Freedom of information (UK)

Ask a UK public authority for recorded information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

UK: FOIA 2000 / ICO.

EU: not FOIA — use your member state’s access-to-documents law or Reg. 1049/2001 for EU bodies.

You do not have to mention the Freedom of Information Act. A request is valid if it is in writing, uses a real name, gives an address for correspondence (email is fine), and describes the information you want.

  • We treat any written request that meets those points as an FOI request.
  • The 20-working-day clock starts when the organisation receives it, not when it reaches the FOI officer. An acknowledgement does not itself meet section 10.
  • We must confirm or deny whether we hold the information, and communicate it, unless an exemption, the section 12 cost limit, or section 14 (vexatious or repeated) applies.

This is not a GDPR data-subject request. If you want your own personal data, use the data subject request form.

Go to the GDPR data subject request form instead

Your details

FOIA requires a real name, not a pseudonym.
Postal address, or leave this blank if you will use email as the address for correspondence.

The information you want

EIR is related UK environmental-information law. It is not merged with GDPR timescales.

Check FOI request status

Data Protection Officer Portal

This Data Protection Officer Portal comprises several components designed to assist data protection officers perform their duties and engage with data subjects.