Emergency documents and cash: what to take and how to protect it
A document folder, copies and cash. A guide based on official advice. The same text is in the free SurvivalZone app and works without internet.
Document folder
- ID cards and passports for everyone in the household.
- Birth and marriage certificates, property deeds, rental agreements.
- Insurance policies, loan agreements and bank account details.
- Medical records, a list of medicines and your blood group card.
- Pet documents: health and vaccination records.
Copies
- Copy the key documents onto an encrypted USB stick and keep it in your go bag.
- Leave a second copy with someone you trust in another town or in a secure cloud.
- Make sure everyone at home knows where the folder is.
Money
- Keep some cash at home in small notes. In a crisis, cards, cash machines and online banking may not work.
- Cash is an emergency reserve, not your life savings.
- Write down your bank's helpline number so you can block a lost card.
Watch out
- Never hand original documents to people offering help or transport.
- Don't keep banking passwords together with your document copies.
See also
Frequently asked questions
Which documents should I take in an evacuation?
IDs and passports, birth and marriage certificates, property papers, insurance policies, medical records and pet documents, ideally in one folder with a copy on a USB stick.
How much cash should I keep at home for emergencies?
Enough for a few days of shopping, in small notes. It is an emergency reserve, not your savings.
Where should I keep copies of documents?
On an encrypted USB stick in your go bag and with someone you trust elsewhere, or in a secure cloud.
Keep it on your phone
SurvivalZone is a free app for every emergency, with no account and no app store. It works without internet and shows the nearest shelters and help points, local radio, a 72-hour plan and a mountain trip planner.
Thank you for reading. If this could help someone, send it to the people you care about. Getting ready takes a moment, and in a crisis every minute counts.
Coming soon: the app’s permanent address will be survivalzone.app.
Other guides
- 💧 How to make water safe
- 🍲 Food without power
- ⛺ Shelter at home and outdoors
- 👨👩👧 Protecting your family and yourself
- 💊 Run out of medicine
- 🎒 Go bag checklist
- 🩹 Home first aid kit
- 🔦 Prepare your home for a blackout
- ✈️ Air travel: a safe trip
- 🏜️ Desert trip
- 🪢 Knots worth knowing
- 🔥 Campfire and outdoor cooking
- 🧭 Survival kit for your backpack
- 📞 Family communication plan
- 🥫 Emergency food and medicine supplies
- 🧼 Hygiene in a crisis
- 🧰 Tools and equipment for a crisis
- 🧥 Clothing and warmth in a crisis
- 📻 Communication and navigation in a crisis
Sources
- Ready.gov: financial preparedness
- Polish government Safety Handbook 2025 (PDF, Polish): cash p. 22, documents p. 26
- BBK (Germany): document folder
Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-10-23.
General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.