• Disclaimer
• Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

The contents of this site are only for general information or use. They do not constitute advice and should not be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) any decision. The information from or through this site is provided on "AS IS" basis, and all representations, warranties, expressed or implied of any kind, in relation to this site and/or regarding any matter pertaining to any information including without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement are disclaimed and excluded.

VFS Global and its parent, affiliates and associates and directors, officers, employees, agents shall not be liable, at any time for any damages, claim, loss, harm, injury (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business projects, or loss of profits) arising in contract, tort or otherwise from the use of or inability to use the Site, or any of its contents, or from any Act or omission arising from using the site contents or for any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of information contained on the site. No representations, warranties or guarantees whatsoever are made as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, completeness, suitability or applicability of the information to a particular situation.

Certain links on the Site may lead to resources located on servers or networks maintained/operated by third parties over which VFS Global has no control, supervision or any connection since these sites are external to VFS Global. You agree, acknowledge, accept and understand that by visiting such sites and/or clicking such we links/hyperlinks to third party / external websites, you are beyond the VFS Global website and you are leaving the secured website of VFS Global and thereby its policies, terms and conditions and the disclaimer cease once user leaves the VFS Global site.

VFS Global therefore neither endorses nor offers any judgment or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability for the authenticity/availability of any of the information or for any damage, loss or harm, direct or consequential or any violation of local or international laws that may be incurred by your visit and/or transaction/s on such external sites. By providing the web links or hyperlink to such external/third party websites, VFS Global and/or its representatives shall not be deemed to be providing these services nor be deemed to endorse, recommend, approve, guarantee or introduce the third party or the services/products that they provide, nor offers any judgment or warranty. Such third party/external websites are governed by their respective policies and VFS Global has no role to play in that. Users are requested to exercise their discretion while using/ interacting with these third party websites and VFS Global and/or its representative accepts no responsibility or liability for the authenticity/availability of any of the information or for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential damage, loss, cost, charges or harm arising out of or in connection with the access to such third party links/hyperlink by user (including the Applicant), or for any deficiencies of the services therein or any failure in the provision of service by such third party thereby or for any violation of local or international laws that may be incurred by users visit and/or transaction/s on these third party /external websites.

Privacy Notice

1. Introduction

   At VFS Global, we’re committed to protect and respect your privacy.

   This Privacy Notice explains how [ VFS GCC LLC ] (“VFS Global,” “we,” or “us”) handle your personal data (also known as personal information in certain jurisdictions).

   This Privacy Notice does not intent to conflict with applicable local privacy laws. In case there is a conflict, the applicable local privacy laws will prevail.

   We may change this Privacy Notice (also known as Privacy Policy in certain jurisdictions) from time to time. We will always make the latest Privacy Notice available to you via this page. Any changes to this Privacy Notice will apply to you and your data immediately.

   With respect to the services provided by VFS Global, this Privacy Notice describes:

   • Who are we (VFS Global)?
   • Services provided by VFS Global
   • Data Controllers
   • How do we collect your personal data?
   • The lawful basis for processing your personal data
   • How is your personal data used?
   • How long do we hold your data?
   • Who do we share your personal data with?
   • Transferring your personal data offshore
   • Your rights
   • How VFS Global protects your personal data
   • Monitoring
   • Technology
   • Our contact details and how to ask questions or make a privacy-related complaint
   • The date this Privacy Policy was last updated
2. Who are we? (VFS Global)

   VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.

   VFS Global manages the administrative and non-judgmental tasks related to visas, passports, travel documents, identity management, and other citizen services such as passport renewals for its client governments and diplomatic missions. This enables them to focus entirely on the critical task of judgemental assessment and decision-making.

   VFS Global only provides certain logistic support to visa/ permit or travel document applications on behalf of its client governments and in accordance with the respective contracts with them regarding such services/ support.

   Apart from visa/ permit or travel document application processing services and citizen services, VFS Global also provides additional services called Valued Added Services (VAS).

3. Services provided by VFS Global
   1. Processing your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

   VFS Global is the outsourced partner of client governments and diplomatic missions for managing administrative and non-judgmental tasks related to visas, passports, travel documents, identity management, and other citizen services. In this capacity, VFS Global (through its visa application centers (VACs)) is merely responsible for the receipt of visa/ permit or travel document applications, collection of biometric data where applicable, collection of documents to accompany applications on behalf of the respective client government/ diplomatic mission; submission of applications and biometric data to the client government/ diplomatic mission for their consideration collecting passports from visa applicants and returning passports.

   VFS Global has no role in deciding what documents are to be appended or what comments or details need to be made in the visa, passport, or travel documents application process.

   2. Additional services as our customer

   VFS Global also offers an additional range of Value Added Services (VAS) to its customers who wish to procure this directly from VFS Global.  

   Please note that our Valued Added Services (VAS) availability may vary from country to country. The services are completely independent of your visa/ permit or travel document application procedure and might be purchased as per your needs.

   The Valued Added Services (VAS) offered by VFS Global are purely optional/ discretionary services, which are offered by VFS Global to the customer directly available under a contract between VFS Global and the customer at an additional service charge.

   Availing of this service does not affect or guarantee the decision or processing time of your visa/ permit or travel document in any manner, as it is completely dependent on the client’s government/ diplomatic mission decision.

4. Data Controllers
   1. When processing your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

   [Emirates Health Services (EHS) and Federal Authority For Identity,Citizenship,Customs & Port Security] is the responsible party for the use of the personal data you provide in the visa/ permit or travel document application form and, consequently, for the data received from your side in connection with the processing of your visa/ permit or travel document application. Please see this link https://www.ehs.gov.ae/en/privacy-policy and https://icp.gov.ae/en/privacy-policy ] for more information about how they process your personal data.

   This role is known as “Data Controller” as established in Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation). However, it can have different names such as “Organisation,” “Data Fiduciary,” “Responsible Party,” “Data Handler,” or similar, depending on your country of residence.

   2. When providing you with Value Added Services as our customer

   When VFS Global provides additional services requested by you, such as but not limited to appointment scheduling at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), application/ document tracking and transmittal, provision of self-service visa application workstations, document courier delivery services, etc., VFS Global is responsible for processing the personal data you provide in connection with these services; hence VFS Global is the Data Controller for these Valued Added Services (VAS).

5. How do we collect your personal data?

   VFS Global collects personal data about you when you request our services either as part of your visa/ permit or travel document application process or when you purchase any of VFS Global’s Valued Added Services (VAS).

   1. When processing your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

   VFS Global is authorized by the client government/ diplomatic mission we work on behalf of to perform administrative support and biometric collection services related to the processing of visa/ permit and travel document applications.

   Depending on the country you applied a visa/ permit or travel document for, the personal data required from you may change, but it is always determined by the client government/ diplomatic mission which determines the purpose of the processing of the personal data that, is to be collected, used, and transferred by VFS Global as part of the visa application process.

   A list of the data required from you for each of the different visas/ permits or travel applications is included in VFS Global’s dedicated website for the respective visa/ permit  or travel application routes at “Visas, eVisas &Permits”.

   When you contact a VAC to submit your visa/permit application form or to provide your biometrics as requested by the client government/diplomatic mission you applied for a visa/permit or travel document for, a member of the VFS Global staff or authorized partners will collect your personal data from you, your guardian, or legally appointed representative.

   2. When providing you with additional services as our customer

   When you contact our customer support center, provide these details in a web form on our websites or request any of VFS Global’s Valued Added Services (VAS), VFS Global collects and processes the personal data provided by you in order to deliver the service requested. Such information may consist of the following:

   • First Name.
   • Last Name.
   • Delivery Address.
   • Email address.
   • Mobile Phone Number.
   • We may also collect your date of birth to identify you when using the Track & Trace service for your visa application or permit.
   • Application reference number.

   Please note that it is not mandatory to provide your personal data for requested Value Added Services (VAS). However, without providing the required personal data, we may not be able to deliver these services.

   3. Children’s privacy protection

   Our services are not designed for, or intentionally targeted at children. When we process data from children, we will require parental or guardian consent.

6. Lawful basis for processing your personal data
   1. When processing your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

   In respect of the lawful basis used by the respective client government / diplomatic mission as Data Controllers of the visa/ permit application process, you may need to provide your consent as part of the visa /permit application process. For further details on the content of this consent you are required to provide, please check the visa application/ permit form where the same is explained.

   Please note that each client government/ diplomatic mission has its own application form, which means that there is no unique consent and the same may vary depending on the country you applied for a visa/ permit or travel document.

   2. When providing you with additional services as our customer

   If the data protection law in your country of residence allows, VFS Global will use the lawful basis of “performance of a contract.” What this means in plain terms is that when you purchase a Valued Added Service (VAS) from VFS Global, you enter into a contract with us to deliver that service.  We could not deliver that service without using some personal data from you, by entering into that contract implies you have given your permission for us to process that personal data. For example, in order to provide the courier service, we will need a delivery address.

   If the data protection law in your country of residence does not have the lawful basis of “performance of a contract,” then VFS Global will ask for your consent for the processing of your personal data for one or more specific purposes.

7. How is your personal data used?
   1. To process your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (passport renewal)

   As per the visa /permit or travel document application process, the information collected by VFS Global on behalf of the client government/ diplomatic mission is submitted to them for the purpose of assessing your visa/ permit or travel document applications.

   Please note that VFS Global (or any member of its group of companies or staff) does not take any part in the decision-making process and the grant or refusal of any visa/ permit or travel document application.

   This assessment is carried out at the sole discretion of the client government/ diplomatic mission as the Data Controller (in respect of any personal data processed in connection with this process), which reserves the right to ask for further documentation and information for the visa/ permit or travel document you have applied for and, to refuse any visa/ permit application. You must supply such further documentation and information if you wish the application to continue to be considered.

   Please do note that VFS Global’s role (as a Data Processor), as defined in the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation), of the respective client government/ diplomatic mission regarding the visa/ permit or travel document process, is restricted to handle documentation solely on behalf of the concerned client government/ diplomatic mission, purely as an administrative/logistics measure and we cannot comment on the documents shared by you for forwarding to the concerned client government/ diplomatic mission.

   2. To provide you with additional services as our customer

   When providing Valued Added Services (VAS), VFS Global will use your personal data in order to provide additional services to you, including for the following purposes:

   1. to book an appointment with one of our visa submissions officers at a VAC;
   2. to validate who you say you are when you come to collect your travel document;
   3. to enable you to track the progress of your application;
   4. to provide you with additional services that you request, such as courier delivery, for which we will need to know the delivery address and the name of who to deliver the travel document to; and
   5. with your prior permission, to send you information that you have requested and that may be of interest to you.


8. How long do we hold your data?

   VISA application

   Your visa application data is deleted from VFS Global’s systems after its transmission to the client government/diplomatic mission.

   Only your name and contact details, as well as your passport number, are retained for the purposes of the appointment arrangements.

   For visa applications for Schengen countries, this personal data is kept until the return of the passport to the applicant and deleted five (5) days thereafter.

   For visa applications for all other countries, this personal data is kept until the return of the passport to the applicant and deleted thirty (30) days thereafter.

   If you contact us with follow-up questions or a complaint, we may retain your contact information and any other information provided for the time it takes to resolve your matter.

   We may be legally required to hold some types of information for a longer period of time to fulfil our statutory or contractual obligations (for example, invoices for taxation legislation).

   Value Added Services:

   For Valued Added Services (VAS), we retain and hold, for a limited time, a small amount of personal contact information in order to be able to perform a requested service, such as courier delivery of your travel documents. This information consists of the following:  your full name, date of birth, email address, phone number, alternative phone number and delivery address (if requested). This information is retained by VFS Global for thirty (30) days after the collection or delivery of the travel documents or visa to the applicant. It is retained for 30 days in order for us to deal with any queries or issues that may occur. After 30 days, this information is automatically purged from our systems.

9. Who do we share your personal data with?
   1. When processing your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

   We share or disclose your personal data with the respective client government/ diplomatic mission that we are an authorized or contracted service provider. This information includes the personal data supplied by you to support your visa/ permit or travel document application, consular service, or other services that we provide on behalf of a client government/ diplomatic mission.

   We may also share or disclose your personal data with the client government/ diplomatic mission whose visa, consular service, or any other services you applied for, in connection with a complaint, request, or data access request, received from you.

   2. Our suppliers and partners

   We may share or disclose your contact information with our suppliers and partners where it is necessary for the processing of your requests or to deliver an additional service that you have requested. For example, if you have asked us to deliver your travel document to your home or office, we will need to provide the courier company with your name, delivery address, and a contact phone number.

   We only use suppliers and partners that have sufficient privacy and data protection measures in place.

   3. Sell your data to third parties

   We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

10. Transferring your personal data offshore

1. When processing your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

As part of the visa/ permit or travel document application process, the information collected by VFS Global on behalf of the client government/ diplomatic mission you applied for a visa/ permit or travel document for will be transferred offshore, from the country of your application to the home country of the client government/ diplomatic mission.

2. When providing you with additional services as our customer

In order to provide a service to support your visa application, such as appointment scheduling, tracking your application, and invoicing, we will transfer your personal data, internally within VFS Global, to one of our data centers located in Europe, Canada, or Russia, as applicable.

The sharing of your personal data with certain recipients may imply transfers of your data out of the European Economic Area (EEA). We pay particular attention to the protection of your personal data. Thus, where such transfers out of the EEA shall take place, we first implement appropriate safeguards by signing the standard contractual clauses of the European Commission with the entity out of the EEA, which processes your personal data.

11. Your rights

1. Data Subjects rights in relation to the processing of your visa, passport, identity management, and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

As an authorized contractor of the client governments/ diplomatic missions we work with, VFS Global has no access to the information submitted by you as part of your visa/ permit or travel document application. This includes copies of your visa application, or any information submitted by you in connection with your visa application.

If you require this information, you need to directly contact the Data Controller of the respective client government/ diplomatic mission of the country whose visa you applied for, which details are provided in the respective privacy notice of the specific website route of the visa/ permit or travel document you applied for.

2. Data Subjects rights in relation to the additional services provided to you as our customer

Under many data protection laws, you have rights with regard to how your personal data is handled. These privacy rights vary from country to country; however, in VFS Global, we enable you, subject to all relevant laws, to exercise a full range of data protection rights depending on the applicable jurisdiction. It includes, among others:

• The right to be informed how your personal data is being used.
• The right of access and a copy of your personal data.
• The right to rectification if your personal data is incorrect.
• The right to erasure your personal data (where the law permits this).
• The right to restrict the processing of your personal data.
• The right to data portability.
• The right to object to how your personal data is used.
• Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.
• Registering a concern about data privacy.
• Requesting a copy of your personal data, correcting inaccurate personal data, and deletion of personal data.

You can exercise your rights by contacting VFS Global at:

DATA SUBJECT ACCESS RIGHTS FORM
3. Accessing your information: Authentication

In order to protect your privacy and to authenticate that the request is genuinely from you and not from anyone else masquerading as you, we might request some additional details of your last interaction with VFS Global, some details that nobody else would know about.

This is to ensure that it is really you who is making the request and not someone else. We will only request enough information to enable us to identify you properly.

12. How VFS Global protects your personal data?

We are committed to protecting all personal data that we hold about you. When you give us personal data, we take steps to ensure that it is safeguarded and held securely. Any sensitive information is encrypted and protected.

On our websites, when you are on a secure page, a lock icon will appear in the address bar of most web browsers. This means the transfer of information from your browser to our web servers is encrypted to keep it safe.

Please bear in mind that emails may be transmitted normally over the Internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, please do not include personal data in an email when you communicate with us. If you do, you do so at your own risk.

13. Monitoring

1. CCTV

Please note that at VFS Global’s premises we maintain strong security standards in place for our staff and customers. For this reason, you will find that VFS Global uses CCTV systems where the law permits so.

The required CCTV signs are deployed in our VACs and offices and indicate that you are being recorded. This CCTV footage is kept for a certain period of time in line with our client governments / diplomatic missions’ requirements and applicable local laws.

2. Guarding services

As part of our security standards, you may find deployed in our VACs and offices guarding services. In certain locations, you will be required to identify yourself prior to accessing our VACs and premises.

14. Technology

1. Use of cookies

Like many other websites, the VFS Global websites use Cookies. 'Cookies' are small pieces of information sent by an organization to your browser and stored on your device. We use them is to help collect statistical information about your browsing actions and patterns. Other uses are to set your preferred language and tell your browser what pages you have already visited so that you can use the "Back" function. Cookies help us to improve our websites and deliver a more personalized service.

We provide the choice for you to accept or refuse the use of cookies when you visit our websites, and you can change the cookie settings at any time.

Please note that disabling cookies may result in a loss of functionality when using our website. For more detailed information about how VFS Global uses cookies, please see our cookies disclosure notice.

2. Links to other websites

Our websites may contain links to other websites run by other organizations. This Privacy Notice applies only to this website, so we encourage you to read the relevant Privacy Notices on the other websites you visit.

Please note that if you link from our website to another website, or if you follow a link to arrive at our website, we cannot be responsible for the content or practices of those third-party websites. We recommend that you check the Privacy Notices and statements of that third-party website.

We always perform a check of other websites before publishing a link to it.

15. Questions, complaints, and contact details

We are committed to protecting your privacy. If you wish to contact us or if you have any questions or wish to lodge a complaint about our privacy practices or the way we have handled your personal data, including if you believe that there has been a possible breach of any relevant privacy principles, you may contact us at:

1. Visa applications/ status related matters:	by contacting our Customer Care Team.
2. Additional Services (VAS):	such as insurances, hotel bookings, priority lounge, pricing, and general information: by contacting our Customer Care Team.
3. Information relating to data protection and privacy practices:	by completing and submitting our  SAR form  (Privacy Request Form) or by contacting dpo@vfsglobal.com

For any complaint, please include details about your complaint. On receipt of a complaint, we will endeavour to carry out any necessary investigations in a timely manner. We will respond to all complaints within a reasonable time, or such earlier time as required by law.

16. Latest Update

This Privacy Policy was last updated in September 2022.

Your personal information

When you use services provided on our Website, you will be asked to provide certain personal identifiable information such as your name, photograph, address, telephone numbers, fax numbers, email address and/or debit / credit card details including billing address, passport number, passport information, date of birth, birth certificate, income, citizenship status, marital status, employment details, criminal and educational background information and nationality.

Such personal information may be collected, used or disclosed in order to facilitate the processing of visa application(s) and/or request(s) including but not limited to for the following purposes:

• Process applications received for requests for various categories of visa, permit and travel documents etc. and perform various tasks/ functions related thereto;
• Respond to various inquiries on the visa application submission process in general;
• Respond to various inquiries regarding status of application made with VFS GLOBAL;
• Provide/ offer any other services as per requirements of the respective Governments /Diplomatic Missions;
• In order to conduct customer satisfaction surveys;
• To meet our legal compliance obligations;
• For crime prevention and detection; &
• For other purposes in connection with your visa application.

Provision of personal information is voluntary. Please note, however, that a refusal to provide personal information may limit or affect ability of VFS GLOBAL to provide the requested services. As mandated by the Diplomatic Mission/s, VFS GLOBAL may (by itself of through third party service providers/ vendors) provide various facilities for inquiries related visa application process in general and/ or status of visa applications submitted through VFS GLOBAL such as call center, online tracking, e-mail etc.

• Inquiry about general visa application process:
  Users making inquiries as regards visa application process in general, need not provide any personal information.
• Inquiry about status of submitted visa application/s:
  Users making inquiries as regards status of visa application submitted through VFS GLOBAL can quote application reference number to receive an update on the status of their visa, permit or travel document applications.
  The users may be requested to provide personal information such as given name or family name or date of birth or phone number or street address or email address or application date etc. or combination of such information for verification/ authentication purposes.
• Users making inquiries as regards visa application process however should not ask or reveal the passport number or personal information while interacting via email with VFS GLOBAL and/or its third party service providers/ vendors. Instead use of application reference number is recommended. VFS GLOBAL shall not be obliged to respond to e-mails containing personal information. In case any personal information is disclosed, the same shall be at the sole risk of the Users/ applicants and VFS GLOBAL will not be in any manner responsible for any events of misuse etc.

For the quality control purposes the interaction/s with user/s may be recorded. In such cases the user/s will be informed of this practice and purpose at the start of any such interaction. Unless a different requirement is mandated by the respective Diplomatic Mission/s, such recordings will be purged after a stipulated period as mandated by the Diplomatic Mission from the date of such interaction/s.

We may combine personal identifiable information from Visa Application Form and other details with personal information collected through cookies and other means as stated herein below:

Cookies are files or pieces of information that may be stored on system or internet enabled devices of the User, when the User visits the website/s of VFS GLOBAL. VFS GLOBAL uses cookies to make the website/s simpler to use. VFS GLOBAL cannot identify the User personally from this information.

• VFS GLOBAL website offers certain features that are only available through the use of cookies.
• The cookies help website users and maintain their signed-in status.
• Most cookies are "session cookies," meaning that they are automatically deleted from website user’s hard drive at the end of a session when the applicant/user exits the website. However “Persistent cookies” remain in place across multiple visits to our websites.
• Applicant/ website user may encounter cookies from any links of third parties on certain pages of the website that VFS GLOBAL does not control.
• VFS Global may aggregate personal information and remove any identifying elements in order to analyze patterns, efforts, to analyze Web site use, to improve our content and product offerings, and to customize our Web site’s content, layout and services.
• VFS Global gathers certain usage information like the number and frequency of visitors to this Web site. This information may include which URL you just came from, which URL you next go to, what browser you are using, and your IP address. VFS Global only use such data in the aggregate. This collective data helps us to determine how much our customers use parts of the Web site, and do internal research on our users’ demographics, interests, and behavior to better understand and serve you.

Once a User accesses the website/s of VFS GLOBAL, User consents to use of cookies by VFS GLOBAL. If User does not agree to use of cookies, User should not use website/s of VFS GLOBAL. If the cookies are disabled, it may impact the User experience on website/s of VFS GLOBAL.

Disclosure of your personal information

VFS GLOBAL may share your personal identifiable information to third party service providers and processors with access to your personal information. These services providers may include: credit card verification providers, our data warehouse and customer relationship management Centre, internet service providers who administer our web page and provide internet services and host our facilities and to other authorities public and private arising out of processing your visa application and/or your visa approval. VFS GLOBAL only shares your personal information to the extent required for the performance of such services.

VFS GLOBAL may share your personal identifiable information with our partners, affiliates and also selected third party providers of visa related benefits and services, who in turn may contact you directly using your personal identifiable information in order to provide you with details of additional benefits and services which may be of interest to you. Where we do so, we require those partners, affiliates and/or third parties to have appropriate measures in place to protect your personal identifiable information and comply with all applicable legislation and rules.

VFS GLOBAL may also disclose your personal identifiable information as permitted or required by law. For example, VFS GLOBAL will disclose personal information to those governmental bodies who have authority to obtain it, in order to comply with a warrant or subpoena issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, and to comply with record production requirements.

In the event of a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of VFS GLOBAL, VFS GLOBAL may transfer personal information in its control to a third party purchaser that agrees to use personal information for the same reasons identified in this Privacy Policy.

We shall be entitled to pass on your Personal Information;

1. to anyone to whom we transfer or may transfer our rights and duties under our agreement with you;
2. to customs and/or immigration departments or other regulatory authorities in your country of departure and/or destination in order to comply with the law in those countries;
3. If we have a duty to do so or if the law allows us to do so;
4. to our employees, agent, representatives to do any of the above on our behalf, now or in the future.

If you choose not to provide certain personal information we request, you will still be able to visit our Web site but you may be unable to access certain options or services.

We make no warranty, express, implied or otherwise as to the privacy and data security practices of the third parties, our partners and affiliates. We will however make reasonable endeavors to ensure that such third parties, partners and affiliates exercise reasonable care in handling your personal identifiable information in accordance with industry norms and standards.

Retention & Destruction of Personal Information:

For the purposes of assisting the Applicants should they contact VFS GLOBAL with follow-up queries, Applicant personal information may be retained in electronic form, for such period as specified by the respective Governments/ Diplomatic Missions.

VFS GLOBAL performs secure disposal or destruction of personal information on the equipment or devices used for storing personal information. When disposing of equipment or devices used for storing personal information (such as, computers, diskettes etc.), VFS GLOBAL takes appropriate measures such as to removal or deletion of any stored information to prevent access by unauthorized parties.

Consent

By choosing to provide VFS GLOBAL with your personal information you are consenting to its use in accordance with the principles outlined in the Policy and as outlined at the time you are asked to provide any personal information. VFS GLOBAL may contact you by email in order to provide you with updates pertaining to its services as well as information about additional offers, products or events that VFS GLOBAL believes may be of interest to you.

Security

VFS GLOBAL has implemented measures designed to help protect personal information in its custody and control. VFS GLOBAL maintains reasonable administrative, technical, physical and organizational safeguards in an effort to protect personal information in its custody and control. Personal Information is stored on encrypted servers located in Secured Data Centre and is protected using tools like encryption, passwords, physical security, firewalls, and other security features and measures to protect its website and users personal information against unauthorized disclosure, access, misuse, abuse, hacking, etc. However VFS GLOBAL shall not be liable for unlawful access, use, modification, destruction, destruction or interceptions by unauthorized persons.

Links

VFS GLOBAL website may contain links to other/ third party sites promoting various products and/or services that VFS GLOBAL does not own or operate. These links to websites are in nature of paid advertising are not verified by VFS GLOBAL. These links are provided for convenience, access to these links is voluntary and does not indicate that VFS GLOBAL endorses or is associated with any of these other third party websites. Users are requested to use their own discretion which dealing with these websites and neither VFS GLOBAL nor its officers, employees, agents shall have any responsibility or liability of any nature whatsoever for these other third party websites or any information contained in them.

These linked websites have their own separate and independent privacy statements, notices and terms of use, which Users are recommended to carefully review the same. VFS GLOBAL does not have any control over such third party websites, and therefore shall have no liability or responsibility their personal information practices.

Correction / updating of personal information

If your Personal Information changes, or if you no longer desire our service, we will provide a way to correct, update or remove your personal information provided to us.

Transfer of your personal information

Some parties that process or store personal information may be located in jurisdictions outside your country of residence. Therefore, your information may be processed and stored in these jurisdictions and, as per the applicable foreign governments, courts, or law enforcement or regulatory agencies may be able to obtain disclosure of your information through the laws in these countries.

Notification of changes

We reserve the right to update or modify the Policy, at any time and without any prior notice, by posting the revised version of the Policy on our Website. If we decide to change and/or modify our Policy, we will post those changes on our Website so you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under which circumstances (if any) we disclose it. If at any point we decide to use personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will notify you by way of an email. If you so wish, you may withdraw your consent to such use subject to and in accordance with the terms of our Policy.

To Personal Information

Please note that disclosure of personal information is voluntary. The Applicants / Users disclosing personal information shall be deemed to have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consents to use and disclosure of the personal information as provided in this Privacy Policy. The Applicants / Users have right to withdraw their consent prior to further disclosure of the personal information by VFS GLOBAL to the Diplomatic Missions / Governments and/ or relevant Visa Offices or other third parties.

Applicant/s have right to their personal information provided by them. Users may request access to their personal information by writing an email to the Info email ID mentioned on the “Contact Us” page with subject line as “Subject Access Request”. This request will be forwarded to the respective Governments/ Diplomatic Missions since they are the data controllers and further action will be taken by VFS GLOBAL based on the directions received by the respective Governments/ Diplomatic Missions.

VFS GLOBAL shall not be responsible to ascertain authenticity or accuracy of the information provided by the Applicant. It shall be the duty of the Applicant to ensure that the information provided to VFS GLOBAL is accurate, complete and up to date.