--- title: "Article 3 — Territorial scope" type: regulation legal_status: in_force source: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504" source_retrieved: 2026-09-28 shortTitle: "Article 3 — Territorial scope" instrument_type: level1_regulation authority: Commission binding: true binding_character: binding mica_level2: false legal_basis: "Regulation (EU) 2016/679" instrument: gdpr celex: "32016R0679" regulation: GDPR regulation-full: "Regulation (EU) 2016/679" article: 3 status: in_force object_id: eu.gdpr.legal_text.article.3 text_version: "Consolidated version of 4 May 2016" source_url: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504" check_status: matched verified: true last_checked: 2026-10-26 --- *In force · Consolidated version of 4 May 2016 · Checked against EUR-Lex on 26 Oct 2026 · [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504)* 1. This Regulation applies to the [processing](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/processing) of [personal data](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/personal-data) in the context of the activities of an establishment of a [controller](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/controller) or a [processor](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/processor) in the Union, regardless of whether the processing takes place in the Union or not. 2. This Regulation applies to the processing of personal data of data subjects who are in the Union by a controller or processor not established in the Union, where the processing activities are related to: **(a)** the offering of goods or services, irrespective of whether a payment of the data subject is required, to such data subjects in the Union; or **(b)** the monitoring of their behaviour as far as their behaviour takes place within the Union. 3. This Regulation applies to the processing of personal data by a controller not established in the Union, but in a place where Member State law applies by virtue of public international law. ## Related Level 2 and Level 3 ### Guidance and Q&A - [EDPB 3/2018 — Guideline — Territorial scope of the GDPR \[final\]](../level-3/guidelines/edpb-03-2018-territorial-scope.md) - [EDPB 05/2021 — Guideline — Interplay of Article 3 and Chapter V \[final\]](../level-3/guidelines/edpb-05-2021-article-3-chapter-v-interplay.md) *** [Chapter I — General provisions](../chapters/i.md) · [← Article 2](2.md) · [Article 4 →](4.md)