← Answers

Answers

Does the European Accessibility Act apply to companies outside the EU?

In short: Yes. The European Accessibility Act applies to in-scope products placed on the EU market and to in-scope services provided to consumers in the EU, wherever the company is based. A US or UK online shop selling to consumers in Germany or Italy must meet the same WCAG 2.1 AA benchmark as an EU-based company.

Last updated:

What brings you into scope

What matters is the market, not the headquarters: offering an in-scope service — such as e-commerce, consumer banking or e-books — to consumers in the EU. Services offered only to businesses generally fall outside the EAA's service scope, which targets consumers.

Products: the importer's role

For in-scope products, the directive places obligations on manufacturers, authorised representatives, importers and distributors. When a non-EU manufacturer's product enters the EU market, the importer must check that it complies.

Which national law applies

Enforcement is national: selling into Germany brings you under the BFSG, selling into Italy under D.Lgs. 82/2022. If you sell across the EU, the common technical benchmark — EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA — is the practical target.

Official sources

See where your site stands

Our free automated scan checks your page against machine-testable WCAG 2.1 AA rules in about 20 seconds — no signup, no overlay.

Scan your site free →
FAQ
Does the micro-enterprise exemption apply to non-EU companies?
The exemption depends on size — fewer than 10 employees and no more than €2 million turnover or balance sheet total — not on location, so a qualifying non-EU service provider benefits from it too.
Is the EAA similar to the GDPR?
In one respect: both reach companies outside the EU that serve people in the EU. Otherwise they are very different laws — the EAA sets accessibility requirements for products and services.

General information, not legal advice. National transposition laws differ — consult a lawyer for a binding assessment of your business.

Related on NormHarbor: EU (EAA) guide · Germany (BFSG) guide · EAA readiness quiz

Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my small business? · When did the European Accessibility Act take effect? · Are accessibility overlay widgets EAA compliant?