Accessibility statement – Transit Declaration Service

Finnish Customs aims to guarantee the accessibility of its websites and online services in accordance with the Act on the Provision of Digital Services (306/2019).

This accessibility statement applies to the Transit Declaration Service. 

Alternative service channels

If you are unable to use the Transit Declaration Service, you can complete a transit declaration at a customer service location of Finnish Customs. At the websites of Finnish Customs, you can view customer service locations on a map and the opening hours of customs offices. If required, you can ask for help, free of charge, from customs officials or, for example, agree upon submitting a transit declaration via email or by post.

For help in using alternative services, please contact the customs information service, tel. +358 295 5201.

See instructions for other service alternatives.

You can also authorise an agent, such as a forwarding company, or another person to submit a transit declaration on your behalf.

Accessibility of the service

The accessibility of the service does not fulfil the requirements laid down in the Act on the Provision of Digital Services.

Accessibility was tested on the basis of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). 

Identified accessibility issues

Identified accessibility issues in the service are listed below. If you identify any issue in the use of the service that is not listed below, please contact us.
The following content does not fulfil the requirements laid down in the Act on the Provision of Digital Services. These availability issues will be corrected:

  • Use of the service with a keyboard (users without any visual impairment)
  • Field-specific help texts are not available using keyboard commands. This makes it much more difficult to complete the form for users who cannot use a mouse or other similar pointer.
  • Use of the service with a screen reader
  • Users of screen readers obtain no information about any errors in the form without moving the focus indicator. What makes this issue more severe is that mandatory fields are not marked separately; they are only indicated in error messages.
  • Use of the service with a keyboard (users without any visual impairment)
  • Timeout without any warning may lead to missing information and frustration.
  • Use of the service with a screen reader
  • Completing the arrival date fields is difficult because the date needs to be entered in three separate fields.

Making the following content accessible presents an unreasonable burden for the service provider because the service will be replaced by a new service in stages during 2023.

  • The service has no feedback channel for accessibility feedback.  
  • Users of screen readers do not receive any feedback on successful functions without moving the focus indicator. (WCAG 4.1.3)
  • The logo of Finnish Customs on the front page has no content that screen readers can detect. (WCAG 1.1.1)
  • The connection to the service closes after a time limit without any separate warning. (WCAG 2.2.1)
  • The service does not include any link to directly access the content. (WCAG 2.4.1)
  • As the page language has not been defined, a screen reader may mispronounce texts using rules of an incorrect language. (WCAG 3.1.1 and 3.1.2)
  • The English version of the service includes a link in Russian to instructions. Because the link has been written using the Cyrillic script and its language has not been defined, a screen reader is unable to read the link. (WCAG 3.1.2)
  • There are flaws in contrasts between the text and the background. (WCAG 1.4.3)
  • There are flaws in contrasts between user interface components and graphic elements. (WCAG 1.4.11)
  • The title hierarchy may confuse users of screen readers. (WCAG 1.3.1)
  • The separator of page titles is only placed after the “Transit Declaration Service” text. (WCAG 2.4.2)
  • As not all links opening in a new tab have been marked, users obtain no advance information about this function. (WCAG 2.4.4)
  • The browser’s default focus style is difficult to identify in language version links and “Confirm” links. (WCAG 2.4.7)
  • Some fields have been grouped together, while the groups have not been named. (WCAG 1.3.1)
  • Selection buttons under the selection of an organisation do not include labels that screen readers are able to read. (WCAG 4.1.2)
  • The figure on the front page has no alternative text to provide information about it for users of screen readers. (WCAG 1.1.1)
  • The labels of date fields under “Time of arrival at office of transit” are flawed both visually and programmatically. (WCAG 3.3.2 and 4.1.2)
  • Field-specific help texts (“i” icons) cannot be opened using keyboard commands. (WCAG 2.1.1)
  • The purpose of in-page navigation links and information about the selected page are not transmitted to screen readers. (WCAG 2.4.4 and 4.1.2) 
  • Users of screen readers do not obtain information about any incorrectly completed fields without going through the entire page. Furthermore, any incorrect information entered in different sections is not indicated when using a screen reader. (WCAG 3.3.1, 3.3.3 and 4.1.3)
  • The “Transport itinerary” section is unclear to users of screen readers because the information is presented in the same view in which it is edited. (WCAG 1.3.1 and 4.1.3)
  • The checkbox group in the “Guarantees” section is not presented as a group for screen readers. (WCAG 1.3.1)
  • Adding several guarantees is difficult when using a screen reader, as not all information is presented programmatically, and users do not obtain sufficient feedback on different functions. (WCAG 4.1.2 and 4.1.3)
  • No autocomplete feature is offered for input fields. (WCAG 1.3.5)
  • Some drop-down menus include a dashed line as a response option, which screen readers are unable to read. The purpose of the dashed line is also unclear visually. (WCAG 1.1.1 and 3.3.2)
  • Mandatory fields have not been marked separately; information about them is only available in error messages. (WCAG 3.3.2)
  • The “Search for TARIC code” link only follows the “Save” link in the focus order. As a result, it is easily ignored when using a screen reader. (WCAG 2.4.3)
  • The unit of the “Gross mass” field has not been connected to the field programmatically. (WCAG 1.3.1 and 4.1.2)
  • Some information in the summary has been divided into several tables without any sub-headers. (WCAG 1.3.1)
  • The “Items” page has no column header. (WCAG 1.3.1)
  • The “Search” page features a blank link and two blank labels. (WCAG 2.4.4 and 1.3.1)
  • Neither search field has been marked as mandatory. (WCAG 3.3.2)


Preparing the statement

Finnish Customs has tested the accessibility of the service as follows:
•    Accessibility was tested by Eficode, an external party.
•    The service was tested in February 2019.
•    The statement was prepared on 26 June 2020.
•    The statement was last reviewed on 11 August 2020.


Feedback

We are happy to receive feedback on the accessibility of this service. 

•    Please send feedback on accessibility to Finnish Customs by emailing asiakaspalautteet(at)tulli.fi.
•    The declaration department of Finnish Customs is responsible for the accessibility of the Transit Declaration Service, and it also responds to feedback given on accessibility.  
•    We aim to respond to feedback in five working days.
•    If you are dissatisfied with the response received from Finnish Customs, you can also send feedback on the accessibility of the service to the Regional State Administrative Agency (saavutettavuus(at)avi.fi).