Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 November 2024

InstaVisa (“we,” “us,” or “our”) values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. InstaVisa is run by AdMax, s. r. o., Tovarenska 7938/14, 811 09 Bratislava, Slovakia, VAT: SK2120972843, ICO: 52283224. This Privacy Policy describes our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you visit our website (instavisa.org) and use our visa processing services. By using our services, you consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect a variety of information to provide, maintain, and improve our services.

a. Personal Information

When you use our services, you may be asked to provide:

Contact Information: such as name, email address, postal address.
Identification Details: passport number, nationality, date of birth, and other information necessary for visa applications.
Travel Information: travel dates and destination.

b. Financial Information

To process payments, we collect billing details, payment method information, and transaction details. We use trusted third-party payment processors and do not store your full payment information.

c. Automatically Collected Information

We collect information automatically when you interact with our site:

Device Information: IP address, browser type, device model.
Usage Information: pages visited, time spent on pages, and referral URLs.
Cookies and Tracking Data: see Section 5 for details on cookies and similar technologies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected to operate and enhance our services. Specific uses include:

Processing Applications: using personal and travel information to submit your visa application accurately and efficiently.
Customer Support: addressing inquiries and providing updates on application status.
Improvements: analyzing technical data to improve website functionality and user experience.
Marketing: sending promotional content related to our services, with an option to opt-out at any time.
Compliance: ensuring compliance with legal obligations and enforcing our terms of service.

3. Sharing of Information

Your information may be shared in the following circumstances:

With Service Providers: Trusted third parties help us with various functions, including payment processing, customer service, and data analysis. These providers are bound by confidentiality agreements.
Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, or in response to legal processes.
Business Transfers: In the case of a merger, acquisition, or sale of InstaVisa, your information may be transferred to the new entity.
With Consent: We may share your information for purposes not outlined in this policy but will seek your explicit consent beforehand.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law. When we no longer need your information, we take appropriate steps to securely delete or anonymize it.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

InstaVisa uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. These may include:

Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website’s basic functionality.
Analytics Cookies: Help us analyze how visitors use our site and improve performance.
Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements to you.

Online Analytics

We may use third-party analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to understand how users interact with our site. These services may collect data (e.g., IP address, site navigation patterns) using cookies and other technologies, helping us improve your experience. You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

For email communications, we may use tracking tools like clear GIFs to see when messages are opened or links clicked, allowing us to measure the effectiveness of our emails.

You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings, though some parts of the site may not work as intended without certain cookies.

6. Data Security

We implement robust security measures to protect your information. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to safeguard your data, no method of transmission or storage is entirely secure. Should a data breach occur, we will notify affected users as required by law.

7. International Data Transfers

InstaVisa operates globally, and your information may be processed outside your country of residence. When transferring data internationally, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: Request details of the information we hold about you.
Correction: Update or correct inaccurate data.
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information.
Restriction: Limit the processing of your data in certain situations.
Objection: Object to certain types of data processing, such as direct marketing.
Data Portability: Request a copy of your information in a structured format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We may ask for additional information to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

9. Third-Party Services and Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, which have their own privacy policies. InstaVisa is not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. Children’s Privacy

InstaVisa’s services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that a minor has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

11. If You Are Located in the United Kingdom or Europe

The provisions in this section apply to individuals in the United Kingdom and Europe, supplementing the remainder of this Privacy Policy.

Compliance with Data Protection Laws

We adhere to applicable data protection laws, which require that personal data we hold about you is:

Used lawfully, fairly, and transparently: We process your data with your awareness and for legitimate purposes.
Collected for clear, specific purposes: Your data is only used for purposes we have explicitly explained to you.
Limited to what is necessary: We collect only the data needed to fulfill the purposes we’ve stated.
Accurate and up-to-date: We take steps to ensure the data we hold is accurate, and where necessary, kept up to date.
Stored only as long as needed: We retain your data only as long as is necessary for the purposes we have outlined.
Stored securely: We implement security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

As the data controller, InstaVisa is responsible for determining how and why your personal information is processed. This Privacy Policy is designed to inform you of our data handling practices and your rights under applicable law.

Contacting Us About Your Data Rights

InstaVisa has appointed a representative to address questions and requests related to this Privacy Policy. If you have questions about your personal data, or if you would like to exercise any of your legal rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

Filing a Complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we have not addressed your data protection concerns adequately. For individuals in the United Kingdom, the relevant authority is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which can be contacted at +44 303 123 1113 or through its live chat service. To locate the relevant authority in other European countries, please refer to official guidance for contacting data protection authorities within the European Union.

However, we would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you contact your data protection authority, so please reach out to us first.

Purposes for Using Your Personal Data

Below is a detailed overview of the ways we use your personal data and the legal grounds we rely on:

Purpose/Activity	Type of Data	Legal Basis for Processing
Registering you as a customer	Identity, Contact	Performance of contract
Processing visa applications	Identity, Contact, Financial	Performance of contract, legitimate interest
Managing payments and collections	Identity, Financial, Transaction	Performance of contract, legitimate interest
Maintaining our relationship	Identity, Contact, Profile	Legal obligation, performance of contract
Administering and protecting our site	Identity, Contact, Technical	Legal obligation, legitimate interest
Analyzing data to improve services	Technical, Usage	Legitimate interest
Marketing relevant services to you	Identity, Contact, Technical	Legitimate interest

We may process your data on multiple lawful grounds depending on the specific purpose. For detailed information on the legal grounds we rely on, please contact us.

Transfers Outside the UK and EEA

InstaVisa operates globally, and in some cases, your data may be transferred outside the United Kingdom and European Economic Area (EEA). To ensure your information remains protected, we use one or more of the following safeguards:

Adequacy Decisions: We transfer data to countries that the European Commission or UK government has deemed to offer an adequate level of data protection. For more details, see the European Commission’s and UK government’s guidance on adequate protections.
Standard Contractual Clauses: For transfers to countries without adequacy decisions, we use contracts approved by the European Commission or UK authorities that provide a similar level of data protection.
Frameworks for Transfers to the United States: Where appropriate, we may transfer data to U.S.-based third parties certified under future EU-U.S. data frameworks that comply with GDPR standards.

In situations where these safeguards are not available, particularly when government or other official entities in specific countries require access to your data, we will only transfer your data if you have requested and consented to it as part of our services.

For further details about data transfer mechanisms, please contact us directly.

12. If You Are Located in Canada

The following provisions apply specifically to users in Canada, in addition to the remainder of this Privacy Policy.

We adhere to Canadian privacy laws and will only use your personal information as outlined in this policy unless otherwise required by law. We strive to ensure that any personal information we collect is necessary, relevant, and used solely for specified purposes.

In Canada, “personal information” generally refers to any data about an identifiable individual, including information that can be used alone or combined with other data to identify, contact, or locate a person. In this policy, “personal information” and “personal data” are used interchangeably.

Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose personal information as described in this policy and may also share it in the following circumstances:

Legal Compliance: To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including responses to government or regulatory requests, in line with applicable laws.
Protection of Rights and Safety: If we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of InstaVisa, our customers, or others, we may exchange information with organizations for fraud prevention or credit risk reduction.

Transferring Your Personal Information

Your personal information may be processed, stored, and transferred to foreign countries with different privacy laws, which may not offer the same level of protection as Canadian law. In such cases, government authorities in those countries may be able to access your information under local laws.

By using our services or submitting your personal information, you consent to its transfer, storage, and processing outside Canada. For more information about our data practices involving service providers outside Canada, feel free to contact us.

Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

You have the right to request access to and correction of the personal information we hold about you, subject to certain conditions:

We may decline to make changes if they would violate laws, legal requirements, or make the information inaccurate.
Access to your personal information is provided in accordance with exceptions outlined in applicable privacy laws.
A fee may apply to access requests, and we will inform you of any charges before proceeding.
In some cases, we may be required or permitted by law to withhold certain information. If access is denied, we will provide an explanation, subject to legal and regulatory constraints.

If you have concerns regarding our response or wish to correct any information, please reach out to us for assistance.

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us.

13. If you are located in Virginia

If you are a consumer located in Virginia, as defined by the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), you may have specific rights regarding your personal information. Under Virginia law, you may request the following:

Confirmation and Access: Confirm whether we are processing your personal information and, if so, receive access to it.
Correction: Request corrections to any inaccuracies in your personal information, considering the nature and purpose of the data processing.
Deletion: Request the deletion of your personal information.
Data Portability: Receive a copy of the personal information you have provided to us in a portable format, allowing you to transfer it to another organization where our processing is automated.
Opt-Out Rights: Opt out of processing your personal information for purposes such as targeted advertising, the sale of personal information, or profiling that leads to legal or similarly significant impacts.

Please note that certain information may be exempt from these requests under applicable laws. Some information is necessary for us to deliver our services to you, and if you request its deletion, it may impact your ability to access or use the services.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a request through our Contact Us page. We will ask you to verify your identity by providing specific information before we can fulfill your request.

InstaVisa may use your personal information to provide targeted advertising, as defined under the VCDPA. To opt out of targeted advertising, please follow the instructions provided in our “Online Analytics and Tailored Advertising” section.

If we deny your request to exercise any of these rights, you may appeal by submitting a request through our Contact Us page with the subject line “Virginia Data Request Appeal,” including details about why you are appealing our decision.

14. Nevada Residents

Under Nevada law, residents may have the right to opt out of the sale of “personally identifiable information” for monetary consideration, as defined by Nevada law. InstaVisa does not sell personally identifiable information in exchange for monetary consideration.

15. California Residents

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), we are required to disclose details about the types of personal information and sensitive information collected from California residents, the sources of this data, the purposes for collecting it, and with whom it is shared. This information is outlined throughout this Privacy Policy.

Categories of Personal Information Collected

In the last twelve months, we may have collected the following categories of personal information from California residents: identifiers (e.g., name, email), financial details (e.g., payment info), transaction data, IP address, demographic details, and sensitive information (e.g., Social Security number).

Purposes for Collecting Data

We and our service providers collect and disclose personal information for the following purposes: service delivery, advertising, troubleshooting, fraud prevention, and enhancing site performance.

Your Rights as a California Consumer

If you are a California resident, you may have the right to:

Request the categories and specific details of personal information we collect.
Access, correct, or delete certain personal information.
Opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for targeted advertising.
Limit use of your sensitive personal information.

If you wish to exercise these rights, please submit a request via our Contact Us page. Verification of identity will be required before processing your request. You may also designate an agent to act on your behalf with written authorization.

Opt-Out and Additional Notices

To opt out of targeted advertising, please refer to the “Online Analytics and Tailored Advertising” section. We do not knowingly sell or share personal information of children under 16. Additionally, we do not engage in direct marketing information sharing as permitted under California’s “Shine the Light” law.

For any questions, please refer to our complete Privacy Policy or contact us directly.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

InstaVisa may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting a revised policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date at the top.

17. Contact Us

For any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us:

Email: [email protected]