Privacy Policy

The Philippine Embassy in Switzerland values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website.

As a diplomatic mission in Switzerland, our data processing practices align with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our website is securely hosted in Switzerland by Infomaniak Network SA.

1. Data Controller

The entity responsible for processing your data on this website is:

  • Philippine Embassy in Switzerland
  • Address: Kirchenfeldstrasse 73, Bern, Switzerland
  • Email: bern.pe@dfa.gov.ph
  • Website: philippine-embassy.ch

2. Information We Collect

We only collect data necessary to provide you with functional website access and consular information.

  • Technical Log Data: When you browse our site, our hosting provider Infomaniak automatically collects server log files. This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, referrer URL, and the time of your visit. This data is strictly used for security, performance optimization, and error tracking.
  • Contact Forms: If you contact us via an online form or send an email, we collect the details you provide (e.g., name, email address, phone number, and the text of your query) to process your request.
  • Cookies: We use essential cookies to ensure the website functions properly. Analytical cookies may be used to count page visits anonymously without tracking your identity.

3. External Links & Official Passport Scheduling

Our website does not collect any online payments or processing fees. We provide functional external links to official government platforms for consular workflows:

  • Passport Appointments: For e-passport applications and renewals, our website directs you to the official Philippine Passport Tracking and Online Appointment System hosted at https://www.passport.gov.ph/.
  • Data Processing Out of Scope: Once you click this link, you leave our hosted website environment. The processing of your passport application details, personal identity records, and appointment slots is handled entirely by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) system under its own secure data management policies.

4. Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing

We process your website data based on the following legal foundations:

  • To fulfill our public and diplomatic duties as a government mission (consular services, passport/visa information distribution).
  • To protect the security and integrity of our online infrastructure.
  • Your explicit consent, when you proactively submit forms or opt into communication.

5. Data Storage and Hosting

Your website visit data is securely hosted and processed entirely within Switzerland in eco-friendly datacenters owned and managed by Infomaniak Network SA. This guarantees that your information benefits from the strict privacy protections of Swiss law and remains outside of US jurisdiction (free from the Cloud Act).

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal website data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or to comply with statutory retention periods under Philippine and Swiss regulations. Server log files are automatically overwritten or deleted after a short period.

7. Third-Party Disclosures

We do not sell, trade, or lease your personal data. Your information is only shared with third parties under the following circumstances:

  • With our trusted technical processor, Infomaniak, who acts as a data processor contractually bound to safeguard your data.
  • When legally required by applicable Swiss, Philippine, or international laws or judicial requests.

8. Your Rights

Under Swiss FADP and GDPR framework guidelines, you have the following rights regarding your data:

  • Access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you.
  • Correction: Request rectification of inaccurate personal info.
  • Deletion: Request the erasure of your data, provided it doesn’t conflict with legal archiving duties.
  • Restriction: Request a limitation on how your data is processed.

To exercise these rights, please contact our Data Protection representative directly at bern.pe@dfa.gov.ph.

9. Policy Updates

We may update this statement periodically to reflect changes in our online services or regulatory adjustments. The date of the latest revision will be noted at the bottom of this page.

Last Updated: October 2026