A family should keep its identity, birth and marriage, health, home and car documents and its insurance policies in one safe place. For every document that expires, note the expiry date and set a reminder two to three months ahead, because renewing often needs an appointment and waiting time.
Why deadlines always catch us by surprise
Documents expire rarely, once every few years, so nobody remembers the dates. We usually find out when we need the document: two weeks before a holiday, at the bank counter or when a child has a school trip abroad. Then the renewal is rushed, costs extra and causes a lot of stress.
For families living abroad, this matters even more. An expired residence permit or a child's passport that was not renewed in time can ruin a trip planned for months.
Which documents to keep in order
The list differs from family to family, but these groups apply to almost everyone:
Identity documents
- Passports for every member, including the children. Children's passports are usually valid for fewer years than adults' passports.
- ID cards or identity documents.
- Residence permits and visas, for members who live abroad.
- Driving licences, which also have an expiry date.
Birth, marriage and civil status
- Birth and marriage certificates.
- A family certificate, when offices or the school ask for one.
These do not expire on their own, but some offices ask for a recently issued certificate. Before any procedure, check how recent it needs to be.
Health
- Health insurance cards.
- The children's vaccination records.
- Prescriptions and medical reports you need often.
Home, car and money
- The rental agreement or property documents.
- Home and car insurance, which are usually renewed every year.
- The vehicle registration and the car's technical inspection.
- Loan agreements and warranties for expensive appliances.
How early to start renewing
The right moment depends on the document and on the country where you renew it. As a practical rule:
- Passports and residence permits: start three to six months ahead. Many countries require a passport to stay valid for some months after your return date, so check before every trip.
- ID cards and driving licences: about two months ahead, especially if you need to book an appointment.
- Insurance: one month ahead, so you have time to compare offers.
How to store them so you can find them when you need them
Keep the originals in a folder or box at home, in a place at least two adults know about. Digital copies matter just as much: a photo of your passport on your phone helps a lot if you lose it while travelling.
Keep the copies somewhere private, not in the group chat. In Familja.si, with the Family+ plan, the document vault stores files privately and for each one you choose who can see it: the whole family, adults only or private. Documents open only after a permission check, through links that expire after 15 minutes.
Let the reminder do the work
When you add a document with an expiry date, choose a reminder 30, 60, 90 or 180 days ahead. Familja.si notifies you in the app and by email as the date gets close, so the renewal can be planned calmly rather than at the last minute. Do this once for every document, and deadlines will no longer catch you by surprise.
