Visa Information System
Visa Information System
The Visa Information System (VIS) is established under Regulation 2008/767EC for the purpose of facilitating the visa application procedure, prevent visa shopping and fraud, and facilitate border checks as well as identity checks within the territory of the Member States and to contribute to the prevention of threats to the internal security of the Member States.
To this end, the VIS provides a central repository of data on all short-stay Schengen visa. This data can be accessed by authorities issuing visas such as consulates of Member States, by checkpoints at the Schengen border to verify the identity of visa holders, as well as for the purpose of identifying third-country nationals apprehended within the Schengen Area with fraudulent or without documents.
The VIS Regulation sets out which data shall be included in the database at the various stages of processing a visa.
Apart from data on the visa application (such as planned travel itinerary, inviting persons etc.) it also includes a photograph of the applicant and fingerprints.
Supervision over the national units is allocated to the DPAs in the respective Member State, while the central VIS is supervised by the EDPS.
For the purposes of coordinating supervision, the VIS Regulation provides that national DPAs and the EDPS both acting within their respective competences, shall:
a) exchange relevant information;
b) assist each other in carrying out audits and inspections;
c) examine difficulties of interpretation or application of this Regulation;
d) study problems with the exercise of independent supervision or with the exercise of the rights of data subjects; and
e) draw up harmonised proposals for joint solutions to any problems and promote awareness of data protection rights.
For such purposes, the VIS Supervision Coordination Group (VIS SCG) has been set up and meets twice a year. The VIS SCG is composed of representatives from the national DPAs and the EDPS.
What are your rights in relation to personal data processed in the VIS?
The VIS legal framework lays down the rights of individuals in relation to the personal data processed in the system and which could be exercised in accordance with the national law of the respective country. The citizen has the right to:
- request access to personal data relating to him/her which has been entered in the VIS;
- request the correction of factually inaccurate personal data relating to him/her or the deletion of his/her personal data in the case of unlawfully stored information;
- bring an action or complaint before the Courts or the authority competent under the national laws, where the rights of access, correction or deletion, are refused.
How to exercise your rights?
In Malta, any individual has the right to request access (click here to download model letter EN / MT), correction or deletion of his/her personal data (click here to download model letter EN / MT) by contacting directly the data controller which in this case is the authority responsible for the administration of the system at national level.
Such rights are exercisable by submitting a formal request to the following address:
The Data Protection Officer
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Palazzo Parisio,
Merchants’ Street,
Valletta, VLT 2000
Email: dataprotection.mfa@gov.mt
Applicants should provide the following identification details in order to facilitate the responsible authority in dealing with the request:
- Name and surname of applicant;
- ID Card or Passport No;
- Visa No/Application No.;
- What particular details he/she would like to see.
In accordance with Maltese law, the request must be submitted in writing and signed by the data subject. The request must be made in Maltese or English. Refusal to these requests may occur if this is indispensable for the performance of a lawful task in connection with the data or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of third parties.
What is the role of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner in relation to your personal data processed in SIS?
The Information and Data Protection Commissioner is the national supervisory authority responsible to monitor the lawfulness of data processing carried out by national authorities within the VIS. For this purpose, the Commissioner is empowered to have access and inspect any personal data processed by national authorities in connection with VIS.
In the eventuality that a request for access, correction or deletion, is refused, the individual may seek assistance and advice from the Information and Data Protection Commissioner.
In considering the case, the Commissioner will assess whether the refusal was reasonable and in accordance with the relevant legal framework.
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Sistema ta’ informazzjoni dwar il-Viża
Is-Sistema ta’ Informazzjoni dwar il-viża (VIS) hija stabbilita skont ir-Regolament 2008/767KE bil-għan li tiffaċilita l-proċedura tal-applikazzjoni għall-viża, tipprevjeni x-xiri tal-viża u l-frodi, u tiffaċilita l-verifiki fil-fruntieri kif ukoll il-verifiki tal-identitajiet fit-territorju tal-Istati Membri u tikkontribwixxi għall-prevenzjoni ta’ theddid għas-sikurezza interna tal-Istati Membri.
Għal dan il-għan, il-VIS tipprovdi repożitorju ċentrali ta ’data dwar il-viża Schengen kollha għal soġġorn qasir. Din id-data tista’ tiġi aċċessata minn awtoritajiet li joħorġu viżi bħal konsulati tal-Istati Membri, minn punti ta’ kontroll fil-fruntiera ta’ Schengen biex jivverifikaw l-identità tad-detenturi tal-viża, kif ukoll għall-fini tal-identifikazzjoni ta’ ċittadini ta ’pajjiżi terzi maqbuda fiż-żona Schengen b’dokumenti frodulenti jew mingħajr dokumenti.
Ir-Regolament VIS jistabbilixxi liema data għandha tiġi inkluża fil-bażi tad-data fl-istadji varji tal-ipproċessar ta ’viża.
Minbarra d-data dwar l-applikazzjoni għall-viża (bħall-itinerarju tal-ivvjaġġar ippjanat, l-istedina ta’ persuni eċċ.) tinkludi wkoll ritratt tal-applikant u l-marki tas-swaba’.
Is-superviżjoni fuq l-unitajiet nazzjonali hija allokata lill-awtorità għall-protezzjoni tad-data fl-Istat Membru rispettiv, filwaqt li l-VIS ċentrali hija sorveljata mill-Bord Ewropew għall-Protezzjoni tad-Data (BEPD).
Għall-finijiet tal-koordinazzjoni tas-superviżjoni, ir-Regolament VIS jipprevedi lill- awtoritajiet għall-protezzjoni tad-data nazzjonali u l-BEPD li t-tnejn jaġixxu fi ħdan il-kompetenzi rispettivi tagħhom, għandhom:
a) jiskambjaw informazzjoni rilevanti.
b) jassistu lil xulxin fit-twettiq ta ’verifiki u spezzjonijiet.
c) jeżaminaw d-diffikultajiet ta ’interpretazzjoni jew applikazzjoni ta’ dan ir-Regolament.
d) jistudjaw problemi bl-eżerċizzju ta ’superviżjoni indipendenti jew bl-eżerċizzju tad-drittijiet tas-suġġetti tad-data; u
e) ifasslu proposti armonizzati għal soluzzjonijiet konġunti għal kwalunkwe problema u jippromwovu l-għarfien dwar id-drittijiet tal-protezzjoni tad-data.
Għal finijiet bħal dawn, twaqqaf il-Grupp ta’ Koordinazzjoni tas-superviżjoni tal-VIS (VIS SCG) u jiltaqa’ darbtejn fis-sena. Dan huwa magħmul minn rappreżentanti mill-awtoritajiet għall-protezzjoni tad-data nazzjonali u mill-EDPB.
X’ inhuma d-drittijiet tiegħek fir-rigward ta’ data personali pproċessata fil-VIS?
Il-qafas legali tal-VIS jistabbilixxi d-drittijiet tal-individwi fir-rigward tad-data personali pproċessata fis-sistema u li tista ’tiġi eżerċitata skont il-liġi nazzjonali tal-pajjiż rispettiv. Iċ-ċittadin għandu d-dritt li:
• jitlob aċċess għal data personali relatata miegħu/magħha li tkun iddaħħlet fil-VIS;
• jitlob il-korrezzjoni ta ’data personali fattwalment mhux preċiża relatata miegħu jew it-tħassir tad-data personali tiegħu/tagħha fil-każ ta’ informazzjoni maħżuna illegalment;
• tressaq azzjoni jew ilment quddiem il-Qrati jew l-awtorita’ kompetenti taħt il-liġijiet nazzjonali, fejn id-drittijiet ta’ aċċess, korrezzjoni jew tħassir, jiġu rifjutati.
Kif teżerċita d-drittijiet tiegħek?
F’Malta, kull individwu għandu d-dritt li jitlob aċċess (ikklikja hawn biex tniżżel il-mudell tal-ittra EN/MT), korrezzjoni jew tħassir tad-data personali tiegħu/tagħha (ikklikja hawn biex tniżżel il-mudell tal-ittra EN/MT) billi tikkuntattja direttament lill-kontrollur tad-data li f’dan il-każ huwa l-awtorita’ responsabbli għall-amministrazzjoni tas-sistema fuq livell nazzjonali.
Dawn id-drittijiet jistgħu jiġu eżerċitati billi titressaq talba formali fl-indirizz li ġej:
L-Uffiċjal tal-Protezzjoni tad-data
Ministeru tal-Affarijiet Barranin
Palazzo Parisio,
Triq in-negozjanti,
Valletta, VLT 2000
Posta elettronika: dataprotection.mfa@gov.mt
L-applikanti għandhom jipprovdu d-dettalji ta’ identifikazzjoni li ġejjin sabiex jiffaċilitaw l-awtorità responsabbli fit-trattament tat-talba:
• L-isem u l-kunjom tal-applikant;
• Karta tal-ID jew numru tal-Passaport;
• numru tal-viża/numru tal-applikazzjoni;
• X ’dettalji partikolari jixtieq jara.
Skont il-liġi Maltija, it-talba trid tiġi sottomessa bil-miktub u ffirmata mis-suġġett tad-data. It-talba trid issir bil-Malti jew bl-Ingliż. Rifjut għal dawn it-talbiet jista ’jseħħ jekk dan ikun indispensabbli għat-twettiq ta’ kompitu legali b ’rabta mad-data jew għall-protezzjoni tad-drittijiet u l-libertajiet ta’ partijiet terzi.
X’ inhu r-rwol tal-Kummissarju għall-informazzjoni u l-Protezzjoni tad-data fir-rigward tad-data personali tiegħek ipproċessata fis-VIS?
Il-Kummissarju għall-informazzjoni u l-Protezzjoni tad-data huwa l-awtorita’ nazzjonali ta’ sorveljanza responsabbli biex tissorvelja l-liġi tal-ipproċessar tad-data mwettaq mill-awtoritajiet nazzjonali fi ħdan il-VIS. Għal dan il-għan, il-Kummissarju għandu s-setgħa li jkollu aċċess u jispezzjona kwalunkwe data personali pproċessata mill-awtoritajiet nazzjonali b ’rabta mal-VIS.
F ’każ li talba għal aċċess, korrezzjoni jew tħassir, tiġi rifjutata, l-individwu jista’ jitlob assistenza u pariri mingħand il-Kummissarju għall-informazzjoni u l-Protezzjoni tad-data.
Meta jikkunsidra l-każ, il-Kummissarju se jivvaluta jekk ir-rifjut kienx raġonevoli u skont il-qafas legali rilevanti.