What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website saves in your browser. Browser storage (localStorage and sessionStorage) does a similar job but stays on your device and isn't sent to us. The law treats both the same way: anything that isn't strictly needed to run the site or to give you something you asked for needs your consent first.
Always on: needed to run the site
These don't track you across websites and aren't used for advertising. The site can't work properly, or can't remember what you asked it to remember, without them, so they don't need your consent.
| Name | Set by | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
euConsent (browser storage) | Europe Unlocked | Remembers whether you accepted or rejected analytics, so we don't ask on every page. | 12 months, then we ask again |
euSubscribed, euToolsUnlocked (browser storage) | Europe Unlocked | Remembers that you already signed up to The Unlock on this device, so we stop showing you the same signup box. | Until you clear your browser data |
eu-xx-checklist, eu-*-source (browser storage) | Europe Unlocked | Saves your ticks on the relocation checklists and your choices on a few guide pages, only on your device. We never see them. | Until you clear your browser data |
eu_sticky_dismissed (session storage) | Europe Unlocked | Remembers that you closed the newsletter bar on the homepage. | Until you close the tab |
__cf_bm and similar | Cloudflare (our host) | Security cookies Cloudflare may set to tell people from bots and keep the site up. Not used to track you. | Up to 30 minutes |
Only with your consent: analytics
If you click "Accept", we load Google Analytics 4 and the Meta pixel. It tells us how many people visit, which pages they read, which country they're browsing from and roughly what device they use. We use that to decide which guides to update and which countries to cover next. Advertising and ad-personalisation features are switched off on this site, and Google says Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses. If you click "Reject", or ignore the banner, neither script is loaded at all.
| Name | Set by | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Tells one visitor apart from another, using a random ID, so we can count visitors rather than page loads. | 2 years |
_ga_SB5LMR85GT | Google Analytics | Keeps track of the current visit (session), so we can see which pages were read in one sitting. | 2 years |
_fbp | Meta (Facebook) pixel | Tells one browser apart from another so Meta can match visits to our Facebook and Instagram pages and ads. | 3 months |
_fbc | Meta (Facebook) pixel | Records that you arrived from a Facebook or Instagram link, so a visit can be matched to the post or ad you clicked. | 3 months |
The Meta pixel is a small piece of code from Meta Platforms Ireland Limited. It tells Meta that a browser visited a page on this site, which lets us show our guides to people with similar interests on Facebook and Instagram and see whether those posts brought anyone here. We do not send Meta your name, email address or anything you type into a form. Meta acts as a joint controller for the data it collects this way; you can read Meta's privacy policy and its controller addendum.
Google Analytics is provided by Google Ireland Limited. Google may process the data in the United States; Google LLC is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. You can read how Google uses data from sites that use its services.
Things that only load when you click them
Some pages show videos, posts or podcasts from YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Apple Podcasts. We show a placeholder first, and nothing is loaded from those services until you press play or "load". Once you do, that service may set its own cookies under its own policy. YouTube videos use YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com).
Links to partners such as Currencies Direct, and to the creators we list, take you to their websites, where their own cookie policies apply. The partner banners on our pages are images hosted by us and don't set cookies. When you use one of our /go/ links, we count the click on our own server (the date, the link, the page you came from and your country as reported by Cloudflare). No cookie is set and we don't store your IP address.
Other services that see your visit but don't set cookies
Pages use fonts from Google Fonts and video thumbnails from YouTube's image server, so your browser asks Google for those files and Google sees your IP address. Cloudflare Web Analytics counts page views without cookies or any cross-site tracking. When you subscribe to The Unlock, your email address and the choices you tick are sent to a Google Form that we own; we use them only to send the newsletter you asked for.
Changing your mind
Use the "Cookie settings" link at the bottom of any page, or the button at the top of this page, to accept or reject these cookies at any time. If you reject after accepting, we delete the Google Analytics and Meta pixel cookies we set on this site. We ask again every 12 months. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the site still works if you do.
Who we are and how to contact us
Europe Unlocked is operated by Algarve Addicts LDA (NIF 518185559), Corotelo, São Brás de Alportel, Portugal, which is responsible for the data described on this page. For any question about cookies or your data, email [email protected]. If you're not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Portuguese data protection authority, the Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados (CNPD), or to the authority where you live.
Changes to this policy
If we add or remove a cookie, we update this page and the date at the top. If we ever add a new type of optional cookie, we'll ask for your consent again before it's used.