Terms and conditions related to registration and participation in language courses and exams
French institute in Latvia
5/12/2023
1.PROCEDURE OF REGISTRATION FOR LANGUAGE COURSES AND EXAMS
1.1 The course participant or DELF-DALF, DFP or TEF exam candidate (hereinafter "student") registers directly on the registration platform of the French Institute of Latvia (hereinafter "Institute") accessible via the Institute's website www.institut-francais.lv during the registration periods announced in advance on the Institute's website www.institut-francais.lv. The creation of a user account on the platform is compulsory. Registration is valid only after payment of the invoice issued at the time of registration.
1.2 By registering, the student accepts the general conditions of registration and participation in courses and examinations, as well as the Institute's privacy policy, as set out below.
1.3 The minimum age for personal enrolment is 18. Minors must be registered by a parent or legal guardian.
1.4 An online placement test is compulsory for students who are not beginners in French, who have never taken a course at the Institut, or who were last enrolled more than 12 months ago. The placement test is free of charge when registering for one of the Institute's courses.
2.PRICES AND TERMS OF PAYMENT
2.1 The applicable prices correspond to the rates in force on the day of registration and specified in the Institute's communication media and in particular in the course menu on the Institute's website www.institut-francais.lv.
2.2 Course fees do not include the cost of acquiring the textbook and activity book, which can be purchased at the "Globuss" bookshop, Vaļņu 26 street or online at www.gramatnicaglobuss.lv.
2.3 Payment for courses must be made in full within 5 calendar days after receiving the invoice, and in any case before the course begins, failing which the Institute reserves the right to cancel the place reserved in the group.
2.4 If the course has begun, payment for the entire session is due
2.5 Upon a justified request sent to the language center (kursi@institut-francais.lv), the Institute may grant a payment in 2 (two) instalments to students re-enrolling in a course. The Institute reserves the right to exclude the student from the course if the second payment is late. In all cases, the student undertakes to pay the full amount within the period indicated on the invoice.
2.6 If the Institute offers a reduced rate requiring proof of status (e.g. student, unemployed, retired), the document justifying the status must be sent to kursi@institut-francais.lv.
2.7 Payment for official certifications is due in full at the time of exam registration, and must be made within 5 calendar days after receiving the invoice and before the registration deadline. If this is not the case, the language center reserves the right to cancel the exam registration.
2.8 Students who register for both the course and the DELF-DALF exam receive a 10% discount on the DELF-DALF exam.
2.9 Legal entities benefit from a 10% discount on orders of 10 or more DELF-DALF exams.
2.10 Payment for courses and exams can be made by bank transfer or by the Institute gift card. Payment is in euros.
3.ORGANISATION OF COURSES AND EXAMS
3.1 The number of participants vary from 5 to 12. This may differ according to the type of course or the age of the students. In exceptional cases, the number of students in a group may rise to 14, due to the closure of another group. Mini group courses can be organized at a higher rate, adjusted to the number of students.
3.2 Requests to change groups must be made in writing to the language center secretary (kursi@institut-francais.lv) and are subject to availability. If the price of the new group is higher, the difference must be paid before you can attend the new course. Changing to a course with a lower price does not entitle the student to a credit note or refund.
3.3 In the event of absence, and subject to availability, it is possible to make up a session by joining another course of the same format and level during a different time slot. The student must then inform the language center 2 (two) working days in advance in order to organize the substitution with another group.
3.4. Enrolment in a group course cannot be converted into enrolment in an individual course once the course has started.
3.5 When a teacher is unable to teach a course for personal or medical reasons, the Institute undertakes to do everything in its power to find a replacement. In the event of cancellation, the course will be rescheduled for another date.
3.6 Classes are taught by local, native-speaking teachers. The Institute reserves the right to change the teacher during the session if deemed necessary.
3.7 At the end of the general course session, an end-of-session test is organized to allow students to advance to the next level. A certificate of course completion can be issued at the end of the session in French, Latvian or English on request from the language center (kursi@institut-francais.lv).
3.8 Courses are suspended on official holidays and when the Institute is closed. Courses scheduled on these days are rescheduled.
4.ORGANIZATION OF THE EXAMS
4.1 It is the student's responsibility to check that the information provided by them (spelling of name, date of birth, etc.) when registering for the exam is correct, and corresponds exactly to what appears on their personal ID. The same information will appear on the final certificate. Once the diploma has been printed, any change of information will entail an additional cost.
4.2 Invitations to the official examinations, including dates, times, locations and examination procedures, are sent to students one week before the examination date. Results are announced approximately one month after the examination session, and diplomas are issued approximately three months after the examination session. If you have not received your invitation, it is your responsibility to contact us at least one week before the examination takes place, so that the Institute can send you the document in due time.
4.4 Examination dates may be cancelled or postponed in case of force majeure.
4.5 Once fixed, the date and time of the oral examination cannot be postponed or cancelled.
4.6 There may be a long gap between the written tests and the oral tests taken by the student. The oral tests may be held on a different day from the written tests, depending on the number of students.
4.7 DFP and TEF oral tests are recorded.
4.8 Students must arrive 15 minutes before the start of the test, the time which is specified on the invitation. No special arrangements will be made for late arrivals.
4.9 Details of marks obtained are shown on the diploma or certificate. No results will be given by telephone.
4.10 DELF-DALF diplomas are issued in paper format, DFP diplomas and TEF certificates in digital format.
4.11 DELF-DALF diplomas may be re-issued in the event of loss (free of charge) or to correct an error on the original document (subject to a charge). Reissues due to unverified errors will involve no additional charges.
5.CANCELLATION, CREDIT NOTES, REFUNDS, PENALTIES
5.1 The Institute reserves the right to cancel a course if the minimum number of registrants is not reached. In consultation with those enrolled and in the interests of both parties, the Institute may propose several alternatives, such as postponing the course start date, changing the timetable or duration of the course session, merging several groups, or redirecting them to another group course. If no alternative can be found, the Institute may offer a refund of registration fees for courses not taken.
5.2 The cancellation period is 14 calendar days after receiving the invoice. Cancellation of a registration must be notified in writing to the language center (kursi@institut-francais.lv) in order to qualify for a refund.
5.3 By exercising their right to cancel within 14 calendar days, the student undertakes to pay for the courses prior to cancellation.
5.4 When signing a contract for at least 20 hours, a 5% discount is granted. For 40 hours and more, the discount is 10%.
5.4 Once 14 (fourteen) calendar days have passed since the reception of the invoice, the enrolment fee is non-refundable. However, the student may request reimbursement of enrolment fees - in proportion to the courses not attended - in the event of serious illness and in the event that, according to current regulations, the student is obliged to remain in (self-) isolation and cannot attend face-to-face classes (and if the Institute does not offer the possibility of continuing by distance learning), resulting in an absence of more than 50% of the scheduled hours in a group class. A written and signed request, accompanied by a medical certificate issued by the family doctor stating the long-term or permanent impossibility of attending classes (face-to-face and/or online) must be sent to the Institute by e-mail to kursi@institut-francais.lv.
5.5 In the event of a request for reimbursement on medical grounds, the amount of the reimbursement will be calculated on a prorata temporis basis for the courses not attended, with a deduction of 20% of the amount corresponding to the costs associated with the administrative management of the file.
5.6 For certifications, in view of the Institute's obligations to the CCI Paris Ile-de-France and France Éducation International, no refunds will be made within 14 days of the actual examination date. If cancellation occurs more than 14 days before the actual exam date, registration may be postponed to the following session of the same calendar year.
5.7 In the event of force majeure or exceptional circumstances preventing staff, teachers and the general public from accessing the Institute (natural disasters, public order disturbances, exceptional health conditions, state of emergency, etc.), the language center reserves the right to cancel face-to-face courses or provide them online. In the event of a change in course arrangements for the above-mentioned reasons, there will be no compensation for online courses.
5.8 Any refunds provided for in the above articles will be made on the basis of a form completed and signed by the student. The Institute will reimburse the corresponding fees within a period of 14 (fourteen) and 30 (thirty) calendar days from the date of receipt of the reimbursement form.
5.9 In the event of late payment of the amount due for the courses, a penalty equal to 0.5% of the sum due for each day of late payment will be applied in addition to late payment interest not exceeding 10% of the principal debt, or the total amount of the principal payment. In the event of non-payment of the invoice amount after three reminders by e-mail and/or telephone, the Institute reserves the right to involve a debt collection agency.
6.INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE COURSES
6.1 Predefined packages of individual course hours can be booked online via the Institute's website www.institut-francais.lv. Customized requests and requests for in-company courses should be made to the language center (kursi@institut-francais.lv).
6.2 The terms and conditions of individual and in-company courses are stipulated in a contract signed between the Institute and the student.
6.3 If the course takes place online, the conditions are indicated on the invoice, but the signature of a contract and the sending of the scanned contract may be requested.
6.4 For contracts of 20 hours or more, a discount of 5% is granted; for 40 hours or more, the discount is 10%.
6.5 For individual and in-company courses, the student undertakes to notify the Institute's course department of the impossibility of attending a course at least 24 hours before the scheduled date and time. If this is not the case, the service will be deemed to have been provided, the course will not be rescheduled and will be invoiced.
7.GIFT CARD
7.1 A nominal gift card, valid for 6 months, may be purchased for a sum corresponding to the current rates. Requests for gift cards must be made to the language center via (kursi@institut-francais.lv). Gift cards are neither exchangeable nor refundable.
8.RULES AND REGULATIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTIES
8.1 The Institute's rules and regulations stipulate that the student undertakes to participate in the smooth running of the course and to respect the other students in the class and the teachers (regarding topics such as religion, politics, ethnicity, etc.), not to disrupt the work of other students or the teacher with their behavior, not to endanger their health and safety (and that of others) by their behavior, and to respect the order and cleanliness of the classrooms. The Institute reserves the right to exclude students from classes in the event of repeated non-compliance with the rules and regulations, without entitling them to a refund. The parent or legal guardian of a minor must inform the student of these rules and regulations.
8.2 The Institute undertakes to ensure that courses and official examinations are conducted in compliance with the requirements of health, safety, human rights and the rights children, in accordance with the regulations in force in Latvia.
8.3 The Institute holds no responsibility for theft, loss, damage or accidents occurring during the student's stay at the Institute. Students are strongly advised not to bring valuables to class.
8.4 The Institute does not supervise minors on its premises outside lesson times. If the adult responsible for collecting the minor is late, they must inform the Institut's language center (67 20 18 58/51).
9.FINAL PROVISIONS
9.1 These terms and conditions form an integral part of the registration form for language courses and official French language examinations.
9.2 - Law applicable to these terms and conditions and jurisdiction: The law applicable to these terms and conditions is Latvian law. Any dispute arising between the parties in connection with the formation, performance or interpretation of these terms and conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Latvian court. The general terms and conditions of enrolment and participation in courses and examinations have been translated from Latvian into French and English. In the event of any discrepancies between the versions, the Latvian version shall prevail.
GENERAL CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE MULTIMEDIA LIBRARY
1.Persons who wish to borrow documents, can register at the multimedia library and receive a reader’s card for 1 year.
2.Registration fees:
- Full price: 20,00 €
- Reduced price (children, pupils, students, teachers and professors, translators and interpreters, unemployed, seniors, and members who have been registered at the multimedia library for more than 4 years): 10,00 €
3.If the user’s card is lost, the fee for issuing a new card is 5,00 €.
4.The French Institute in Latvia offers one year of free access to the services of the multimedia library for its partners and students of the French Institute in Latvia.
5.The reader’s card of the multimedia library can be purchased:
- Via the website of the French Institute in Latvia. In this case, an invoice will be issued, and the payment must be made within 5 days.
- On-site by paying in cash and by filling out a registration form.
6.Those who can benefit from free access to the services of the multimedia library can receive their reader’s card on-site by filling out a registration form.
7.Registered members can borrow documents and have the possibility to extend the period for borrowing if necessary.
8.In the event of not returning the documents in time, a late fee is imposed. The fee is 5.00 € per month for up to 2 months of delay. After 2 months, the documents that have not been returned are considered as lost and an invoice will be issued by the French Institute in Latvia for the catalogue price of the documents.
9.If the document is no longer being distributed or is not available in its original format, a flat rate of 20 euros per book and 30 euros per audio or video document is applied.
10.If the document is returned damaged or has been destroyed, the same procedure applies.
Privacy policy of the French Institute of Latvia
05/12/2023
The present privacy policy defines and informs you of the manner in which the French Institute of Latvia uses and protects the information that you transmit to us and, where applicable, when you use our services.
Please note that this privacy policy may be amended or supplemented at any time by the French Institute of Latvia, in particular in order to comply with any changes in legislation, regulations, case law or technology. In such a case, the date of the update will be clearly identified at the top of the present policy. These modifications are binding the User as soon as they are put online. It is therefore advisable for the User to consult the present privacy and cookie use policy on a regular basis in order to take note of any changes.
The French Institute of Latvia takes care to collect and process personal data that is relevant, adequate, not excessive and strictly necessary to achieve the purposes that have been previously determined. The French Institute of Latvia takes all necessary steps to ensure that your data is accurate, complete and, if necessary, updated.
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation adopted by the European Parliament on April 14, 2016, and the amended French Data Protection Act of January 6, 1978, we inform you of the following:
1.IDENTITY OF THE DATA CONTROLLER
The Controller of your personal data is the French Institute of Latvia, registered seat at 9 Raina bulvaris, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia.
Tel.: + 371 67 20 18 51
a.Purpose of data processing
The French Institute of Latvia undertakes to obtain the consent of the Parties concerned and to inform them of the processing of their personal data. We need to process your Personal Information in the following cases:
• As soon as you subscribe to one of our services;
• As soon as you use one of our services;
• As soon as you use our website;
• As soon as you deliver goods or services to us;
• As soon as you participate in competitions, events, public relations or communication events organized by us;
• As soon as you agree to receive our newsletter and other commercial information from us;
• As soon as you want to apply for a vacancy;
• As soon as you contact us to ask questions or make a complaint.
As far as video surveillance is concerned, the data collected by the video surveillance system is kept solely for the purpose of fulfilling its primary mission, i.e. to protect the French Institute of Latvia. Images may be handed over to the police, should a request be made by their services. Video-surveillance recordings are kept securely for a maximum of 12 (twelve) days. Visitors to the French Institute of Latvia have the right to request a copy of any video-surveillance recording in which they appear or on which they are clearly identifiable. Subject to authorization by the French Institute of Latvia, the recording in question will be transmitted to the person making the written request.
b.Cookies Policy
Users are informed that by continuing to browse the website, they accept the use of cookies intended to offer content and services tailored to their centers of interest .A cookie is a block of data that does not allow users to be identified, but is used to record information relating to their browsing on the site. The user has all the aforementioned rights with regard to personal data communicated via cookies under the conditions indicated above.
2.RECIPIENTS OF THE INFORMATION
The sole recipient of your Personal Information is the French Institute in Latvia. This information will never be passed on to a third party, regardless of which services of the service provider the French institute uses (for additional details see paragraph 7). Neither the French institute in Latvia, nor any of its subcontractors, whoever it may be, can use the personal data of the Institute’s visitors, clients and users for commercial purposes.
3.DURATION OF DATA RETENTION
Your Personal Information is stored by the French Institute in Latvia only for the time necessary to accomplish the objective for which the data was collected, or as long as it is necessary to provide for you our services.
4.DATA STORAGE RIGHTS AND FREEDOM
You have the following rights regarding your Personal Information, which you can exercise by contacting us through the postal address mentioned in the first paragraph or by email: communication@institut-francais.lv
a.The right of access
You have the right to access Personal Information that concerns you.
However, in view of the French Institute’s obligation to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal data processing, we must inform you that your request will be examined provided that you can prove your identity by preparing a scanned version or a signed copy of a valid ID.
The French institute states that it reserves the right to oppose obvious abusive applications (in terms of quantity, repetition or systematic nature).
b.The right to rectification
You have the right to request the correction, update, blocking or deletion of your Personal Information (the right “to be forgotten”), which may be inaccurate or erroneous, incomplete or outdated.
You can also set general and specific guidelines for the future of your Personal Information after your death. In this case, the heirs of a deceased person may request that the death of their relative is considered or to request the necessary updates.
c.The right to object
The exercise of this right is possible only in one of the following two situations:
1. If the exercise of this right is justified by legitimate reasons; or
2. When the exercise of this right is intended to prevent the obtained data from being used for commercial purposes.
5.INFORMATION CONCERNING MINORS
Regarding the use of personal data of minors under the age of 16, the French Institute of Latvia undertakes to obtain the consent of child’s parents or legal guardian before using the personal data of this child.
6.SOCIAL MEDIA
In the framework of sharing its content in social media, the website www.institut-francais.lv uses the API internet protocols of several social networks. The User acknowledges having read the General Terms of Use of YouTube, Facebook, Google, Instagram and Twitter.
7.RESPONSE DEADLINES
The French Institute in Latvia undertakes to respond to your request for an access or correction of your personal data, your objection or any other additional request concerning the information within a reasonable period which may not exceed 1 month from receipt of your request.
8.AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS AND TRANSFER TO A THIRD-PARTU COUNTRY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
French institute in Latvia informs you that it cooperates with authorized service providers to facilitate the collection and processing of the data that you submit. These providers are located in the European Union, OR your data is hosted and stored on the territory of the European Union, and the service providers' infrastructure is designed to protect the information against any type of intrusion.
The French Institute in Latvia, that has previously ensured its compliance with appropriate security measures, follows strict rules of confidentiality, use and protection of data. The software that is used by the French institute in Latvia and its service providers, considers the principles of personal data protection from the moment of receiving the data, for as long as it is needed. The data is stored for as long as it is required by the regulations.
9.COMPLAINT TO THE DIFFERENT BODIES
If you consider that the French Institute in Latvia is not fulfilling its obligations regarding your personal information, you may file a complaint or seek redress before the competent bodies.