Erasure request under the GDPR (Art. 17)
When you need the letter, what must be in it and a fully written example – one tap opens it filled in, ready to save as a PDF.
Tool: Letter template (DIN 5008)
When do you need this letter?
You have closed an account, receive marketing you do not want or simply no longer want to be in a customer database. Under Article 17 GDPR you can ask for your data to be erased – for example when it is no longer needed or you withdraw your consent.
Data the company must keep by law, such as invoices for the tax office, may be kept but only used for that purpose.
What goes in it
Details that identify you
The request to erase under Art. 17 GDPR
Withdrawal of consent and objection to marketing
A request to inform recipients (Art. 19)
A request for confirmation – deadline one month
Example letter
Jana Beispiel
12 Linden Street
Bristol BS1 4AA
030 23125 015 · jana.beispiel@example.com
Example Shopping Ltd
Data Protection Officer
3 Market Way
London EC1A 1AA
DD Month YYYY
Erasure of my personal data under Article 17 GDPR – customer number 5544-21
Dear Sir or Madam,
My customer account with you has ended. I therefore ask you to erase without undue delay all personal data you hold about me under Article 17 GDPR. I withdraw any consent I have given, for example for your newsletter, and I object to the use of my data for marketing under Article 21(2) GDPR.
Where you may not erase data because of legal retention duties, please restrict its processing and tell me which data this is and how long it will be kept. If you have shared my data with others, please inform them of the erasure under Article 19 GDPR.
Please confirm the erasure within one month.
Yours faithfully,
Jana Beispiel
Sender, recipient and numbers are fictional. Replace them with your details – in the tool everything is already filled in.
Good to know
- If you only want to stop marketing, an objection under Art. 21(2) is enough – the template includes it.
- If data is kept because of legal retention duties, it must be restricted and you must be told why.
- If nobody answers, complain to the data protection supervisory authority.
Not legal advice: the template shows a common structure. Deadlines and formal requirements depend on your case. If a lot is at stake, get advice – for example from a consumer advice centre or a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to say why?
No detailed reason is needed, but it helps to name one briefly, such as “contract ended” or “consent withdrawn”.
How to send it
Send important letters in a way you can prove, for example by recorded delivery or by e-mail to the address the organisation names for data protection requests. Keep a copy.