European Union
European Accessibility Act checklist
Answer two questions to see which parts of the European Accessibility Act apply to your online store, then tick them off. Your progress is saved in this browser and you can print it.
Last reviewed: . Not legal advice.
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my Shopify store?
It can, if you sell to consumers in the EU. Since June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act covers e-commerce services offered to EU consumers, and that can include stores based outside the EU. Microenterprises (fewer than 10 staff and no more than €2 million turnover) are exempt. The technical benchmark is EN 301 549, which uses WCAG 2.1 AA today.
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Your business
Two questions decide which items you see below.
The €2 million limit is your annual turnover or your balance sheet total. A microenterprise must be under both the staff and the money limit.
Does the EAA cover your store?
The European Accessibility Act has applied since June 28, 2025. It covers e-commerce services: selling to consumers at a distance through a website or a mobile app.
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The Act covers services to consumers. A store based in Canada, the US or the UK that actively sells to EU shoppers can be in scope. How far EU authorities can reach a seller outside the EU is less clear.
A microenterprise has fewer than 10 people and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than €2 million. Both must be true. Microenterprises that provide services are exempt from the service accessibility requirements.
Your Shopify store, and your mobile app if you have one. Both count as e-commerce services.
Answer the question about your size to see the items for your store, your accessibility information and the disproportionate burden rules.
Where to start
- 1
Answer the two questions
Say whether you sell to consumers in the EU and whether you are a microenterprise. The checklist shows only the items that apply. - 2
Test your store against WCAG 2.1 AA
Start with the pages a shopper needs to buy. Testing to WCAG 2.2 AA covers 2.1 as well. - 3
Publish your accessibility information
Say how your store meets the requirements and what still has problems, on a page anyone can read. - 4
Keep dated records
Save your tests, your fixes and any disproportionate burden assessment, and review them on a schedule.
What the EAA asks of an online store
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) covers e-commerce services. That means selling to consumers at a distance, through a website or a mobile app, at the consumer's request. A Shopify store that sells to shoppers in the EU fits that description.
The standard behind it
The Act sets the requirements, and the harmonised standard EN 301 549 says how to meet them. For web pages it points to WCAG (the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 level AA. A newer version, 4.1.1, was published on September 2, 2026 and moves to WCAG 2.2. It gives the same legal footing only once it is cited in the EU Official Journal.
Information you must publish
Annex V asks you to publish how your service meets the accessibility requirements, in an accessible format. Most stores do this with an accessibility statement linked from the footer. You also need to be able to show that your processes keep the store accessible over time.
When a requirement is too much
If a requirement would be a disproportionate burden, or would fundamentally change your service, you can rely on an exception. You must assess and document it, keep the assessment for 5 years, renew it at least every 5 years and notify the authorities. Microenterprises do not need to notify.
Penalties are set by each country
The Act leaves enforcement to each EU country. Penalties must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive, and come with orders to fix the problem. In Germany, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) allows fines of up to €100,000 for the main violations and up to €10,000 for others (BFSG § 37).
To start, run a free check of one page with the accessibility checker, and draft your statement with the statement generator. For the full picture, including national laws, read our European Accessibility Act guide.
EAA questions
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to the UK?
The EAA is an EU law, so it does not apply to sales inside the UK. A UK store that sells to consumers in the EU can still be covered for those sales, like any other store based outside the EU.
What is EN 301 549?
The European standard for accessible technology. The EAA uses it as the harmonised standard. For web pages, version 3.2.1 uses WCAG 2.1 level AA. Version 4.1.1, published September 2, 2026, moves to WCAG 2.2 once it is cited in the EU Official Journal.
Is there still a deadline?
The main date has passed. The Act has applied since June 28, 2025. Service contracts agreed before that date can continue until they end, for at most 5 years.
Do I need an accessibility statement?
Annex V asks service providers to publish how their service meets the accessibility requirements, usually in their terms and conditions or a similar document. An accessibility statement page is the usual way to do it.
What are the penalties?
Each EU country sets its own. They must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. In Germany, the BFSG allows fines of up to €100,000 for the main violations and up to €10,000 for others.
Does a checklist make my store compliant?
No. A checklist helps you see what applies and track what you have done. Whether a store meets the law is a legal question, and testing to WCAG always needs a person as well as automated checks.
Sources
- EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act), articles 2, 3, 4, 14, 30, 31, 32 and annexes V and VI, checked October 16, 2026
- Deque, EN 301 549 v4.1.1 is final: what changed, 2026
- Davis Wright Tremaine, European Accessibility Act ICT standards update, September 2026
- Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) § 37, checked October 16, 2026
This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice. For advice about your business, speak with a lawyer.
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