Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Edu Express Ltd ("Edu Express", "we", "our" or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, fairly and transparently. We understand the importance of safeguarding the personal data entrusted to us by students, parents, guardians, educational institutions, business partners and other individuals who engage with our services.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect personal information when providing education consultancy, student recruitment, admissions support and related services.

We process personal data in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), and relevant guidance issued by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

By using our services or contacting Edu Express Ltd, you acknowledge that you have had the opportunity to read this Privacy Policy.

2. About Edu Express Ltd

Edu Express Ltd is a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 11317112. Our Director is Abdullah Al Mamun.

We provide education consultancy and student recruitment services for individuals seeking educational opportunities in the United Kingdom and other countries. Our services include course selection, admissions guidance, application support, scholarship advice, visa guidance (where permitted by law), enrolment assistance and related student support services. Depending on the circumstances, Edu Express Ltd acts either as:

• Data Controller, where we determine how and why personal information is processed; or

• Data Processor, where we process personal information on behalf of another organisation.

Educational institutions receiving student applications generally act as independent Data Controllers and process personal information in accordance with their own privacy notices.

3. Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through:

• our website;

• online enquiry and application forms;

• email;

• telephone;

• video meetings;

• WhatsApp and other messaging platforms;

• social media;

• face-to-face meetings;

• education fairs and recruitment events;

• partner organisations;

• educational institutions;

• parents or legal guardians;

• authorised representatives; and

• any other lawful communication channel used in connection with our services.

This Privacy Policy applies to prospective students, applicants, enrolled students where we continue to provide support, parents, guardians, sponsors, referees, education agents, business partners, website visitors and other individuals whose personal information we process.

4. Personal Information We Collect

The personal information we collect depends on the services requested and the requirements of the receiving educational institution.

This may include:

Identity Information

• name

• date of birth

• nationality

• passport details

• identification documents

• photographs

Contact Information

• address

• email address

• telephone number

• WhatsApp number

• emergency contact details

• parent or guardian details where applicable

Educational Information

• academic qualifications

• transcripts • certificates

• English language test results

• personal statements

• curriculum vitae

• employment history where relevant

• references

Immigration Information

Where required for overseas study applications, we may collect passport copies, visa documentation, immigration history, residence permits, CAS-related documents and other information requested by educational institutions or immigration authorities.

Financial Information

Where necessary, we may collect information such as sponsorship details, scholarship documentation, bank statements, proof of funds and tuition-related information.Edu Express Ltd does not normally collect or retain payment card information.

Application Information

This includes course preferences, institution choices, supporting documents, admissions correspondence, interview notes, offer letters, enrolment records and accommodation preferences.

Communication Records

We maintain records of emails, letters, telephone conversations, WhatsApp messages, meeting notes, complaints, feedback and other communications relating to our services.

Technical Information

When you visit our website we may collect technical information including IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, device information and cookie preferences.

5. How We Collect Personal Information

We obtain personal information directly from you whenever possible. Information may also be received from:

• parents or legal guardians;

• schools, colleges and universities;

• authorised education agents;

• referees;

• employers where relevant;

• sponsors;

• scholarship providers;

• government authorities;

• publicly available sources where appropriate; and

• trusted technology providers operating our website or business systems.

We expect third parties providing information to have obtained it lawfully.

6. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries;

• provide education consultancy;

• assess eligibility for courses;

• prepare and submit applications;

• communicate with educational institutions;

• support scholarship applications;

• provide visa-related guidance within the scope permitted by law;

• assist with accommodation and pre-arrival arrangements;

• communicate throughout the admissions process;

• provide ongoing student support;

• verify documents where necessary;

• maintain accurate records;

• comply with legal obligations;

• protect against fraud;

• improve our services;

• manage our website;

• administer our business; and

• establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

We process only the personal information necessary for these purposes and do not use personal data for unrelated activities unless permitted or required by law.

7. Lawful Bases for Processing

Edu Express Ltd processes personal information only where a lawful basis exists under the UK GDPR.

Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following:

• your consent;

• performance of a contract or steps taken before entering into a contract;

• compliance with legal obligations;

• our legitimate interests, provided these do not override your rights and freedoms.

Where special category personal data is processed, we also rely on an appropriate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR.

Where criminal conviction information is processed, we do so only where permitted by law and only when necessary to support an application requested by the individual.

8. Special Category Personal Data and Criminal Conviction Information

Edu Express Ltd does not routinely collect special category personal data or criminal conviction information. However, certain educational institutions may require applicants to provide information relating to disability, medical conditions, accessibility requirements, ethnicity, religion or criminal convictions as part of their admissions process.

Where such information is provided voluntarily by an applicant or is required by a receiving educational institution, we process it only for the purpose of supporting the relevant application and only where permitted by applicable law.

Special category personal data is processed only where both a lawful basis under Article 6 and an appropriate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR apply. Criminal conviction information is processed only in accordance with Article 10 of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Access to sensitive personal information is restricted to authorised personnel with a legitimate business need, and appropriate security measures are applied to protect its confidentiality.

9. Children and Applicants Under 18

Edu Express Ltd provides services to applicants of all ages, including children under the age of 18.

Where an applicant is under 18, we normally work with the knowledge or authority of a parent, legal guardian or another authorised representative. We may collect personal information relating to both the applicant and their parent or guardian where necessary to provide our services.

This may include identity information, educational records, contact details, passport and visa documentation, financial sponsorship information and communications relating to the application.

Where consent is required and a child is not legally able to provide that consent, we will obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian where appropriate.

e take additional care when handling children's personal information and process it only where necessary, fairly and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

Where safeguarding concerns arise, we may disclose relevant information to appropriate authorities or educational institutions where permitted or required by law.

10. Sharing Personal Information

Edu Express Ltd treats personal information as confidential. We do not sell, rent or trade personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

We may share personal information where necessary with:

• universities, colleges and educational institutions;

• awarding organisations;

• education agents authorised by the applicant;

• parents or legal guardians where appropriate;

• scholarship providers;

• accommodation providers;

• English language testing organisations;

• government departments and immigration authorities;

• law enforcement or regulatory authorities where required by law;

• professional advisers including solicitors, accountants and auditors;

• trusted technology providers and cloud service providers supporting our business operations; and

• other organisations where disclosure is necessary to provide the requested services or comply with legal obligations.

We share only the minimum personal information necessary for the relevant purpose and take reasonable steps to ensure that recipients process personal information securely and lawfully.

Where third-party service providers process personal information on our behalf, appropriate contractual safeguards are implemented.

11. International Transfers of Personal Data

As an international education consultancy, Edu Express Ltd regularly transfers personal information outside the United Kingdom to support student applications.

Personal information may be transferred to educational institutions, government authorities, scholarship providers and trusted service providers located in countries chosen by the applicant.

Where personal information is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place where required by law. These safeguards may include UK adequacy regulations, the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), the UK Addendum to the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under the UK GDPR.

Where applicants request that we submit applications to overseas institutions, international transfer of their personal information is necessary to provide the requested service.

12. Data Retention

Edu Express Ltd retains personal information only for as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information and the purpose for which it was collected. As a general guide:

• enquiry records are normally retained for up to two years;

• student application files and related correspondence are generally retained for six years after completion of our services;

• financial records are retained in accordance with UK legal and tax requirements;

• marketing consent records are retained until consent is withdrawn or no longer required;

• data protection requests are retained for an appropriate period to demonstrate compliance.

Where personal information is no longer required, it is securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised where appropriate.

Individuals may request deletion of their personal information, although legal or regulatory obligations may require us to retain certain records.

13. Data Security

Edu Express Ltd takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental or unlawful loss, misuse, alteration or unauthorised access.

Our security measures include:

• restricted access to personal information;

• password-protected systems and user accounts;

• secure cloud-based storage;

• anti-virus and malware protection;

• regular software updates;

• secure document management;

• staff confidentiality obligations;

• secure disposal of confidential records; and

• procedures for responding to personal data breaches.

Although no electronic system can guarantee absolute security, we continually review and improve our information security arrangements to reduce risks and maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal information.

Where a personal data breach is likely to result in a risk to individuals, we will comply with our legal obligations, including notification to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and affected individuals where required.

14. Marketing Communications

Edu Express Ltd may send information about educational opportunities, admissions, scholarships, events and services where permitted by law.

Marketing communications may be sent by email, telephone, SMS, WhatsApp, post or other appropriate communication channels.

Where consent is required, we will obtain it before sending direct marketing communications. You may withdraw your consent or unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions provided in our communications or by contacting us directly.

Administrative communications relating to your application or our services are not considered marketing and may continue where necessary.

We do not share personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

15. Cookies and Website Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure the website functions correctly, improve user experience, enhance security and understand how visitors use our website.

Cookies may collect information such as browser type, device information, IP address, pages visited and website preferences.

Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, although doing so may affect certain website functions.

Our website may also contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites and encourage users to review their privacy policies.

16. Automated Decision-Making

Edu Express Ltd does not use solely automated decision-making or profiling to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

Admissions advice and application support are provided through meaningful human review by our staff. Decisions regarding admission to educational institutions are made by the relevant institution in accordance with its own admissions procedures.

Should our processing activities change in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and comply with the requirements of the UK GDPR relating to automated decision-making and profiling.

17. Your Rights Under UK Data Protection Law

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have a number of rights regarding your personal information. Edu Express Ltd is committed to respecting these rights and responding to requests fairly, transparently and within the timescales required by law.

Subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions, you have the right to:

• Be informed about how your personal information is collected, used and shared.

• Access the personal information we hold about you and request a copy of it.

• Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

• Request erasure of your personal information where there is no lawful reason for us to continue processing it.

• Restrict processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

• Receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used and machinereadable format where applicable (data portability).

• Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

• Withdraw your consent at any time where processing is based on consent. Withdrawal will not affect processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

• Object to automated decision-making, where applicable. Edu Express Ltd does not currently make decisions based solely on automated processing.

Before responding to certain requests, we may ask you to provide reasonable evidence of your identity to protect your personal information.

We aim to respond to all valid requests within one calendar month, although this period may be extended where permitted by law for particularly complex or numerous requests.

You will not normally be charged for exercising your rights unless a request is manifestly unfounded, excessive or repetitive, in which case we may charge a reasonable administrative fee or refuse to act where permitted by law.

18. Complaints

If you have any concerns about how Edu Express Ltd has collected, used or protected your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can investigate the matter and attempt to resolve it promptly.

When submitting a complaint, it is helpful to provide:

• your full name;

• your contact details;

• a description of your concern;

• any relevant dates; and

• supporting information where available.

We will investigate complaints fairly, confidentially and without unnecessary delay. Where appropriate, we may correct records, improve our procedures or take other appropriate action following our investigation.

If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent supervisory authority for data protection.

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

United Kingdom

Website: https://ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Lodging a complaint with the ICO does not affect any other legal rights or remedies available to you.

19. Contact Details

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us.

Edu Express Ltd

Registered Office

Suite DBC14/4G

Docklands Business Centre

10–16 Tiller Road

London

E14 8PX.

Website

https://www.eduexpress.org.uk

General Enquiries

Email: info@eduexpress.org.uk

Telephone and WhatsApp: +44 (0) 7803 345 488

Privacy Officer

Abdullah Al Mamun, Director

Edu Express Ltd

Email: info@eduexpress.org.uk

Telephone and WhatsApp: +44 (0) 7803 345 488

We aim to respond to genuine enquiries as promptly as possible and, where appropriate, within the time limits required by applicable data protection legislation.

20. Changes to this Privacy Policy

Edu Express Ltd may review and update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, regulatory guidance, our services or the way we process personal information.

The latest version will always be available on our website and will include the effective date and version number.

Where changes materially affect the way we process personal information, we will take reasonable steps to inform affected individuals where required by law.

We recommend reviewing this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how we protect your personal information.

21. Version Control

Version History

This Privacy Policy will normally be reviewed annually or sooner if significant legal, regulatory or operational changes require an update.

Edu Express Ltd is committed to protecting the privacy, dignity and personal information of everyone who engages with our services.

We process personal information lawfully, fairly and transparently, applying appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it throughout its lifecycle. We continually review our policies, procedures and security practices to ensure they remain consistent with applicable legislation, regulatory guidance and recognised good practice.

By maintaining high standards of data protection, we aim to support our students, parents, educational partners and other stakeholders with confidence, professionalism and integrity.