Federal Office recommends: You should always have these documents to hand
Created: 10/16/2022 11:12 am
By: Anna Lorenz
In an emergency, important documents should be at hand.
The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance reveals which documents these are exactly.
Munich – In view of the war in Ukraine, many people react with concern when they hear tips for emergencies.
The threat of a blackout also immediately feels more threatening once you read suggestions for a properly stocked emergency stock.
However, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) makes it clear: The preparations for difficult situations are not tied to current events, but always prove to be valuable when your own four walls have to be cleared quickly.
Emergency folder with documents: In these cases it becomes relevant
Such evacuations are conceivable, for example, in the event of a fire in an apartment, in the event of flooding or in the event of storm damage that poses a risk of the house collapsing.
The discovery of a World War II bomb, as happened recently in Munich, calls for urgent evacuation of potentially affected apartments.
In all these situations, there is a risk of losing important documents.
Therefore, a folder with the documents should be made, which protects against disadvantages in the event of the destruction of the originals.
Document folder for emergencies: That's why it's so important
Anyone who suffers a stroke of fate in the manner described above must be able to act.
However, this often requires a series of documents and papers.
Recovering these is not only time-consuming and expensive, but above all not always possible.
If, for example, retention periods at the issuing institution have expired, the papers can no longer be obtained.
You should therefore have the most important documents ready in an emergency folder.
Important documents should be immediately to hand in an emergency.
(Iconic image) © Image detail from IMAGO / Westend61
Keeping all the information is another relevant point.
The following applies: Keep the emergency folder as safe as possible.
If you have a bank safe deposit box, it makes sense to think about depositing important documents in it.
Emergency folder: These documents must be included
A distinction must be made between the documents that you should collect in an emergency folder: While a simple copy of some papers with your home printer is sufficient, the original or certified copy of other documents should be kept.
The latter proves that the content of the copy corresponds to the original document.
Municipalities, for example, issue certified copies at low cost.
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Checklist:
These documents belong in the emergency folder
Original
civil status documents:
These documents include birth and death certificates as well as all evidence from the marriage register.
They can often be found in a family register.
At least one certified copy:
Wills and living wills: Alternatively, you can deposit handwritten wills with the probate court for a fee.
Living wills cannot be deposited with the district court in all federal states, but can be registered with the central register of the Federal Chamber of Notaries.
You can keep the living will, for example, with your family doctor.
Powers of Attorney: Examples are pension, bank and private powers of attorney.
insurance policies
Securities: Stocks, bonds, mortgage and land charge deeds, as well as savings books and promissory notes are examples of securities.
Decisions on pension, pension, income and income tax
Certificates of training and further education: References and certificates should also be considered.
Important contracts and contracts: Account contracts, rental contracts, purchase and leasing contracts, employment contracts etc. should also be considered. Changes to the original contracts should also be kept.
Simple copy sufficient:
Identity card and passport
driver's license and vehicle documents
vaccination card
In addition, the BBK recommends inserting a simple copy of change notices for benefits received, payment receipts for insurance premiums, proof of registration from the employment office, notices from the Employment Agency and membership or contribution books from associations, clubs or other organizations.
Anyone who has submitted invoices that are still outstanding can also include them in the emergency folder.
In general, you should consider putting all documents and access that are difficult to access in the folder.
Building permits, court documents, important keys and a list of passwords can also find their way in if the emergency folder is kept safe.