How do I set up an emergency folder?
An emergency folder is an organised collection of the information your loved ones need if you suddenly drop out — through an accident, illness or death. It answers the questions that come up first in such a situation: Who do I need to call? Where are the important documents? What keeps running and needs to be handled?
The goal is not completeness at any cost. The goal is that nothing important stays unresolved. "Not applicable" is a perfectly valid answer here — for your loved ones it ends the search just as well as a location does.
The hardest part is not the sorting, it is the starting. Begin with the chapter you can fill in within five minutes — the emergency contacts.
1. Emergency contacts first
Start with the people who should be reached first in an emergency: one to five people, in the order you would call them. Optionally add your family doctor. This part is deliberately the entry point because it is quick and immediately useful.
2. Important places and locations
Here you record where things are — not the things themselves. Typical entries:
- ID card, passport, birth and marriage certificates, family record book
- vehicle papers, tenancy or land-registry documents
- the central file binder, safe or safe-deposit box (the location, not the code)
- spare keys
Authorities often need these certificates in the event of death. It is enough to note where they are kept.
3. Health and advance-care documents
Health covers warnings, allergies, medication, doctors and health insurance. For the advance-care documents you note which ones exist and where the original and copy are kept. Common documents include:
- durable power of attorney (Vorsorgevollmacht)
- advance healthcare directive (Patientenverfügung)
- care directive (Betreuungsverfügung)
- will or contract of inheritance
- organ donor card
What these documents mean, and whether they make sense for you, is explained by neutral official bodies (see below). An emergency folder does not create such documents and is no substitute for advice — it only records what exists and where it is.
4. Finances, insurance and contracts
Give your loved ones an overview, not bank statements:
- bank details and ongoing contracts (housing, energy, mobile, subscriptions)
- insurance policies — especially those that pay out on death
- contacts such as tax advisor or property management
5. Digital life — without passwords
Note where access is managed (for example "passwords in the password manager", main email address, Apple ID). Never enter passwords, PINs or recovery codes directly here — an emergency folder is the wrong place for that. A note about where this information is kept safely is enough.
6. Store it and let people know
An emergency folder is only useful if the right people know it exists. At the end, decide:
- where the folder is kept (printed and/or as a file)
- who knows about it and what that person knows
- a reminder to review the folder roughly every 6 to 12 months
"No one for now" is a legitimate interim answer here too — what matters is that you decided it consciously.
Official sources
For legal and substantive questions, these bodies are responsible — they inform neutrally and free of charge:
- Bundesministerium der Justiz (Federal Ministry of Justice) — brochures on the durable power of attorney and advance directives
- Zentrales Vorsorgeregister (ZVR) of the Bundesnotarkammer (central register of the Federal Chamber of Notaries) — registration of durable powers of attorney
- Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) — orientation on planning ahead, insurance and contracts
With Parata you go through exactly these steps in order — in small chapters, with visible progress, and at the end you have a finished, printed package for your loved ones.
This article explains things in general terms and is no substitute for legal or tax advice. For legal questions, turn to the official bodies named below or to qualified advice.