Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal data Settle in Ireland collects, why, how it is handled, how long it is kept and what your rights are. We have written it in plain English. If anything is unclear, please ask us.

1. Who we are

We are Settle in Ireland, based in Ireland. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the "controller" of the personal data described in this policy.

2. What data we collect

We only collect the information you, or an education agency with your consent, choose to send us. This can include:

your name, email address and phone or WhatsApp number;
the country you are moving from, your expected arrival date and where in Ireland you are going;
whether your accommodation is arranged, the support you need, and the messages you send us;
for agencies: the agency name, contact person, work email, website, countries served and approximate referral numbers;
if you go ahead: your flight details, your accommodation address and payment records.

We do not ask for passport numbers, immigration documents, bank details or other sensitive information through the website, and we ask you not to send them in the enquiry form. If you later choose to show us a document so we can help you prepare for an official process, we only use it for that and do not keep a copy longer than necessary. Please never send us passwords, PINs or security codes.

3. How the enquiry forms work

At the moment the enquiry forms do not send anything themselves. When you press the button, your answers open as a message in WhatsApp, and nothing reaches us until you press send there.

The website itself does not store your form answers.

4. Cookies and analytics

This website does not use cookies, analytics or advertising tools.

Fonts are hosted on this website itself, so no information is sent to font providers. Like all websites, the hosting provider (GitHub Pages) may keep basic technical logs, such as IP addresses, for security and to keep the website running.

5. Why we use your data, and the legal basis

To reply to your enquiry, because you asked us to and it is a step before a possible agreement.
To provide the service you or your agency arranged, which is necessary for our agreement.
To update your agency or family about your arrival and progress, but only with your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
To keep financial records, because Irish tax law requires it.

6. Education agencies

If an agency refers you, they share your details with us only after you have agreed. We share updates about your arrival and progress with the agency only at the milestones you have agreed to. We never sell your data or share it for marketing.

7. Who else processes your data

WhatsApp (Meta), for messages and calls;
our email provider, for emails;
GitHub Pages, which hosts this website;
an accountant, if needed, for financial records.

These providers process data under their own privacy policies and terms. Some may process data outside the European Economic Area, using the safeguards required by law. We only share your data with public authorities if the law requires it.

8. How long we keep your data

Your personal data, including enquiries, messages and client records: kept for 2 months, then deleted.
Copies of documents: deleted as soon as they are no longer needed to help you.
Payment and financial records: kept for six years, as Irish tax law requires.

9. Your rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to:

ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
ask us to correct data that is wrong or incomplete;
ask us to delete your data;
ask us to limit how we use your data, or object to how we use it;
ask for your data in a format you can take elsewhere;
withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent.

To use any of these rights, contact us on WhatsApp or by phone, or by email, using the details in section 1. We will reply within one month, as the law requires. You can also ask us to delete our WhatsApp conversation, but please note that WhatsApp and your own phone keep their own copies.

10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please contact us first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Data Protection Commission, the Irish data protection authority, at www.dataprotection.ie.

11. Keeping your data safe

The website and its forms use encrypted connections (HTTPS). We take reasonable steps to protect your data, such as using secure devices and accounts protected with strong passwords, and we only keep what we need.

12. Clients under 18

If you are under 18, please ask a parent or guardian to contact us on your behalf.

13. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update it on this page and change the date at the top.