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Privacy Notice

1. Introduction

At VFS Global, we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

This Privacy Notice explains how VFS BRASIL SERVIÇOS DE PREPARACAO DE DOCUMENTOS LTDA. (“VFS Global”, “we”, “us” or “our”) processes your personal data (also referred to as personal information in certain jurisdictions).

This Privacy Notice is not intended to conflict with applicable local privacy laws. In the event of any conflict, the applicable local privacy laws shall prevail.

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

In relation to the services provided by VFS Global, this Privacy Notice describes:

  • Who we are (VFS Global)?
  • Services provided by VFS Global
  • Data Controllers
  • How do we collect your personal data?
  • The legal basis for processing your personal data
  • How your personal data is used
  • How long we retain your data
  • With whom we share your personal data
  • International transfer of your personal data
  • 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
  • Date of the latest update of this Privacy Notice

2. Who are we? (VFS Global)

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

VFS Global manages administrative and non-discretionary tasks related to visas, passports, travel documents, identity management and other citizen services, such as passport renewals, on behalf of client governments and diplomatic missions. This allows them to focus entirely on their core function of assessment and decision-making.

VFS Global provides only certain logistical support for visa, permit or travel document applications on behalf of its client governments and in accordance with the relevant contracts governing such services and support.

In addition to processing visa, permit and travel document applications and providing citizen services, VFS Global also offers additional services known as Value Added Services (VAS).

3. Services Provided by VFS Global

a. Processing your visa, passport, identity management and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

VFS Global is a third-party partner of client governments and diplomatic missions in managing administrative and non-discretionary tasks related to visas, passports, travel documents, identity management and other citizen services. In this capacity, VFS Global, through its Visa Application Centres (VACs), is responsible solely for receiving applications, collecting biometric data where applicable, collecting supporting documents, forwarding applications and biometric data to the client government or diplomatic mission for assessment, and collecting and returning passports.

VFS Global is not involved in decisions regarding which documents should be attached or what observations or information should be included in a visa, passport or travel document application.

b. Additional services as our customer

VFS Global also offers a range of additional Value Added Services (VAS) to customers who wish to purchase them directly from VFS Global.

Please note that the availability of Value Added Services (VAS) may vary from country to country. These services are entirely independent from the visa, permit or travel document application procedure and may be purchased according to your needs.

The Value Added Services (VAS) offered by VFS Global are optional and discretionary services, provided directly to customers under a contract with VFS Global and subject to an additional fee.

The purchase of such services does not affect or guarantee, in any way, the decision on or processing time of your visa, permit or travel document application, as these depend exclusively on the decision of the client government or diplomatic mission.

4. Data Controllers

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

Portugal is the party responsible for the use of the personal data provided by you in your visa, permit or travel document application form and, consequently, for the data received in connection with the processing of your application. Please refer to the following link for more information on how this entity processes your personal data: https://portugal.gov.pt/en/gc22/privacy-policy

This role is referred to as the “Data Controller” under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation). However, depending on your country of residence, it may also be referred to as "Organisation", "Data Fiduciary", "Responsible Party", "Data Operator" or an equivalent designation.

b. When providing Value Added Services to you as our customer

When VFS Global provides additional services requested by you, including without limitation appointment booking at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), application or document tracking and transmission, provision of self-service visa application stations and courier document delivery services, VFS Global is responsible for processing the personal data provided in connection with those services. Therefore, VFS Global is the Data Controller with respect to such Value Added Services (VAS).

5. How do we collect your personal data?

VFS Global collects your personal data when you request our services, either as part of a visa, permit or travel document application process or when purchasing any Value Added Service (VAS) from VFS Global.

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

VFS Global is authorised by the client government or diplomatic mission on whose behalf it acts to provide administrative support and biometric collection services related to visa, permit and travel document applications.

Depending on the country for which you are applying for a visa, permit or travel document, the personal data required may vary. This determination is always made by the client government or diplomatic mission, which defines the purposes for processing the personal data collected, used and transferred by VFS Global as part of the application process.

The list of data required for each visa, permit or travel application type is available on the relevant VFS Global website under “Visas, eVisas & Permits”.

When you contact a VAC to submit a visa or permit application form or to provide biometric data as required by the client government or diplomatic mission, a member of the VFS Global team or an authorised partner collects personal data directly from you, your parent/guardian or your duly authorised representative.

b. When providing additional services to you as our customer

When you contact our call centre, provide information through an online form on our websites or request any Value Added Service (VAS), VFS Global collects and processes the personal data you provide in order to deliver the requested service. This information may include:

  • 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 tracking service for your visa or permit application.
  • Application reference number.

Providing personal data for requested Value Added Services (VAS) is voluntary. However, without the necessary personal data, we may be unable to provide such services.

c. Protecting children's privacy

Our services are not designed for or intentionally directed at children. Where we process children's data, we will require the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

6. Legal basis for processing your personal data

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

Regarding the legal basis used by the relevant client government or diplomatic mission, acting as the Data Controller for the visa or permit application process, you may be required to provide your consent as part of the process. For further information regarding such consent, please refer to the visa or permit application form.

Each client government or diplomatic mission has its own application form. Therefore, there is no single standard consent, and its content may vary depending on the country for which you are applying for a visa, permit or travel document.

b. When providing additional services to you as our customer

Where permitted under the data protection laws of your country of residence, VFS Global relies on the legal basis of “performance of a contract”. In simple terms, when you purchase a Value Added Service (VAS), you enter into a contract with us for the provision of that service.

We could not provide the service without using certain personal data. For example, in order to provide courier services, we require a delivery address.

If the data protection laws of your country of residence do not recognise “performance of a contract” as a legal basis, VFS Global will request your consent to process your personal data for one or more specific purposes.

7. How is your personal data used?

a. To process your visa, passport, identity management and other citizen services (passport renewal)

As part of a visa, permit or travel document application process, the information collected by VFS Global on behalf of the client government or diplomatic mission is forwarded to that entity for assessment of the application.

Neither VFS Global, any company within its group, nor any member of its staff participates in the decision-making process or in granting or refusing any visa, permit or travel document application.

Such assessment is carried out exclusively by the client government or diplomatic mission, acting as the Data Controller, which may request additional documents and information and may refuse the application. You will be required to provide any such additional documents and information if you wish your application to continue being assessed.

VFS Global’s role as a Data Processor, as defined under Regulation (EU) 2016/679, is limited to handling documentation on behalf of the relevant client government or diplomatic mission solely as an administrative and logistical measure. We cannot comment on documents submitted for forwarding.

b. To provide additional services to you as our customer

When providing Value Added Services (VAS), VFS Global will use your personal data to deliver the requested additional services, including for the following purposes:

  1. to schedule an appointment with one of our visa application receiving agents at a Visa Application Centre (VAC);
  2. to confirm your identity when you attend to collect your travel document;
  3. to enable you to track the progress of your application;
  4. to provide the requested additional services, such as courier delivery, for which we will require the delivery address and the name of the recipient of the travel document; and
  5. subject to your prior authorisation, to send information requested by you and information that may be of interest to you.

8. How long do we retain your data?

Visa Applications

Your visa application data is deleted from VFS Global systems after it has been transmitted to the client government or diplomatic mission.

Only your name, contact details and passport number are retained for appointment management purposes.

For visa applications for Schengen Area countries, such personal data is retained until the passport is returned to the applicant and deleted five (5) days thereafter.

For visa applications for all other countries, such personal data is retained until the passport is returned to the applicant and deleted thirty (30) days thereafter.

If you contact us with additional questions or a complaint, we may retain your contact details and any information provided by you for the period necessary to resolve the matter.

We may be legally required to retain certain types of information for a longer period in order to comply with legal or contractual obligations, such as invoices required under applicable tax laws.

Value Added Services

For Value Added Services (VAS), we retain a limited amount of personal contact data for a limited period in order to provide the requested service, such as courier delivery of travel documents.

Such data includes full name, date of birth, email address, telephone number, alternative telephone number and delivery address, where requested. VFS Global retains this information for thirty (30) days after collection or delivery of the travel document or visa to the applicant in order to address any questions or issues that may arise. After this period, the information is automatically deleted from our systems.

9. With whom do we share your personal data?

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

We share or disclose your personal data to the relevant client government or diplomatic mission for which we act as an authorised or contracted service provider. This includes personal data provided in support of your visa, permit, travel document, consular service or other applications submitted on behalf of that entity.

We may also share or disclose your personal data to the client government or diplomatic mission in connection with any complaint, request or data access request made by you.

b. Our suppliers and partners

We may share or disclose your contact details to our suppliers and partners where necessary to process your requests or to provide a requested additional service. For example, to deliver your travel document to your residence or office, we will need to provide the courier company with your name, delivery address and contact telephone number.

We use only suppliers and partners that implement appropriate privacy and data protection measures.

c. Sale of your data to third parties

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

10. International Transfer of Your Personal Data

a. 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 or diplomatic mission will be transferred internationally from the country where the application was submitted to the country of origin of that entity.

b. When providing additional services to you as our customer

To provide support services related to your visa application, such as appointment scheduling, application tracking and billing, we will transfer your personal data internally within VFS Global to one of our data centres located in Europe, Canada or Russia, as applicable.

The sharing of your personal data with certain recipients may involve transfers outside the European Economic Area (EEA). In such cases, we implement appropriate safeguards, including entering into the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses with the entity located outside the EEA that processes your personal data.

11. Your Rights

a. Data subjects’ rights in relation to visa, passport, identity management and other citizen services (such as passport renewal)

As an authorised service provider to the client governments and diplomatic missions we work with, VFS Global does not have access to the information submitted by you as part of your visa, permit or travel document application. This includes copies of the application and any information submitted in connection with it.

If you require access to such information, please contact directly the Data Controller of the relevant client government or diplomatic mission of the country for which you applied for the visa. Contact details are provided in the privacy notice available on the specific application category page.

b. Data subjects’ rights in relation to additional services provided to you as our customer

Under various data protection laws, you have rights relating to the processing of your personal data. These rights vary from country to country. At VFS Global, subject to applicable law, we enable you to exercise a broad range of data protection rights under the applicable jurisdiction, including:

  • The right to be informed about how your personal data is being used.
  • The right to access and obtain a copy of your personal data.
  • The right to rectification if your personal data is inaccurate.
  • The right to erasure of your personal data (where permitted by law).
  • The right to restrict the processing of your personal data.
  • The right to data portability.
  • The right to object to the way in which your personal data is being used.
  • Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling.
  • The right to raise a data privacy concern.
  • The right to request a copy of your personal data, correct inaccurate personal data and request its deletion.

You may exercise your rights by contacting VFS Global through: DATA SUBJECT ACCESS RIGHTS FORM

c. Access to your information: authentication

To protect your privacy and verify that the request has indeed been submitted by you, we may ask for additional information regarding your latest interaction with VFS Global or other details known only to you.

This is intended to ensure that the request has been submitted by you. We will only request the information necessary to identify you appropriately.

12. How Does VFS Global Protect Your Personal Data?

We are committed to protecting all personal data we hold about you. When you provide us with personal data, we take appropriate measures to protect and secure it. Sensitive information is encrypted and safeguarded.

On our websites, when you are on a secure page, a padlock icon will appear in the address bar of most browsers. This means that the transfer of information between your browser and our servers is encrypted.

Please note that emails may be transmitted over the Internet in the normal course and their security cannot be fully guaranteed. Therefore, please do not include personal data in emails sent to us. If you choose to do so, you do so at your own risk.

13. Monitoring

a. CCTV

At VFS Global premises, we maintain strict security standards for our staff and customers. For this reason, we use CCTV systems where permitted by law.

The required CCTV signage is displayed at our VACs and offices and informs you that you are being recorded. Recordings are retained for the period required by client governments or diplomatic missions and applicable local laws.

b. Security services

As part of our security standards, our VACs and offices may be supported by security personnel. In certain locations, you may be required to identify yourself before accessing a VAC or other facilities.

14. Technology

a. Use of cookies

Like many other websites, VFS Global websites use cookies. Cookies are small files of information sent by an organisation to your browser and stored on your device. They help collect statistical information about your actions and browsing patterns, set your preferred language and enable the use of the “Back” function. Cookies help us improve our websites and deliver a more personalised service.

You may accept or reject the use of cookies when visiting our websites and may change your settings at any time.

Disabling cookies may reduce the functionality of our website. For detailed information regarding VFS Global’s use of cookies, please refer to our Cookie Notice.

b. Links to other websites

Our websites may contain links to websites operated by other organisations. This Privacy Notice applies only to this website. We encourage you to read the privacy notices of the other websites you visit.

If you access another website from our website, or arrive at our website through a link from another source, we are not responsible for the content or practices of those third parties. We recommend that you review the privacy notices and statements of the relevant website.

We always review other websites before publishing a link to them.

15. Questions, Complaints and Contact Details

We are committed to protecting your privacy. If you would like to contact us, have any questions, or wish to make a complaint regarding our privacy practices or the way we process your personal data, including if you believe that a breach of applicable privacy principles may have occurred, please contact us through the channels below:

  1. Matters relating to visa applications/status:

    by contacting our Customer Care Team.

  2. Additional Services (VAS):

    such as insurance, hotel reservations, premium lounge services, 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 us via email at dpo@vfsglobal.com

When submitting a complaint, please include all relevant details. Upon receipt, we will endeavour to carry out the necessary investigations in a timely manner and will respond within a reasonable period or sooner where required by law.

16. Last Update

This Privacy Policy was last updated in September 2022.