates) as originals because they are virtually irreplaceable. Financial and contract documents (policies, savings accounts, contracts, will, power of attorney) as originals or certified copies. Official IDs (ID, passport, driver's licence, vehicle documents, vaccination certificate) and land register excerpt as simple copies – originals you need in daily life or can reorder. If in doubt, ask the issuing authority.

How do I secure my documents safely digitally?

Scan or photograph the most important documents and store the copy in a second location – on USB stick, external hard drive or in cloud storage. Protect the files with a password or encrypt them before uploading, and prefer providers with servers in Switzerland or the EU. Important: store the password so a trusted person can access it in an emergency. This is sensible practice, not an official Swiss requirement.

How often must I update the document folder?

Review it at least once a year and whenever something major changes in your life: moving, marriage, birth, new insurer or contract, account change. There is no fixed official interval; event-based review is the most practical approach. Keep the physical folder, digital copy and second set stored away all in sync.

Do I need my social security card in the folder?

No, a separate social security card is not necessary. Only the social security number matters, and it is on your health insurance card anyway. If the card is lost, it does not affect your social security entitlements; a replacement with the same number is available from the local authority.

Official sources