Which documents to keep a digital copy of: a checklist
A digital copy earns its place when you need a detail from a document and the original is somewhere else — at home, in a safe, or lost. This is the list worth working through, grouped by the part of life each one belongs to.
A copy is a convenience, not a replacement. For most identity and legal documents only the original — or an officially issued digital version — is accepted. Keep the originals safe; keep the copies close.
Identity
- Passport — the photo page, and any visa or residence permit in it
- Driving licence, front and back
- National or state ID card
- In India: Aadhaar (the masked version is usually enough) and PAN card
- In the US: Social Security card, green card or work permit if you have one
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate, and any change-of-name documents
Money
- Front of each debit and credit card — the bank’s phone number is often what you need when a card is lost
- Recent bank and card statements
- Tax returns and the forms behind them, for as long as your tax authority can ask questions
- Payslips, or a salary letter
- Loan and mortgage agreements
- Investment and pension statements
Home
- Rental or lease agreement, or the property deed
- Home insurance policy
- Utility bills — electricity, water, gas, internet — often asked for as proof of address
- Receipts and warranties for anything expensive: appliances, electronics, furniture
Car
- Vehicle registration
- Motor insurance policy or card
- Pollution, emission or inspection certificate, where your country requires one
- Service history
Health
- Health insurance card or policy
- Current prescriptions
- Vaccination records, for you, your children and your pets
- Recent test results and discharge summaries
- Blood group, allergies and emergency contacts
Work and education
- Degree certificates and mark sheets
- Offer letter and employment contract
- Relieving or experience letters from previous employers
- Professional licences and certifications
Family and travel
- Children’s birth certificates and school records
- Will, and any power of attorney
- Life insurance policies
- Travel insurance, tickets and bookings for the next trip
What to do with the list
- Keep them in one locked place rather than the camera roll — see how to organise your documents digitally.
- Note the expiry dates. Passports, licences, insurance and cards all expire, and renewing late costs more than renewing early. See how to get reminded before something expires.
- Revisit once a year. Replace what has been renewed, delete what you no longer need.
Document Organiser stores any of these, in whatever format they arrived, and searches the words on every page. For passports, driving licences, cards and a number of Indian and US documents it reads the details for you — including the expiry date, which it marks as the date approaches.