Important documents to keep safe: what to copy, protect and carry

Quick checklist

Which important documents to keep safe at home

Be Ready lists printed copies of IDs and documents as part of an emergency kit. This list is our practical view of what is worth gathering. Skip anything that does not apply to you.

Identity

• Passports and driving licences
• Birth, marriage and civil partnership certificates
• Immigration or right-to-work papers, if they apply to you
• A note of where your National Insurance number is recorded

Home and money

• Tenancy agreement, or mortgage and property papers
• Home and contents insurance policies, and the claims phone number
• Bank and card issuer phone numbers (never PINs)
• Letters about pensions, benefits or tax
• Utility account numbers and supplier phone numbers

Health and family

• A list of medicines and who takes them
• GP surgery, dentist and hospital details
• Pet vaccination records
• A note of where your will and any lasting power of attorney are kept
• School and childcare contacts

Vehicle

• Registration and insurance details, and breakdown cover numbers

Originals and copies: what goes where

Keep it simple. Originals of certificates and deeds stay at home in one safe, dry place. Copies of ID and insurance go in your grab bag, in a waterproof document pouch (Retailer link coming soon). A scan or photo of everything goes somewhere else. That gives you three layers, and losing one does not leave you stuck.

A good rule of thumb, and it is our practice, not an official rule: carry only what you would need in the first day or two away from home. Copies of your passport and driving licence, an insurance policy number and your contact sheet cover most of it. Do not copy every paper into the bag. A bag that is lost or stolen should not hold your whole life.

How to protect the paper

• Use one place. A document wallet with dividers (Retailer link coming soon) sorts papers into groups, so you can lay hands on a passport in a minute.
• Think about water and fire. A fire- and water-resistant document bag (Retailer link coming soon) gives extra protection. No bag is a guarantee, so read the maker's stated protection, such as the time and temperature it is rated for, before you rely on it.
• Store it high and dry. Choose a shelf or drawer above the floor, away from radiators, a boiler or the cooker. A damp loft or garage is a poor spot.
• Tell someone. One trusted person should know where it is.

Digital copies

• Take a clear photo or scan of each page. A phone camera does the job.
• A scanner helps if you have a lot of paper. A portable document scanner (Retailer link coming soon) is useful, but you do not need one.
• Save a copy to a USB drive. A USB flash drive (Retailer link coming soon) works if the files on it are encrypted, either with a drive that has built-in encryption or with the encryption tool on your computer. Keep it in a different place from the paper.
• Cloud storage is another option. Use a strong, unique password and switch on two-step verification. The National Cyber Security Centre has guidance. Avoid sending scans by ordinary email.
• Keep a second copy away from home, for example with a relative you trust.

What to leave off every list

Do not write passwords, PINs, full card numbers or security answers on any sheet, scan or note. Keep the list itself short: what the document is, where the original is, and where the copy is. If you rent, add your landlord's number. Our emergency contact list template is the place for phone numbers.

Keep it current

Documents change: a passport renewal, a new insurer, a move. Check your list whenever something changes, and twice a year when you check your emergency kit. Be Ready suggests checking supplies about every six months. If a document is lost, search GOV.UK for how to replace it. Our household emergency plan shows where this list fits.

Do this today (free)

1. Gather your ID, insurance and housing papers in one pile.
2. Photograph each one with your phone, in good light.
3. Write a one-page list: what it is, where the original is, where the copy is.
4. Put the pile in one dry drawer or box, above floor level.
5. Tell one trusted person where it is.

If you have £10, £25 or £50

These are budgets, not quotes. Prices change, so check the current price first.

• About £10: a document wallet with dividers.
• About £25: add a USB flash drive for scanned copies.
• About £50: add a fire- and water-resistant bag, and a waterproof pouch for the grab bag.

Sources and further reading

• Be ready for emergencies: checklist and household plan
• Be Ready campaign (GOV.UK)
• National Cyber Security Centre
• GOV.UK