In the context of GDPR, this means countries that are not members of the European Economic Area (EEA). This area includes all member countries of the EU and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

This concept is vital since there are special rules that need to be fulfiled if a controller would like to transfer personal data to a third country. These special rules are gathered in chapter 5 of the GDPR and work as an extra safeguard for the individuals of the European Union.