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Make a Subject Access Request

You have the right to ask us what personal information we hold about you, how we are using it, who we are sharing it with and to request a copy of it. This is called a Subject Access Request (SAR).

What can I ask for?

You can ask for all the information we hold about you. But it doesn't mean you will get all the information we have about you.

  • You won’t usually get full copies of documents or emails—only the parts that contain your personal information.
  • You’re entitled to information about you, not entire documents that just mention you.
  • Information that isn’t about you may be removed or blacked out.
  • You might not receive everything you expect. For example, some information may be exempt, or outside the scope of a Subject Access Request—we’ll explain if this applies.
  • We can refuse a request if it is excessive, repeated, or clearly made without proper reason.

Read the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) guide to getting copies of your information.

How do I make a Subject Access Request?

The easiest way is to download and complete our Subject Access Request Form (Word), as this helps us find your information quickly. If you prefer not to use the form, you can also contact us directly.

To protect your information, we will need to check your identity. You'll need to provide one form of ID alongside your request. This may include documents such as:

  • a passport
  • driving licence
  • birth certificate
  • university staff or student card
  • another recognised form of ID

You can ask someone else to make a request for you. If they do, we will need proof of your identity and written permission (or legal authority).

How to send your request

  • Email: legal@liverpool.ac.uk
  • Post: Data Protection Team, Legal & Governance, University of Liverpool, Hart Building, Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5TQ. 

We will keep records of our correspondence with you. We do this to meet our legal obligations, to check compliance, and to monitor demand. See our Information Compliance Privacy Notice.

Fees and timescales

  • Requests are usually free. We may charge a reasonable fee for repeat requests for the same information.
  • We will respond within 30 days of receiving and verifying your request. We will tell you the response date in your acknowledgment email or letter (depending on how you made your request).
  • If your request is complex, we may extend this by up to two further months. We will let you know if this applies.

If you are unhappy with our response

  • If you are unhappy with out response, you can ask the University to review it.
  • If you are still unhappy after this, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Guidance on how to do this is available at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.

Last updated: 11 June 2026