Change of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-privacy-notice-and-guidance-on-consular-research

Change description : 2026-01-14 16:55:00: All sections of the privacy notice have been updated to reflect current practices and partnerships. [Foreign, Commonwealth & Development OfficeGuidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2025-04-01 15:40:26.780438840 +00:00..2026-01-14 16:55:51.089641203 +00:00

Guidance

FCDO privacy notice and guidance on consular research

HowThis privacy notice outlines data the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) usesprocesses your personal data if you provide ityour information for consular research and what your rights are when you do.research.

Documents

Details

This privacy notice tellsdescribes you:how the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) processes personal data that is provided as feedback for our consular research. The notice explains how we will use your personal data, and what your rights are in relation to our use of your personal data.

  • what

    Consular informationfeedback and research

    The FCDO collectssupports our citizens and businesses abroad through a wide range of services, handling anything from major crisis evacuations to issuing emergency travel documents. We aim to provide a high quality service and are keen to receive feedback. We use this to assess and improve the way we provide services, and we work with a small number of partner research agencies to collect feedback about our services.

    If you ifapply for a service online, you will be offered an opportunity to provide consent at the time of application. You will be able to participatemake inan consularinformed research

  • howchoice weabout usewhether or not you wish to share your information
  • personal data (name, email, telephone and service you received/reason why you contacted us) to be contacted for feedback by our partner agency. If you provide consent to share your rightsdata, you will not automatically be selected for an interview; our partner agencies randomly select customers to participate.

    If you have sought consular assistance overseas and have provided your contact details as part of that service, we may ask you to take part in relationour feedback programme. We may do this by a number of channels; over the phone, SMS text, email or in person.

    Your data will continue to remain protected at all times and processed in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA).

    If you consent to share your data, you may later withdraw that consent at any stage, including after you have shared feedback. You may withdraw your consent at any stage, by making this information

request using the consular research contact form. This privacy notice provides for more information.

Complaints and compliments

If you wish to make a complaint, or provide any other feedback about consular services, view our complaints procedure.

Updates to this page

Published 2 September 2020
Last updated 141 JanuaryApril 20262025 + show all updates
  1. All sections of the privacy notice have been updated to reflect current practices and partnerships.

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Update history

2026-01-14 16:55
All sections of the privacy notice have been updated to reflect current practices and partnerships.

2025-04-01 16:40
The guidance on who we share our information with has changed. IFF Research remains our partner research agency, but where that information is held has been updated. Some data may be processed on servers based in the European Economic Area (EEA).

2023-02-20 12:03
Privacy notice reviewed and clarified.

2022-04-01 19:50
Updated contact information