How long does an agency have to respond to my request?

Once you've made a request for your personal information, the agency has up to 20 working days to respond (although this doesn’t include public holidays and the period between 25 December and 15 January). If you need your information quickly, you should tell the agency about this when you make your request and explain why (see our article about making urgent requests).

The agency’s response needs to provide you with a decision about whether or not it will be providing the information you requested. It doesn’t necessarily have to include the information, although often the information will be provided at the same time.

If an agency tells you it is going to provide the information you requested, and doesn’t include this with its response to you, it must provide the information without undue delay.

If an agency tells you it is not going to provide the information you’ve requested, it must explain which withholding ground it is relying on to refuse your request, and must let you know you can ask us to review this decision.

We suggest that you contact the agency and ask to speak to their privacy officer to see if you can resolve the matter directly.

If you’re not able to resolve the issue for whatever reason you can also make a complaint to us.