Last updated: 10/2025
1. Introduction
This Privacy and Cookies Policy describes how the Organisation for International Student Welfare (OISW), operating under the initiative Riga Vibes, collects, processes and protects personal data obtained through its website https://rigavibes.com
and related online communication channels.
OISW is committed to ensuring the lawful, fair and transparent processing of personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), the Personal Data Processing Law of the Republic of Latvia, and other applicable European and national legislation.
By using this website or submitting information to OISW, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.
2. Data Controller
Organisation for International Student Welfare (OISW)
Registered non-profit association in the Republic of Latvia
Registration No. 40008344970
Registered address: Rīga, Latvia
E-mail: info@rigavibes.com
Website: https://rigavibes.com
For all questions related to data protection, please contact us at the above address.
3. Categories of Personal Data Processe
OISW may process the following categories of personal data:
Identification and contact data: name, surname, e-mail address, telephone number, and any information you provide in communication with us.
Housing- or assistance-related data: information submitted through verification forms, apartment requests, or legal-help requests.
Technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring pages, and browsing activity within the site, collected automatically for analytics and security.
Cookies and similar technologies: as described in Section 10 below.
OISW does not intentionally collect or process special categories of personal data (sensitive data) unless strictly necessary for the provision of legal assistance and only with the explicit consent of the data subject.
4. Purposes of Processing
Personal data are processed exclusively for legitimate and specific purposes, including:
responding to inquiries, cooperation offers, and partnership proposals;
verifying accommodation and ensuring safe housing conditions for students;
providing legal guidance and support to students;
maintaining communication with partner institutions and universities;
managing event registration and administrative correspondence;
ensuring the functionality, security and improvement of the website;
fulfilling legal obligations imposed on OISW by Latvian and EU law.
Personal data are not processed for automated decision-making or profiling within the meaning of Article 22 GDPR.
5. Legal Basis of Processing
Depending on the context, OISW processes personal data on one or more of the following legal bases under Article 6 GDPR:
Consent (Article 6 (1)(a)) – when you voluntarily provide data through a form or e-mail.
Performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures (Article 6 (1)(b)) – when processing is required to provide assistance or verification services.
Compliance with a legal obligation (Article 6 (1)(c)) – when we must retain or disclose data to competent authorities.
Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1)(f)) – to ensure the security of our systems, prevent misuse and maintain transparent communication.
6. Data Retention
Personal data are stored only for as long as necessary to achieve the purposes for which they were collected:
General inquiries: up to 12 months after the last correspondence.
Housing- or legal-assistance files: for the duration of the case and the limitation period required by applicable law.
Technical and analytics data: retained in anonymised or aggregated form for statistical purposes for up to 26 months.
When the retention period expires, the data are securely deleted or anonymised.
7. Data Recipients and International Transfers
Personal data may be shared only with:
authorised OISW staff and contracted lawyers bound by confidentiality obligations;
partner institutions (e.g. universities or public authorities) when required to perform assistance, and only with the data subject’s consent;
technical service providers ensuring website hosting, maintenance, and e-mail communication;
competent public authorities when required by law.
OISW does not transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) unless adequate safeguards exist in accordance with Chapter V GDPR, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.
8. Security Measures
OISW applies appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. These measures include secure hosting, encrypted communication channels (HTTPS/SSL), restricted staff access, and periodic review of security practices.
9. Rights of Data Subject
Under Articles 12–23 GDPR, every individual whose personal data are processed by OISW has the following rights:
to obtain confirmation whether OISW processes their personal data and access to such data;
to request rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data;
to request erasure of personal data (“right to be forgotten”) where lawful;
to request restriction of processing;
to object to processing carried out on legitimate-interest grounds;
to receive personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (data portability);
to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
Requests may be submitted by e-mail to info@rigavibes.com. OISW will respond within one month, extendable by two months where necessary due to complexity or number of requests.
If you believe that your rights under data-protection legislation have been infringed, you may lodge a complaint with the Data State Inspectorate of the Republic of Latvia
(website: https://www.dvi.gov.lv)
or with the supervisory authority of your habitual residence within the European Union.
10. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device that allow the website to function properly and to collect anonymous statistics.
10.1 Types of Cookies Us
Strictly necessary cookies – essential for site navigation and the operation of forms and security functions.
Functional cookies – remember user preferences such as language settings.
Analytical cookies – used to measure website traffic and usage patterns (e.g. Google Analytics).
Third-party cookies – may be placed by embedded content (e.g. YouTube videos, Google Maps) to enable their functionality.
10.2 Managing Cookies
Upon your first visit, a banner informs you about the use of cookies and provides a choice to accept or manage them.
You may at any time restrict or delete cookies through your browser settings.
Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the website.
For detailed information about Google’s use of data, see:
https://policies.google.com/privacy
11. Use of Third-Party Service
OISW may employ GDPR-compliant service providers for technical operation, including but not limited to:
Google Ireland Ltd. – analytics and embedded media;
Weglot SAS – multilingual translation service;
Automattic Inc. (WordPress.com) – platform hosting and maintenance.
Each provider acts as a data processor under a contractual arrangement ensuring compliance with Articles 28–29 GDPR.
12. Updates to the Policy
OISW reserves the right to amend this Privacy and Cookies Policy at any time to reflect legal, technical or organisational changes. The updated version, indicating the date of revision, will be published on this page. Continued use of the website after such publication constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact
For any questions or requests concerning this Policy or the processing of your personal data, please contact:
Organisation for International Student Welfare (OISW)
E-mail: info@rigavibes.com
Website: https://rigavibes.co
Would you like me next to draft the cookie-banner text and the short “Privacy Notice” for forms (two-sentence footer you place under each contact or verification form to ensure compliance)?