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Terms and Conditions of Service

Please read the information below carefully to learn more about TLScontact's Terms and Conditions of Service.

1About TLScontact

1.1. TLScontact is an application collection service which works for the Consular Authority concerned.

1.2. This service has neither the Consular Authority’s competence nor responsibility to make decisions about issuing or denying legalizations.

1.3. The information available on this site remains the exclusive property of TLScontact.

1.4. TLScontact endeavours to provide accurate, up-to-date information. However, the information on this site is intended to serve merely as a guide and may not prove exhaustive, particularly on matters relating to current events.

1.5. The Consular Authority concerned takes no responsibility for the accuracy of non-governmental information on this site.

1.6. Only TLScontact is responsible for the information displayed on this site.

1.7. These Terms of Service are a legal agreement between TLScontact and users of this site.

2Acceptance of Terms

2.1. In order to use the TLScontact service, users must agree to the Terms of Service.

3Collection of personal information

3.1. Users of the TLScontact service are prompted to provide personal information upon registration. No personal information is collected without the user’s knowledge.

3.2. During the application process users agree to provide accurate information, including notably, but not exhaustively, personal details. TLScontact takes no responsibility for the correctness of the personal information provided.

3.3. Any personal information collected on this site shall be used exclusively for processing the user’s legalization application.

3.4. Users have the right to modify and rectify personal data. To do so, please contact us by call centre or online form.

3.5. The information provided is made available to the Consular Authority concerned.

3.6. During the procedure, personal information may be transferred via TLScontact’s international network for backup saving, and for storage on TLScontact’s backup servers abroad, so as to ensure that the legalization application process is secure and avoid any loss of collected data. This type of transfer is performed using a secure protocol and encryption by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). All saved files, including those stored on TLScontact’s backup servers abroad, are encrypted. They are destroyed after five days. No copies, in any format, are kept. The applicant’s consent thus relates expressly to the transmission of personal information.

4Confidentiality and use of personal data from accounts

4.1. Users registering on this site have the sole responsibility for keeping their passwords confidential.

4.2. Users agree to take sole and full responsibility for all use of their accounts.

4.3. If any unauthorised utilisation of accounts or passwords are detected, users are to inform TLScontact immediately - please contact us by call centre or online form.

5Anonymity of data

5.1. Any information obtained (physically or electronically) by TLScontact during legalization application processing shall be destroyed once the procedure has been completed.

5.2. Information pertaining to applicants who failed to appear at their appointments or who failed to make an appointment after registering on the site shall be completely erased. This occurs after working hours on the date of registration or of the scheduled appointment.

5.3. Information pertaining to applicants who have submitted legalization applications shall be completely destroyed after retrieval of passports.

6Notice

6.1. TLScontact retains no personal information (physically or electronically) pertaining to applicants.

6.2. TLScontact does not sell, market or transmit applicants’ information to third parties.

6.3. TLScontact reserves the right to make additions or modifications to these “Terms of Service” at any time.

6.4. TLScontact undertakes to ensure the security of users’ personal and private data and to respect local laws and regulations on the protection of personal data. TLScontact enables the Consular Authority and other Belgium and/or European authorities to access the personal information collected for the purpose of legalization applications.

6.5. Any personal data held by TLScontact are processed and stored in conformity with the European Directive 95/46/EC and the Legislative Decree no 196/2003 on the protection of personal data. TLScontact uses personal data for processing legalization applications only and undertakes never to distribute, sell or disseminate such information to third parties. TLScontact respects the protocols on personal data and offers service users the right to access, modify, rectify and delete their personal data held by TLScontact. If you wish to exercise this right, contact TLScontact.

7Compliance with the principles of European Directive 95/46 and American “Safe Harbor” framework

The international principles of “Safe Harbor” are designed to prevent the disclosure of information as well as accidental loss thereof. TLScontact fully subscribes to the principles laid down in Chapter IV of Directive 95/46/CE of the European Parliament and Council, dated 24 October 1995, on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data.

7.1. Information to customers: customers are clearly informed that their personal data is being collected and notified as to how the data shall be used. Users are required to accept the TLScontact Terms of Service before creating their account.

7.2. Choice: Users may terminate their legalization application at any time, in which case any personal data shall be automatically erased from the databases. Similarly, the applicant’s personal data shall be destroyed upon completion of the application process.

7.3. Security: To avoid any loss of collected information in the case of unforeseeable disasters, data are backed up on different servers on a daily basis. TLScontact’s application and data servers are set up in accordance with regulations of the utmost stringency. Moreover, all data transfers between the user and the server and the duplication of data among all the servers is fully encrypted using an algorithm of 256 bits.

7.4. Transfer recipients: no data is ever passed on to a third party except the authorized Consular Authority. Your data might be accessed outside the European Economic Area (EEA) by authorized Consular Authority or authorized TLScontact staff.

7.5. Data integrity: no needless data is collected. Furthermore, the database design, the application development method and the numerous external checks and alerts in place aim to guarantee seamless reliability of data and data integrity.

7.6. Access: Users can access their data at any time via the TLScontact web interface on the internet. By contacting the TLScontact call centre, legalization applications can be modified even after they have been submitted.

7.7. Implementation: TLScontact has always taken the protection of its users’ privacy very seriously. Each staff member at TLScontact signs a Code of Conduct which lays down several very strict rules relating to the protection of user privacy.

For further information on these “Terms of Service”, please contact us by call centre or online form.