1. Who we are
1.1 Donata ("Donata", "we", "us", "our") is a private visa and travel consultancy with offices at 2 Eaton Gate, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BJ, United Kingdom and Zuid-Hollandlaan, 2596 AL Den Haag, The Netherlands.
1.2 Donata is the controller of the personal data described in this policy. We process it in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and, where it applies, the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
2. Scope of this policy
2.1 This policy applies to visitors to our website, applicants, clients, employees of our corporate partners, and anyone who contacts us.
2.2 It should be read together with our Terms and Conditions.
3. The personal data we collect
Depending on the service you request, we collect and process the following categories of data:
- Identity data: full name, date and place of birth, nationality, gender, marital status, photograph and signature.
- Contact data: home address, country of residence, email address and telephone or messaging number.
- Passport and travel data: passport number, issue and expiry dates, copies of passport pages, previous visas, travel history and planned travel dates.
- Immigration history: previous applications, refusals, and any matter you are required to declare to an authority.
- Employment data: employer, job title, employment contract, salary details stated in the contract, sponsor and HR contact details.
- Financial documents: bank statements and proof of funds where an authority requires them.
- Education data: qualifications and certificates.
- Family data: details of family members travelling with you or named in your application.
- Insurance and health-related data: information needed to arrange health or travel insurance or a health check on arrival.
- Payment data: the amount, date and status of your payment. Card details are handled by our payment provider and are not stored by Donata.
- Communications: messages, emails and notes of calls between you and us.
- Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information and pages visited.
4. How we collect your data
4.1 Directly from you, when you complete the application form, upload documents, track an application, contact us or make a payment.
4.2 From your employer or sponsoring organisation, where it orders services for you as one of our corporate partners.
4.3 From third parties involved in your file, such as insurers, airlines, medical providers, legal professionals and our payment provider.
4.4 Automatically, through cookies and similar technologies when you use our website.
5. Why we use your data and our lawful bases
- To provide our services (assessing your case, preparing your file, arranging insurance, flights and arrival support, and showing your tracking status). Lawful basis: performance of our contract with you.
- To take and manage payments, prevent fraud, respond to payment disputes and recover sums owed. Lawful basis: contract and our legitimate interests.
- To communicate with you about your file and respond to enquiries and complaints. Lawful basis: contract and legitimate interests.
- To meet legal and regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting and record-keeping duties. Lawful basis: legal obligation.
- To establish, exercise or defend legal claims. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.
- To maintain and secure our website and systems. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.
- To send service information and, where you agree, updates about our services. Lawful basis: legitimate interests or consent. You may opt out of marketing at any time.
6. Special category data
6.1 Some applications require information that the law treats as specially protected, such as health information for insurance or a health check, or details that reveal nationality or ethnic origin, or information about criminal convictions that an authority requires you to declare.
6.2 We process this data only where it is necessary for your application and on the basis of your explicit consent, or where another condition permitted by law applies. You may withdraw consent at any time, although we may then be unable to continue with your file.
7. Who we share your data with
We share personal data only where it is necessary for the purposes above, with:
- embassies, consulates, visa application centres and immigration authorities of the destination country;
- insurers, airlines, travel providers and medical providers who supply services included in your package;
- legal professionals engaged to assist with your file;
- your employer or sponsoring organisation, where it ordered the services, including the status of your file;
- our payment service provider and banks;
- providers of our IT, hosting, email and document storage systems, acting on our instructions;
- professional advisers, auditors and insurers;
- debt collection agencies, courts and legal representatives, where a sum is owed to us or a payment has been disputed;
- regulators, law enforcement or other authorities where we are legally required to do so.
We do not sell your personal data.
8. International transfers
8.1 Because visa applications are decided by the authorities of the destination country, your data will be sent to that country, which may be outside the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area.
8.2 Where we transfer data to service providers outside the UK or EEA, we use the safeguards required by law, such as adequacy decisions or approved contractual clauses. Transfers to an authority are made because they are necessary to perform the service you have requested.
9. How long we keep your data
9.1 We keep your file for as long as it is active and normally for up to six years after it is closed, so that we can meet legal, tax and accounting duties and deal with any claim or dispute.
9.2 Enquiries that do not become an application are kept for a shorter period. Data is securely deleted or anonymised when it is no longer needed.
10. How we protect your data
10.1 We apply technical and organisational measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the data, including encrypted connections, access restricted to authorised staff, and secure storage of uploaded documents.
10.2 No system is completely secure. If a breach occurs that is likely to affect your rights, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority as the law requires.
11. Your rights
Subject to the conditions set by law, you have the right to:
- be informed about how your data is used;
- access the personal data we hold about you;
- have inaccurate data corrected;
- have data erased where there is no lawful reason for us to keep it;
- restrict or object to certain processing;
- receive your data in a portable format;
- withdraw consent where we rely on it;
- not be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing. We do not make such decisions.
To exercise a right, contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity. We respond within the time limits set by law.
You also have the right to complain to a supervisory authority: in the United Kingdom, the Information Commissioner's Office; in the Netherlands, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens.
12. Cookies
12.1 Our website uses cookies that are necessary for it to function, such as keeping you signed in and remembering your application progress. With your consent we may also use analytics cookies to understand how the site is used.
12.2 You can manage cookies through the cookie notice on the website and through your browser settings.
13. Applicants under 18
13.1 Applications for anyone under 18 must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian, who is responsible for the information provided.
14. Data provided about other people
14.1 If you give us information about another person, such as a family member or an employee, you confirm that you are entitled to do so and that you have brought this policy to their attention.
15. Changes to this policy
15.1 We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always published on this page with the date of the last update.
16. Contact
Donata, Data Protection
2 Eaton Gate, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BJ, United Kingdom
Zuid-Hollandlaan, 2596 AL Den Haag, The Netherlands