01Who we are
VI Ship (“VI Ship”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is a shipping agency and logistics solutions provider operating in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
We are the personal data controller responsible for the personal data described in this policy. We are committed to handling personal data with the same accuracy, transparency, and accountability that we apply to every vessel call and shipment we manage.
02Scope of this policy
This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, transfer, store, and protect personal data when you:
- visit or use our website at viship.co;
- submit an enquiry, request a quotation, or appoint us in connection with a vessel call or cargo movement;
- correspond with us by email, telephone, or messaging services;
- act as a contact person for a customer, supplier, carrier, port authority, or other business partner; or
- apply for a position with us or otherwise interact with our business.
It should be read together with our Terms of Use and with any contract or engagement terms agreed between us.
03Personal data we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:
- Identity and contact data — name, job title, employer or organisation, business email address, business telephone number, and postal address.
- Operational and commercial data — details contained in enquiries, bookings, instructions, cargo and vessel documentation, correspondence, and service records, where these include personal data such as the names and contact details of shippers, consignees, masters, crew, drivers, or agents.
- Crew and personnel data — where we act as agent in connection with crew changes, supplies, or shore leave, we may process crew names, nationality, passport or seafarer document numbers, and travel details, strictly for the purpose of completing the required port and immigration formalities.
- Technical data — IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, time zone setting, and referring pages, collected automatically when you visit our website.
- Usage data — information about how you use our website, including pages viewed and time spent.
- Recruitment data — where you apply for a role, the contents of your CV and application, including employment history, qualifications, and references.
We do not seek to collect sensitive personal data through our website. Where sensitive personal data is required for a specific operational or regulatory purpose — for example, certain crew documentation — we will process it only where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent.
04How we collect personal data
We collect personal data:
- directly from you, when you contact us, submit an enquiry, appoint us, or provide documentation in the course of a shipment or vessel call;
- from your organisation, where a colleague provides your details as an operational or commercial contact;
- from third parties, including shipowners, charterers, carriers, freight forwarders, port authorities, customs authorities, and other logistics partners, where this is necessary to perform our services; and
- automatically, through cookies and similar technologies when you use our website.
05Why we process personal data
We process personal data only for defined purposes, as set out below.
| Purpose | Data used | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to enquiries and preparing quotations | Identity and contact data; operational data | Steps taken at your request prior to entering a contract |
| Performing shipping agency and logistics services, including port formalities, documentation, and customs coordination | Identity and contact data; operational and commercial data; crew data | Performance of a contract; compliance with legal obligation |
| Complying with maritime, customs, immigration, tax, and other regulatory obligations | Operational, commercial, and crew data | Compliance with legal obligation |
| Managing accounts, invoicing, and disbursement | Identity and contact data; commercial data | Performance of a contract; legitimate business interest |
| Maintaining the security, integrity, and performance of our website and systems | Technical and usage data | Legitimate business interest |
| Sending service updates, market information, or other communications you have asked to receive | Identity and contact data | Consent |
| Assessing job applications | Recruitment data | Steps taken at your request prior to entering a contract; consent |
| Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims | Any relevant category | Legitimate business interest; compliance with legal obligation |
We will not use personal data for a materially different purpose without first informing you and, where required, obtaining your consent.
06Consent and legal basis
Where Vietnamese law requires your consent for a particular processing activity, we will obtain that consent clearly and separately, and we will record it. Consent is given voluntarily and you may withdraw it at any time by contacting us at info@viship.co. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal, and it does not affect processing that we are required or permitted to carry out on another basis — for example, where we must retain records to meet a customs, tax, or maritime regulatory obligation.
07Cookies and analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly, to remember your preferences, and to help us understand how the site is used.
Categories of cookies we use
- Strictly necessary cookies — required for the website to function, including security and load balancing. These cannot be switched off.
- Preference cookies — remember choices such as language, so that we can present the site consistently.
- Analytics cookies — help us measure how visitors use the site so that we can improve it. Confirm Analytics Provider
Where required, non-essential cookies are set only after you have given consent through our cookie banner. You may change or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time, and you can configure your browser to refuse or delete cookies — though some parts of the site may then not function as intended.
08Disclosure to third parties
We do not sell personal data. We disclose personal data only where it is necessary, and only to the following categories of recipient:
- Operational partners — shipowners, operators, carriers, freight forwarders, terminal and port operators, stevedores, hauliers, warehouse operators, and overseas agents, where disclosure is required to perform the services.
- Authorities — port, maritime, customs, immigration, and tax authorities in Vietnam and, where relevant, abroad, in accordance with applicable law.
- Professional advisers — lawyers, auditors, insurers, and other advisers, where necessary and subject to duties of confidentiality.
- Service providers — IT, hosting, communications, and business-support providers acting as processors on our instructions and bound by written obligations of confidentiality and security.
- Corporate transactions — a prospective buyer or successor entity, where we reorganise, merge, or transfer part of our business, subject to appropriate safeguards.
09International transfers
Shipping is by nature an international activity. Personal data may be transferred outside Vietnam where this is necessary to perform our services — for example, to overseas agents, carriers, or authorities at the port of loading or discharge.
Where we transfer personal data outside Vietnam, we do so in accordance with Decree No. 13/2023/ND-CP, including by preparing and submitting a transfer impact assessment dossier where required, and by putting appropriate contractual and security safeguards in place with the recipient.
10Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, customs, or reporting requirements, and to establish or defend legal claims.
In determining the appropriate retention period we consider the nature and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, the purposes of processing, and applicable statutory retention periods under Vietnamese commercial, accounting, customs, and maritime law. When personal data is no longer required, we delete it securely or irreversibly anonymise it.
11Security
We maintain technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. These include access controls, encryption of data in transit, secured hosting, confidentiality obligations for staff and contractors, and internal procedures for handling personal data.
Access to personal data is limited to those employees, agents, and contractors who have a business need to know, and who are subject to a duty of confidentiality. We maintain procedures for dealing with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and the competent authority where we are legally required to do so.
12Your rights
Subject to the conditions and exceptions set out in Decree No. 13/2023/ND-CP and other applicable law, you have the right to:
- be informed about the processing of your personal data;
- access the personal data we hold about you and request a copy;
- correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
- withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
- delete your personal data in the circumstances provided by law;
- restrict processing of your personal data;
- object to processing, including for direct marketing purposes;
- request that data be provided to you or, where applicable, transferred;
- complain, denounce, or initiate proceedings in accordance with the law; and
- claim compensation for damage caused by a violation of your personal data rights.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@viship.co. We may need to verify your identity before responding, and we will reply within the period required by applicable law. Exercising these rights is free of charge, although we may charge a reasonable fee or decline to act where a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent authority in Vietnam, currently the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05) under the Ministry of Public Security.
13Marketing communications
Where you have consented, we may send you service updates, market information, or other communications relevant to shipping and logistics in Vietnam. Every such message includes a simple means of unsubscribing, and you may also opt out at any time by contacting us. Opting out of marketing does not stop operational communications relating to a vessel call, shipment, or contract in progress.
14Children's data
Our website and services are directed at businesses and are not intended for children. We do not knowingly collect personal data relating to children. If you believe that a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
15Third-party websites
Our website may link to third-party sites, plug-ins, and applications. Following those links may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every site you visit.
16Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operations, technology, or applicable law. The current version is the one published on this page, with the effective date shown at the top. Where a change is material, we will take reasonable steps to notify you in advance.