What to Bring to Your First Vault Comparison Visit
A practical packing list for clients attending on-site vault documentation with our field archivists.
When our archivist schedules a vault visit, clients often ask what they should carry into the branch. South Korean safe deposit facilities have strict rules about photography, copies, and third-party presence. Arriving prepared saves appointment time and prevents rescheduling.
Essential Documents
Bring the original lease agreement or renewal notice for each box. If you inherited a box, bring the succession certificate or court letter the branch required when they transferred access. Some branches will not allow our archivist to photograph the lease without seeing your identification alongside it.
Identification
Every branch requires government-issued photo ID matching the signatory list. If a co-signatory must be present for dual-key boxes, confirm this when booking — we have seen appointments cancelled because a spouse was not available.
Your Own Notes
A handwritten list of what you believe is inside each box helps us cross-reference during the comparison phase. We do not open sealed envelopes, but knowing that Box 214 holds “grandmother’s jade, insurance policy #4471” lets us flag gaps if your insurance schedule lists a different box number.
What to Leave Behind
Bags, mobile phones, and cameras often must be stored in branch lockers. Our archivist carries a branch-approved camera when photography is permitted. Do not bring valuables you intend to deposit during the same visit — mixing documentation with deposit activity confuses branch staff and extends wait times.
After the Visit
Within forty-eight hours, we send a field summary noting any boxes we could not access and any branch policies that differed from our protocol library. This gives you time to resolve access issues before we draft the comparison register.