VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM (VIS)

Under specified conditions, access to VIS data may be requestedby the European Police Office (Europol) and national law enforcementauthorities for the purposes of prevention, detection and investigationof terrorist offences or other serious criminal offences.The data entered in the VIS is subject to strict data protection rules,including Directive 95/46/EC and Regulation EC 45/2001. Data iskept for a maximum period of 5 years. This retention period startsfrom the expiry date of the issued visa, from the date a negativedecision is taken, or from the date a decision to modify an issuedvisa is taken. Any person has the right to be informed about datain the VIS related to him or her. Any person may also request thecorrection of inaccurate data and the deletion of unlawfully recordeddata related to him or her.Legal background• z Council Decision (EC) no. 2004/512 of 8 June 2004 establishingthe VIS, OJEU L213, 15.6.2004, p. 5.• z Regulation (EC) no. 767/2008 of the European Parliamentand of the Council of 9 July 2008 concerning the VIS and theexchange of data between Member States on short-stay visas(VIS Regulation), OJEU L218, 13.8.2008, p. 60.• z Council Decision 2008/633/JHA of 23 June 2008 concerningaccess for consultation of the VIS by designated authoritiesof Member States and by Europol for the purposes of theprevention, detection and investigation of terrorist offencesand of other serious criminal offences, OJEU L218, 13.8.2008,p. 129.• z Regulation (EC) no. 81/2009 of the European Parliament andof the Council of 14 January 2009 amending Regulation(EC) No 562/2006 as regards the use of the Visa InformationSystem (VIS) under the Schengen Borders Code, OJEU L35,4.2.2009, p. 56.• z Commission Decision (EC) no. 2010/49 of 30 November 2009determining the first regions for the start of operations of theVisa Information System (VIS), OJEU L23, 27.1.2010, p. 62.• z Regulation (EC) no. 810/2009 of the European Parliament andthe Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Codeon Visas (Visa Code), OJEU L243, 15.9.2009, p. 1.* This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and Greece does not assume any liability for its content.european unionFurther informationEuropean Commissionhttp://ec.europa.eu/vis