Prepare your documents before an emergency

In this guide, we explain how you can make a plan to keep your important documents safe in an emergency.

An emergency:  

• is a dangerous situation 
• is something we don’t expect to happen 
• can put our health and safety at risk.

You might not have time to get your important documents when there is an emergency.

You should make a plan about: 

• what documents you want to protect 
• how you will protect them.

Start by choosing which documents are important to you.

For example, documents that: 

• say who you are 
• show that you own your home 
• explain what medicine you need.

We have a checklist to help you choose what documents to protect.

You can use the document checklist on our website.

After you decide which documents you want to protect, you need to work out how you will keep them safe.

This is very important for documents that are printed.

You might want to keep your important documents in one place. 

This will make it easier for you to get them in an emergency.

You could also keep the documents in your emergency kit. 

This is a bag or box of things that will help you in an emergency. 

You can find out how to make an emergency kit on our website.

You should protect your documents from getting damaged during an emergency. 

For example, you can put your documents in a: 

• waterproof folder 
• fireproof safe.

You might want to keep your documents away from your home. 

For example, with someone you trust.

You can make digital copies of your important documents to help keep them safe. 

For example, you can save copies of your documents: 

• online 
• on a computer.

You can use the Service NSW app to keep digital copies of some documents. 

For example, your Driver’s licence.

You can also keep a digital copy of your Medicare card on the Express Plus Medicare app.

There are other online services that you can use to: 

• keep your documents safe 
• get your documents from anywhere you have internet.

You should make sure any online service you use protects the personal information in your documents.

You can help keep digital documents safe by using: 
 

• a strong password

• multi-factor authentication. 

Multi-factor authentication is when you use 2 different ways to log in to your account every time. 

For example, setting up your service so a code goes to your phone every time you want to log in.

You can also save digital documents to a USB stick.

This will make it easy for you to take them with you if you need to leave. 

You can also keep the USB stick in your emergency kit.

Other pages for you:

• Get ready to leave your home in an emergency
• Prepare your family for a bushfire