Privacy Policy
Last updated: 3 March 2025
1. Who we are
PassportWait is an independent, community-driven website that collects and displays crowdsourced UK passport processing times. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to HM Passport Office, the Home Office, or any UK government department. When we refer to "we", "us", or "our" in this policy, we mean the operators of PassportWait.
2. What data we collect
When you submit a report to PassportWait, we collect the following information:
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Email address | To send you a magic link so you can update your submission when your passport arrives |
| Application details | Type, method, dates, processing office, and tracker status to calculate and display wait times |
| Display name (optional) | Shown alongside your report in the community feed. Defaults to "Anonymous" if left blank |
| Newsletter preference | Whether you would like to receive occasional updates about PassportWait |
Your email address is never displayed publicly on the site. It is used solely for sending your magic link and, if you opt in, newsletter communications.
3. Legal basis for processing
We process your personal data on the basis of your explicit consent, which you provide by ticking the GDPR consent checkbox when submitting a report. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us (see section 8 below). If you opt in to our newsletter, that is a separate consent which you can withdraw independently by unsubscribing from any email we send.
4. Cookies and analytics
PassportWait uses the following cookies and tracking technologies:
| Cookie/Service | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | Analytics | Helps us understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it. Only loaded after you accept analytics cookies via the cookie banner. |
| cookie_consent | Strictly necessary | Remembers your cookie preferences. This cookie does not track you and is exempt from consent requirements. |
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site. The cookie consent banner will reappear.
5. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data. Your application details (without your email address) are displayed publicly on PassportWait to help other applicants understand current processing times. We may share data with the following third-party services solely to operate the site:
- Google Analytics (anonymised usage data, subject to your cookie consent)
- Brevo (email delivery for magic links and newsletters, if you opt in)
- Our hosting provider (for server infrastructure)
6. How long we keep your data
Submission data (application details and calculated wait times) is retained indefinitely as part of the public dataset, as it forms the basis of the community statistics. Your email address is retained for up to 12 months after your submission, after which it is deleted. Magic link tokens expire after 6 months. If you request deletion of your data, we will remove your email address and anonymise your submission within 30 days.
7. Your rights under UK GDPR
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, you have the following rights:
| Right | Description |
|---|---|
| Access | Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you |
| Rectification | Ask us to correct inaccurate data |
| Erasure | Ask us to delete your personal data |
| Restriction | Ask us to limit how we use your data |
| Portability | Request your data in a machine-readable format |
| Withdraw consent | Withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing |
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in section 8. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Contact us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please email us at [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.