Guidance

DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office: privacy notice

Updated 2 December 2024

1. About this service

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) provides the service to apply for international road haulage permits. DVSA is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT).

We administer applications for different types of licences and permits for international journeys. The services let you apply for permits and keep records of journeys for certain types of permits if you’re application is successful

The data controller for DVSA is DfT - a data controller determines the reasons and how personal data is processed. For more information see the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Data Protection Public Register. DfT’s registration number is Z7122992.

2. What data we need

The personal data we collect from you will include:

• full name
• contact details (addresses, telephone number and email address)
• details about your international haulage business such as how many trips you make and the sectors you work in
• the type and status of your operator’s licence
• payment details - including card number (numbers are encrypted and access is restricted), dates the card is valid from and to, issue number and card type (for example, MasterCard)

The personal data we process about you is generally input by you directly to the vehicle operating licence service.

The lawful basis for processing this data is:

• the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018
• the International Road Transport Permits (EU Exit) Regulations 2018

3. Why we need it

We need the personal data we collect from you to:

• check you are eligible for permits
• make decisions on applications for authorisations or permits to take your vehicles (both freight and passenger) across international borders to EU and non-EU countries
• make decisions on applications for, to vary and to cancel bus services across international borders to EU and non-EU countries
• process payments made using the service
• ask you to take part in research that will help us improve the service
• make sure you’re aware of, and prepared for, changes to the permit system and requirements for international haulage and passenger transport

This may be carried out or supported by third parties, including other government departments such as HM Revenue and Customs.

4. What we do with it

We collect, use and store the data you give us for the reasons set out in this policy.

We will not:

• sell or rent your data to third parties
• share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

We will share your data if we are required to do so by law - for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

We may share your data with:

• the International Transport Forum (formerly the European Conference of Ministers of Transport - or ‘ECMT’) if you are issued with an ECMT permit
• Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
• other government departments
• Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland
• enforcement agencies
• Transport Scotland

We will share anonymised data with GOV.UK and the Government Digital Service on how you used the site.

5. How long we keep your data

We will only keep your personal data for as long as it is needed for the reasons set out in this policy or for as long as is required by law.

In general, this means that we will only hold your personal data for 5 years from the date your application is processed.

6. Where it might go

We check our IT infrastructure and technology to make sure they are safe and secure. Any supporting contracts needed to run the service are compliant with all data sharing activities.

Any data you provide will be stored on servers in Ireland. We do not store data outside of the European Economic Area (this is the EU, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway - also referred to as the EEA).

7. Protecting your data and your rights

The DVSA personal information charter sets out what steps are taken to protect your data, and the rights you have over your data. This includes asking for a person to review when we use automated decisions to decide whether or not to allocate ECMT permits to you.

8.  Automated decision making and profiling

Your personal data is used in an automated calculation and decision to allocate permits that are restricted in number under the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018.

We use the information you provide when applying for a permit including:

• the number of international trips you make
• the percentage of your business that is international
• the business sector you transport goods for
• the type of vehicle permit you are applying for

You can email dataprotection@dvsa.gov.uk to:

• request a manual review of the automated decision
• request details of information used to create the profile
• object to profiling

9. Changes to this notice

We may change this privacy notice at its discretion at any time.

When we change this notice, the date on the page will be updated. Any changes to this privacy notice will be applied to you and your data as of that revision date.

We encourage you to periodically review this privacy notice to be informed about your data is protected.

10. How to contact us

If you have any questions about anything in this document or if you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you can contact the DVSA data protection manager.

DVSA data protection manager

Data Protection Manager
DVSA
1 Unity Square
Nottingham
NG2 1AY

Email information.handling@dvsa.gov.uk

You may also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator.