Privacy Notice

SBA / SolidBlackAbroad is the customer-facing trading identity of the company operating this website. Company No. 14382395. For privacy questions or requests, email info@solidblackabroad.com.

Depending on the service you use, we may collect:

• Your name, email address, telephone or WhatsApp number, country, nationality and communication preferences.
• Visa enquiry and appointment-alert details, including destination, route, travel plans, application centre, applicant numbers and support requested.
• Work-profile and career information, including experience, education, qualifications, skills, preferred roles, locations, salary expectations, availability, sponsorship requirements and CV-related information. If a CV or other document is requested through an agreed channel, it may contain additional information you choose to provide.
• University admission and eligibility information, including education history, results, English-language information, preferred institution, course, intake, budget and support requirements.
• Business seller information, including contact details, operations, commercial and financial information, address or location details and uploaded images.
• Business buyer and general contact enquiries, including budget, interests, contact preference and messages.
• Payment-request records, including contact details, service description, amount, currency, status and payment-provider references. SBA does not need to store your full payment-card details.
• Consent records, submission times, references, correspondence, internal notes and security or anti-abuse information associated with a request.

Please do not send passport scans, bank statements, biometric information, health information or other sensitive documents through a general enquiry form unless we have specifically agreed a secure and appropriate method.

• To respond to enquiries and take steps you request before entering into a service contract.
• To provide agreed services, assess requirements, research suitable opportunities and support applications or submissions.
• To manage profiles, alerts, admission enquiries, seller submissions and buyer enquiries.
• To administer payments, maintain accounting records and deal with cancellations, complaints or disputes.
• To communicate through your selected channel, provide support, protect the website, prevent fraud or misuse and maintain appropriate records.
• To comply with legal, regulatory, tax or accounting obligations.

Our lawful basis depends on the activity. We may process information because it is necessary to take requested pre-contract steps or perform a contract, because we have legitimate interests in operating and protecting our services and responding to users, because we must comply with a legal obligation, or because you have given consent for a particular use. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the effect on your rights. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it.

We share information only where reasonably necessary to operate the service, fulfil your request, meet legal obligations or protect our rights. Providers used by the platform include Supabase for database, authentication and file storage; Stripe for hosted payment processing; MapTiler where address search or geocoding is requested; and configured email or communications services for transactional messages. Hosting and infrastructure providers may also process technical data as part of operating the website.

We may share relevant information with a university, employer, business counterparty or other external provider when you ask us to progress a service and the sharing is appropriate. We do not sell personal information.

Card payments are completed through Stripe. Stripe processes payment-card and transaction information under its own privacy terms. SBA receives payment status and identifiers such as Checkout Session or Payment Intent references, but does not need to receive or store your full card number.

Some providers or recipients may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where data-protection law requires it, we take appropriate steps to ensure that an applicable safeguard or other lawful transfer basis is used. The location and safeguards can vary according to the provider and service involved.

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the enquiry or requested service, contractual and customer-support needs, payment and accounting records, legal obligations, security, and the handling of disputes or complaints. The period varies by record and what happened after submission. The platform does not currently promise automatic deletion after one fixed period.

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction or portability of your information, or to object to processing. Where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it without affecting earlier lawful processing. These rights are not absolute and legal exemptions may apply.

Send requests to info@solidblackabroad.com. We may need to verify your identity. You may also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

We use access controls and appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect information. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. We may update this notice when our services or legal obligations change; the current version will remain on this page.