Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

ExpatStarterGuide ("we", "us", "our") is an online platform that provides personalised expat relocation guides. Our website is expatstarterguide.com.

Data controller: [PLACEHOLDER: legal entity name, registered address, country of establishment]. For privacy enquiries, contact us at privacy@expatstarterguide.com.

2. Data we collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

• •Account data: email address and password when you register. We store a hashed password — never the plaintext.
• •Profile data: destination country, arrival date, nationality, family situation, employment type — collected via the onboarding wizard to personalise your checklist.
• •Usage data: task completion progress, supporter status, notification preferences, forum posts and reactions.
• •Payment data: Ko-fi processes supporter contributions. We do not store card numbers. When you contribute, Ko-fi shares your name, email address, contribution amount and any message with us so we can email your activation code and unlock premium access.
• •Contact form data: name, email, and message content when you use the contact form.

3. How we use your data

• •To provide and personalise the ExpatStarterGuide service
• •To send deadline reminder emails (only if you opt in)
• •To process supporter contributions via Ko-fi and email your activation code
• •To respond to support enquiries

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising profiling.

We may use tracking cookies (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use the site. These cookies are off by default and only load after you give explicit consent. When enabled, usage data (page views, session duration, approximate location) is shared with the tracking provider. You can opt out at any time via Cookie Settings in the footer.

4. Legal basis for processing (GDPR)

• •Contract: processing your profile data to deliver the personalised service you signed up for.
• •Legitimate interest: service security and fraud prevention.
• •Consent: email notifications and tracking cookies (off by default, opt-in only).

5. Data retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. You may delete your account at any time via your profile page, which permanently removes all personal data within 30 days. Payment records are retained for 7 years as required by law.

6. Third-party services

• •Supabase: database, authentication, and hosting. Data is stored on Supabase-managed infrastructure.
• •Ko-fi: supporter contribution processing. When you contribute, Ko-fi shares your name, email, amount and message with us. Subject to Ko-fi's privacy policy.
• •Google Fonts: web fonts loaded from Google servers. Subject to Google's privacy policy.
• •Netlify: site hosting and CDN delivery.
• •Tracking providers (consent-based): we may use analytics services such as Google Analytics to understand site usage. These only activate after you consent to tracking cookies. Data shared includes page views, session duration, device type, and approximate location. Subject to the respective provider's privacy policy.

7. Your rights (GDPR)

If you are in the EEA or UK, you have the right to: access your data, correct inaccurate data, request deletion, restrict or object to processing, and data portability. To exercise these rights, email privacy@expatstarterguide.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

8. Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies to keep you signed in and store your preferences (such as dark mode and cookie consent choice). These are required for the site to function and do not require consent.

We may also use tracking cookies (e.g. Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use the site. Tracking cookies are off by default and are only set after you explicitly opt in via the cookie consent banner. They are never pre-ticked. You can withdraw consent at any time via Cookie Settings in the footer, after which tracking scripts stop loading.

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time via the Cookie Settings link in the site footer, or view our full Cookie Policy for details on each cookie category.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or a prominent notice on the Service. The "Last updated" date at the top will always reflect the most recent revision.

10. Contact

For privacy questions: privacy@expatstarterguide.com. For general enquiries: contact page.