DFDS Privacy Notice
Last updated 17/10/2025
At DFDS, your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal data when you interact with us - whether you're booking a trip or a service, using our website or mobile apps, or contacting our customer service.
We are committed to handling your data responsibly and transparently, in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable laws. This means:
We only collect the personal data we need.
We use your data for clear and legitimate purposes - like managing your bookings, improving our services, and keeping you informed.
We protect your data with strong security measures.
You have rights over your data, including access, correction, and deletion.
This Privacy Notice applies to all personal data processed by DFDS Group companies when you use our services. In some cases - such as recruitment or employment - you may receive a separate, more specific privacy notice.
We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. When we do, we’ll post the changes on our website, so you always know how your data is handled.
DFDS A/S is the main organization responsible for handling your personal data. This means we decide how and why your data is processed when you interact with us.
Because DFDS operates as a group of companies across different countries, some of our affiliated companies may also act as joint data controllers. This happens when we jointly determine how your data is used - for example, when services are provided across multiple DFDS entities.
You can find the list of DFDS companies and their contact details here: DFDS office locations
Contact details for DFDS A/S (main data controller): Address: Marmorvej 18, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark CVR no.: 14 19 47 11 Phone: +45 33 42 33 42
If you have questions about how your data is handled or want to exercise your rights, you can always contact us at privacy@dfds.com.
DFDS collects personal data from a variety of data subjects through multiple channels, including our website. These data subjects include, but are not limited to:
Individual customers and prospective customers booking tickets or services;
Business customers, prospective customers and their representatives;
Employees of business customers;
Drivers employed by freight and logistics companies;
Contractors engaged for maintenance or repair services;
Crew members (in the context of crew bookings);
Employees (in the context of internal bookings);
Coach operators and their representatives;
Tour operators and affiliated personnel;
Travel agents and OTAs (Online Travel Agencies)
In addition, in the context of initiating or maintaining a business relationship, DFDS may collect personal data about:
Commercial suppliers who are private individuals;
Employees of commercial suppliers.
These individuals are collectively referred to as “you” throughout this policy. We collect personal data about you in a variety of ways to ensure a seamless service experience and to continuously improve our offerings. This includes when you:
Book travel Passenger/Freight/Logistics services with us;
Travel with us on any of our routes;
Use our websites, mobile apps, chatbots, live chats or other digital platforms;
Use third party websites / Travel agents websites;
Contact our customer service, including through:
Phone calls (e.g., via our call centres or third-party platforms/tools),
Emails,
SMS/text messages,
Social media platforms (such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X),
Online contact forms available on our websites.
We may also collect personal data when you interact with us through third-party platforms or tools used to facilitate communication and support, for call handling and customer service management.
Your data will then be processed for various purposes, including:
Bookings: To confirm, amend, or cancel bookings, send confirmations, and manage payments
Customer support: To respond to your inquiries and provide assistance
Training & quality: To improve customer service (e.g. call recordings for training)
Service delivery: To tailor services to your preferences and ensure smooth travel
Security & compliance: To prevent fraud, ensure safety, and meet legal obligations
Analytics & reporting: To understand usage patterns and improve our services
Incident handling: To manage irregularities, claims, or legal procedures
Accounting, bookkeeping, and tax compliance: in accordance with applicable financial and tax regulations
Customs: to comply with customs regulations
We only collect the data we need for these purposes and process it in accordance with the legal bases defined in the GDPR (e.g. contract performance, legal obligation, legitimate interest, or your consent). More detailed information about the purposes for which we process your data can be found below: 4.a Bookings and other services We collect personal data when you book travel via, passenger, logistics or freight services with DFDS. The type of data we collect depends on whether you are a private (B2C) or business (B2B) customer:
For individual (B2C) customers
When you book a ticket or service, we may collect personal data such as: full name, email address, phone number, postal address, passport details and date of birth, travel details (e.g. route, dates, vehicle registration number), purchase information (e.g. what you bought and when as well as payment details, IP address if booking online), special assistance needs (if applicable). We may also receive your data from third parties such as travel agents or online booking platforms. This includes your contact details and booking information. We process this data to fulfil our contract with you (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)) and for our legitimate interests in managing the booking (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)).
For business (B2B) customers
When booking ferry crossings on behalf of a company or logistics services, we may collect personal data such as: Name and contact details of the person making the booking, email address and phone number, name and contact details of the driver (for freight bookings), vehicle registration number (truck or trailer), any voluntary information provided to manage your user account (e.g. username, password). We process this data to fulfil our contract with your organisation (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)) and for our legitimate interests in managing the booking (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Additional purposes: For both (B2C and B2B) we may process customers’ personal data related to bookings, for the following purposes:
contacting customers, providing support, and communicating with customers regarding their inquiries, reservations, and services. This includes answering customer questions, providing information about products and services, and offering assistance with any issues they may encounter (We process this data to fulfil contract (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)) and for legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)),
trainings, including recording calls, reporting/analytics, customer experience for our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)),
to fulfill legal obligations to report specific information to competent public authorities, as required by applicable laws and regulations (GDPR Article 6(1)(c)),
archival (evidence) in order to secure information in the event of a legal need to prove facts, as well as to handle any claim that you may direct against the Controller (possible determination, investigation or defence against claims being the implementation of our legitimate interest) (art. 6(1)(f) GDPR)
4.b Registration, creating an account, contacting us If you register for a service, event, contest or campaign or create a personal account, we may collect personal data such as your name, address, telephone number, email address.
We may also record your login details (like username and password) and other information you provide during registration or when filling out the account form. Additional purposes: We may process personal data related to registration, account creation, and contacting us for following purposes:
to register your purchases and administer your profile in order to provide you with targeted information, offers, and products, as well as to recognize you and follow up on reservations when booking travels, as part of fulfilling our contract with you (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR),
for managing bookings, organizing contests, participation in events, and compiling statistics, based on our legitimate interests in improving services and customer engagement (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
If you are a business customer, we also collect information about your organisation.
4.c Our communication with you When you contact us via email, website chat, telephone, or social media, we may collect personal data such as your name, contact details, and the content of your message or inquiry. Purposes:
We may process personal data related to contacting us and communication preferences for the following purposes, applicable to both B2B and B2C customers:
To respond to inquiries, manage complaints, and provide customer support, as part of fulfilling our contract with you (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR).
To improve our services, train staff, and prevent fraud, based on our legitimate interests in maintaining service quality and security (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).
To send you relevant updates, offers, or alerts tailored to your preferences, if you have provided marketing consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR).
To record telephone conversations for training purposes or to prevent and combat fraud, based on our legitimate interests in ensuring service quality and security (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).
To provide you with relevant updates and information (such as opting in to newsletters or receiving alerts related to your bookings). These communications are based on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR) and are limited to the preferences you actively register. We do not use data collected through customer service interactions for marketing purposes unless explicitly agreed.
4.d Use of our websites
When you visit our websites or use our mobile apps, we automatically collect certain technical information to ensure the site functions properly and to improve your experience. Your browser or device may send us the following data: the web page you visited before landing on our site (referrer URL), the name and URL of any files you download, the date and time of your visit, the amount of data transferred, your browser type and version, your IP address, your device’s visitor status (e.g. successful page load or error). We process this information for the following purposes:
technical functionality, troubleshooting, and statistical analysis; legal basis: our legitimate interest in maintaining and improving our digital services (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)).
If you provide personal data through our website, for example, when making a booking, submitting a contact form, or requesting a service, we will only use that data for the specific purpose you provided it; legal basis: this is necessary to fulfil our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)), unless you have given explicit consent for other uses).
We also use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and collect additional information. For more details, please refer to our Cookie Policy. 4.e Marketing and browsing behaviour DFDS uses your personal data to provide you with relevant information, improve your experience across our digital platforms, and ensure our communications are tailored to your interests – always in accordance with your preferences and applicable data protection laws. Marketing activities may be directed toward both B2C and B2B customers.
a. Marketing communications
If you give us your consent, we may send you:
Newsletters with travel inspiration, updates, and offers
Promotional emails about new routes, services, or seasonal campaigns
Reminders about incomplete bookings or upcoming trips
Invitations to participate in surveys, competitions, or events
Relevant product or service updates, and industry-specific content
We may personalise these communications based on:
Your contact details (e.g. name, email, phone number, location)
Your travel and purchase history (e.g. routes, frequency, price)
Your communication preferences
Your browsing behaviour on our websites and apps
Your explicit consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)) is required for direct marketing. We may also rely on legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f)) for general customer insights and service improvement, including the “soft opt-in” for existing customers. You can opt out of marketing at any time by:
Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email
Updating your account preferences
Completing the form: Customer request form | DFDS Privacy Notice | DFDS
Contacting us at privacy@dfds.com
b. Browsing Behaviour and Tracking (Cookies) We use cookies and similar technologies to understand how you interact with our websites, mobile apps, and emails. This helps us:
Improve site performance and usability
Analyse user behaviour and preferences
Tailor content and offers to your interests
Measure the effectiveness of our campaigns
We rely on your consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)) for tracking and analytics via cookies, in accordance with the ePrivacy Directive. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time via our Cookie Policy. With your consent, we may collect:
Pages visited, time spent, and clicks
Device and browser type, IP address and approximate location
Email open and click-through rates
We may combine this data with other information we hold about you (e.g. bookings or profile data) to create a more personalised experience. If you consent to marketing cookies (cf. Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), you may receive personalised ads on platforms like Meta, Google, and Pinterest. To support this, DFDS shares pseudonymised identifiers - such as your email, phone number, IP address, or booking reference - with these platforms in hashed (pseudonymised) form, making the data unreadable before sharing. These platforms use the hashed data to check if you have an account and to match ads you've interacted with. They then provide DFDS with aggregated campaign performance insights. We may also use your booking or interaction data to define target audiences or create “lookalike” audiences, helping us reach users with similar profiles. DFDS maintains joint controller agreements where required (e.g. with Meta) and complies with all relevant privacy regulations.
For more details on how these platforms use your data and how to manage your ad preferences, please refer to their respective privacy policies.
c. Advertising, audiences and mobile apps When you use our mobile apps or interact with us on social media, we may request access to certain features on your device, such as:
Location – to suggest nearby ports or services
Photos or contacts – only if needed for specific app features
Social media profile – if you log in via platforms like Facebook or Instagram
We may also share limited personal information (e.g. e-mail, phone number, name and address) in hashed form with advertising platforms such as Meta, Google and Pinterest, for example. This data is used in Meta to:
Match your data for ad targeting
Measure how well our ads perform
Build “lookalike audiences” (groups with similar interests to our existing users)
This data is used in Pinterest to:
Match conversions to Pinterest activities – hashed email is removed after matching.
And in Google this is used to:
Link ad clicks or views to actual purchases
Improve how we measure ad effectiveness
Generate anonymous performance reports
Google processes this data under strict confidentiality and does not use it to identify you personally or share it with other advertisers. All data is encrypted and handled according to Google’s Limited Data Use policy. We use this data only with your explicit consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). You can manage or withdraw your consent at any time via our cookie settings or privacy dashboard. For more details, please see our Cookie Policy. d. Predictive audiences and AI/ML technologies
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies, including features provided by our Customer Data Platform (CDP), to analyse customer behaviour and build predictive audiences. These technologies help us personalise our services, improve the relevance of our marketing, and optimise customer engagement. We only use your data for these purposes in accordance with applicable data protection laws. Your data is not shared with third parties for their own model training. Where required, we rely on your explicit consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)) for marketing-related profiling, and on legitimate interest (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) or contractual necessity (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)) for service optimisation and analytics. We ensure that no sensitive or special category data is used in these processes, and we maintain appropriate safeguards to protect your privacy. 4.g Unruly behaviour and misuse of our services / Security and safety onboard
At DFDS, the safety and well-being of all passengers, crew, and vessels is a top priority. In rare cases where a passenger’s behaviour poses a risk, we may take steps to prevent future incidents. We restrict travel if a passenger has previously:
Endangered the safety of themselves, others, or the vessel
Displayed aggressive, threatening, or inappropriate behaviour
Failed to comply with safety regulations or crew instructions
They may be placed on an internal watchlist and temporarily restricted from booking or travelling with DFDS. This decision is made following a thorough internal investigation and in accordance with our Terms & Conditions. In such cases, we may register the passenger’s name and contact details, details of the incident and the duration of the travel restriction. This data is used to enforce the restriction and is not shared beyond what is necessary for operational and legal purposes. This processing is based on DFDS’s legitimate interest in ensuring safety and preventing future incidents (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)).
DFDS is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of children and young people. We only collect and process children’s data when necessary for travel or service delivery, and we apply strict safeguards in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Children’s data is used only for the purpose of:
Booking and delivering travel services, providing special care or assistance if needed, based on contractual necessity (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)) – to provide travel services,
Ensuring safety and compliance with legal requirements, to comply with safety and transport regulations (GDPR Article 6(1)(c)),
We apply strong security measures, including encryption and restricted access, to protect children’s data from unauthorised access or misuse.
The data we may collect includes child’s name and date of birth, travel details and booking reference, special assistance needs, contact details of parents, guardians, or designated adults (for unaccompanied minors).
Parents or legal guardians have the GDPR rights including to access their child’s data, correct or delete inaccurate information. To exercise these rights, please contact us by customer request form: Customer request form | DFDS Privacy notice | DFDS or at privacy@dfds.com.
If you would like to learn more about travel rules for children and young people, please refer to our Terms and Conditions.
DFDS uses cookies and similar technologies on our websites and booking systems to enhance your experience, analyse usage, and deliver personalised content.
For detailed information about the types of cookies we use, how they work, and how you can manage your preferences, please refer to our Cookie Policy.
DFDS is committed to protecting your personal data and only shares it with third parties, when necessary, lawful, and secure. We ensure that all data sharing is governed by appropriate safeguards and agreements.
We may share your personal data within the DFDS Group to manage bookings and customer service, coordinate operations across regions or ensure consistent service delivery. We have robust internal policies to ensure data protection regardless of its location within DFDS. All DFDS entities follow the same data protection standards.
We use trusted third-party providers to support our services, including payment processors, IT hosting and cloud services, customer service platforms or marketing and analytics providers.
These providers mostly act as data processors and are contractually bound to process your data only on our instructions and in compliance with GDPR.
We may share data with third-party service providers, partners, and platforms as described in the Advertising, Audiences and Mobile Apps section, where you have provided consent.
If required by law, DFDS may disclose your personal data to authorities or courts to comply with legal obligations (cf. Article 6(1)(c) GDPR).
For specific services, apps, events, contests, or campaigns, we may share your data with third parties beyond those described in this notice. We will inform you of such sharing when you register for the service, event, contest, or campaign, or when you download the app.
DFDS ensures all third-party sharing complies with data protection laws and involves only trustworthy parties. We strive to inform you clearly about the uses and possible disclosures of your information at the point of collection or as soon as possible thereafter, unless legally exempt.
DFDS may transfer your personal data to countries outside your country of residence, including countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), in order to provide services, manage bookings, or support business operations. Your data may be transferred internationally when:
You book travel involving multiple countries
Our group companies or partners operate from other jurisdictions
Our service providers (e.g. IT support, cloud hosting) are located outside the EEA
We ensure that all international data transfers are carried out with appropriate safeguards, including:
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
Data Processing Agreements with third parties
Additional technical and organisational measures, such as encryption and access controls
These safeguards ensure that your personal data receives a level of protection equivalent to that required under the GDPR. DFDS primarily uses external data hosting providers with data centres located within the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA). However, in certain cases, personal data may be accessed or processed from countries outside the EU/EEA, including but not limited to the United States. In such instances, DFDS ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission or other legally recognised mechanisms, to ensure an adequate level of data protection in accordance with Chapter V of the GDPR.
DFDS retains your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations, respond to your inquiries, comply with legal requirements, and support legitimate business interests. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the purpose for which it was collected. General retention principles:
We retain data only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected.
Where required by law, we retain data for longer periods to meet regulatory obligations.
If we have a legitimate interest (e.g. in the event of a legal dispute), we may retain data beyond the standard period.
The data retention rules for individual processes at DFDS are presented below: a. Booking information Personal data related to bookings is retained for a period corresponding to the time during which DFDS may be subject to legal claims. This includes data such as name, contact details, travel history, and payment records. Retention period is up to 5 years, unless a longer period is required by law or justified by a specific case. b. Personal profiles and email subscriptions If you create a DFDS profile or subscribe to our email services, we retain your data to facilitate future bookings and communications. Our data will be retained until you delete your profile or unsubscribe from communications. Profiles that remain inactive for 3 years will be automatically deleted to maintain data accuracy. c. Call recordings In some countries, customer service calls are recorded for documentation and quality assurance. Retention period is up to 2 years, depending on local legal requirements. d. Onboard purchase data We may ask for your boarding card when you make purchases onboard to gather statistics. Data used for statistical purposes is anonymised or deleted once no longer needed. e. Marketing consent If you register a personal profile or subscribe to a DFDS e-mail service, we will store your personal data until you delete the profile, unsubscribe from our marketing emails, or stop engaging with our marketing emails, at which time we will reach out to you to see if you’d still like to receive them. If you do not respond after 2 weeks, we will unsubscribe you from marketing emails. To ensure we have updated information about our customers, we will periodically encourage you to make necessary changes in your profile. If your profile has not been used or activated for 3 years, we will delete it.
At DFDS, we take the security of your personal data seriously. We implement a range of technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration.
We protect your data by:
Encryption: All personal data entered during the booking process is encrypted using secure server software (SSL/TLS) before transmission.
Secure Payment Processing: When you make a payment online, you are redirected to a secure payment page operated by our trusted payment service provider. DFDS does not process or store your payment card details.
Access Controls: Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel only and is governed by strict internal policies.
Monitoring and Testing: We regularly monitor our systems and conduct security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Payment Security
All online payments are processed by certified third-party providers who comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). If you have questions about how your payment data is handled, DFDS can assist by contacting the payment provider on your behalf. Incident Response
In the unlikely event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will:
Notify the relevant supervisory authority without undue delay
Inform affected individuals when required by law
Take immediate steps to mitigate the impact and prevent recurrence
You may contact DFDS to exercise any of the rights you are granted under applicable data protection laws, including
(A) the right to access your data and rectification,
(B) to erase your data,
(C) to restrict the processing of your data,
(D) the right to data portability,
(E) the right to object to processing, and
(F) the right to withdraw of consent.
(A) Right to access and rectification: You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal data or ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. There are some exemptions, which means you may not always receive all the information we process but as a main rule you can always contact us and ask for your information. (B) Right to erasure: You can ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. (C) Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information and a similar right to object to processing. (D) Right to data portability: You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (data portability). (E) Right to object You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. This means you may ask us to no longer process your personal data. This only applies if the 'legitimate interests' ground (including profiling) constitutes the legal basis for processing. You can object to direct marketing at any time and at no cost to you if your personal data is processed for this purpose, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to direct marketing. If you exercise this right, we will no longer process your personal data for such purposes. (F) Right to withdrawal of consent You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. To facilitate this process, we provide clear and straightforward instructions for each type of consent you have given:
Email communications: Click the unsubscribe link provided in any of our emails to stop receiving further communications.
Account preferences: Adjust your communication preferences within your account settings (if available).
Mobile notifications: Change your smartphone settings to manage push notifications and location data.
For additional assistance, you can always contact DFDS directly. For detailed information on withdrawing consent for cookies and similar technologies used on our websites and mobile apps, please refer to our Cookie Policy. Limitations and conditions There may be conditions or limitations on these rights. It is therefore not certain e.g. you have the right of data portability in a specific case - this depends on the specific circumstances of the processing activity. You are always welcome to contact us and ask. The same goes for some of the other rights. Specifically, for EES/ETIAS and UK ETA DFDS may store response codes received from the Entry/Exit System (EES), the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), and the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) systems to fulfil legal obligations. However, certain exemptions to data subject rights may apply under EU and UK law. These exemptions may limit the ability to exercise rights such as access, deletion, or rectification in specific circumstances, including:
National security
Law enforcement
Public interest
Confidentiality obligations
Operational necessity
Historical, statistical, or research purposes
Accuracy and integrity of data
DFDS may act as an independent controller when storing response codes received from the Entry/Exit System (EES), the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), and the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) systems to fulfil legal obligations. In this context, DFDS assesses data subject rights requests in accordance with applicable EU and UK data protection laws. Where DFDS is not the original source of the data or is legally restricted from fulfilling a request, individuals will be advised to contact the relevant authority directly:
For EES and ETIAS: eu-LISA
For UK ETA: UK Home Office
All data subject requests received by DFDS will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and where applicable, DFDS will provide guidance or redirect the request to the competent authority.
You are always welcome to contact us regarding the data we have registered and request a description of the personal information we have collected and processed and the types of recipients - to whom DFDS is, or could, disclose that information.
You are also welcome to contact us if you would like us to correct, erase or block inaccurate information. DFDS always attempts to respond valid requests as quickly as possible.
If you would like us to erase your information, please fill out this form.
We kindly ask you to send any requests or questions to privacy@dfds.com.
If you have signed up to receive our e-mail newsletter, you can always unsubscribe via the link in the newsletter or by contacting DFDS on the above email address.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, or you want to obtain insight into personal data held about you, you may contact us via privacy@dfds.com.
If you prefer to contact your local call centre, you shall be more than welcome to do so. They will then assist you with your questions.
If your concerns have not been addressed satisfactorily, you have the right to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. If you want to submit a complaint, we refer you to the following:
Datatilsynet (The Danish Data Protection Agency) Carl Jacobsens Vej 35 2500 Valby
We may revise this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Updates may be made to:
Introduce new features or services
Comply with changes in applicable laws
Clarify or improve how we explain our practices
When we make significant changes, we will take reasonable steps to inform affected individuals through appropriate channels, depending on the nature and impact of the change. This may include:
Posting a notice on our website
Displaying a banner or notification within our digital platforms
Sending email notifications to individuals whose contact details we hold
Providing in-app messages for users of our mobile applications
For general changes, we will update the “last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Notice and consider that sufficient notice.
By continuing to use our website or services after an update, you acknowledge and accept the revised Privacy Notice. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.