The Visa Information System

In order to facilitate the issuance of visas in the Schengen Area, as well as border checks, a common information system, i.e. the Visa Information System (VIS), was established in 2011. This system is used for recording and storing information about those applying for a visa to a Schengen country, including photographs and fingerprint data. Fingerprints, however, are not taken from children under 12 years of age and those who physically cannot provide finger scans.

Access to data in VIS is granted to competent authorities of Schengen Member States within the field of border control. Thus, access is given to visa authorities for processing visa applications and personnel of border control and the police for checking individuals' identity or visa. Furthermore, asylum authorities have access, as well as Europol and in certain cases other national authorities.

Your rights as a data subject

As an individual, whose data are processed in VIS, you have the following rights:

• a) The right to access data and to correct or delete data
• b) The right to file a complaint to a data protection authority (DPA) or initiate court proceedings

a) Your right to access data and to correct or delete data

You have the right to get information on what data is stored in VIS and which Schengen country has provided or registered the information. In addition, you have the right to rectification if the information stored in SIS is incorrect or incomplete. If the information is unlawfully stored, you have the right to deletion.

The Directorate of Immigration is responsible for the processing of personal data in VIS for Iceland. If you wish to send the Directorate a request for access to information, deletion or rectification of data, you can use a form provided here by the Directorate.

The form can be sent to the Directorate by mail or e-mail:

Directorate of Immigration/Útlendingastofnun
Dalvegi 18
200 Kópavogi
Íslandi
E-mail: utl[at]utl.is

b) Your right to file a complaint to a DPA or intiate court proceedings

You have the right to bring an action before the courts or to file a complaint to a DPA under the law of any Member State.

Thus, you can file a complaint to the Icelandic DPA if a request on access, rectification and deletion is denied or not answered. A complaint can be sent to the following e-mail address: postur[at]personuvernd.is

In addition, legal proceedings can be filed at the competent Icelandic court against decisions of a competent authority that rejected a request and against decisions of the DPA.

Further information on VIS

Website of the VIS Supervision Coordination Group