Last updated: September 2026 | Embassy of Botswana, Brussels
Introduction
The Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Brussels ("the Embassy", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information when you use our website or contact us.
This policy is compliant with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the Belgian Data Protection Act of 30 July 2018.
Data Controller
Embassy of the Republic of Botswana
169 Avenue de Tervuren, 1150 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 735 20 70
Email: boteur@gov.bw
What Personal Data We Collect
Website Visitors
When you browse this website, we may automatically collect:
- Device type, browser type, and operating system
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Referring website (the site you came from)
- Approximate geographic region (derived from IP address, not stored)
This data is stored locally in your browser and is not transmitted to external servers.
Contact and Enquiry Forms
When you contact us by email or through our website, we collect:
- Name and contact information you provide
- The content of your enquiry or message
Consular Appointments
When you book a consular appointment, we collect:
- Full name, nationality, date of birth
- Contact information (email, phone)
- Nature of the consular service requested
- Passport/travel document details (where required)
Citizen Registration
When you register as a Motswana citizen abroad, we collect:
- Personal details (name, date of birth, gender, marital status)
- Address and contact information
- Occupational information
- Next-of-kin information
- Identification document details
Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal data under the following legal bases:
- Legal obligation — Processing necessary to comply with diplomatic and consular obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
- Public task — Processing necessary for the performance of our official diplomatic and consular functions.
- Consent — For newsletter subscriptions or non-mandatory communications, where you have explicitly given consent.
- Legitimate interests — For website analytics that do not override your fundamental rights.
How We Use Your Data
- Providing consular and diplomatic services
- Processing applications and registrations
- Responding to your enquiries
- Improving our website and services
- Complying with legal and reporting obligations to the Government of Botswana
Data Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, in accordance with applicable laws. Consular records are retained in accordance with Botswana government records management policies. Website analytics data stored in your browser's localStorage can be cleared at any time by you.
Sharing of Personal Data
We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with:
- The Ministry of International Affairs of Botswana, as required for official functions
- Belgian authorities, where required by Belgian law
- Our website service provider (Atine Labs™), solely for hosting and technical support under a data processing agreement
We do not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) except to Botswana, under appropriate safeguards consistent with GDPR Chapter V.
Your Rights Under GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate data
- Right to erasure — Request deletion of your data (subject to legal constraints)
- Right to restrict processing — Request that we limit how we use your data
- Right to data portability — Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Right to withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at boteur@gov.bw. We will respond within 30 days.
Complaints
If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you may lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority:
Autorité de protection des données (APD) / Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit (GBA)
Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 274 48 00 | www.dataprotectionauthority.be
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via a notice on our website. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.
