Digital Product Passport explained
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a machine-readable record of a product that anyone along its life can look up by scanning it, each seeing the part they are entitled to. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) makes it the standard way to share data on materials, footprint, repair and recycling. This page walks through how a passport is found, what it holds, where it lives and how its claims can be checked.
From scan to passport
Every passport starts with a data carrier on the product, its packaging or its accompanying documents. Scanning it yields a unique product identifier and a link. The link resolves to the passport data, so the carrier itself never has to change when the data does.
Data carrier
A QR code, NFC tag or RFID chip on the product, its packaging or its documentation
Unique product identifier
The carrier encodes an identifier that names this model, batch or item
Passport data
The identifier resolves to the passport, hosted by the party responsible for the product
Passport data (illustrative)
{
"uniqueProductIdentifier": "https://id.example.com/01/08712345678906/10/B2026-114",
"granularity": "batch",
"manufacturer": { "name": "Example Textiles B.V.", "operatorId": "NL-OP-000123" },
"materials": [
{ "material": "cotton", "share": 0.62, "recycledShare": 0.30 },
{ "material": "polyester", "share": 0.38, "recycledShare": 0.00 }
],
"carbonFootprint": { "value": 7.4, "unit": "kg CO2e" },
"repair": "https://dpp.example.com/B2026-114/repair",
"declarationOfConformity": "https://dpp.example.com/B2026-114/doc"
}What a passport holds
ESPR lists the kinds of information a passport can carry, and each delegated act picks the fields for its product group. Not every field is for everyone. A consumer sees the public part, while repair instructions or compliance files can be limited to repairers, recyclers or authorities.
| Category | Examples | Typical access |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Unique product identifier, model, manufacturer, place of production | Public |
| Materials and substances | Material composition, substances of concern, recycled content | Public |
| Environmental performance | Carbon footprint, durability, energy use | Public |
| Repair and end of life | Spare parts, disassembly and recycling instructions | Often restricted to repairers and recyclers |
| Compliance | Declaration of conformity, technical documentation, certificates | Often restricted to authorities |
The exact fields and who may read each one are set per product group by its delegated act. This table shows the categories ESPR lists, not a fixed schema.
Model, batch or item
A passport can describe a whole product model, one production batch or a single item. The delegated act decides which. A model-level passport suits products where every unit is the same, while item level is needed when data differs per unit, such as the state of health of a battery.
Who hosts the passport
There is no single EU database holding all passports. The economic operator that places the product on the market is responsible for its passport, and can host it itself or use a DPP service provider. A backup copy is kept by an independent service provider, so the passport outlives the company that created it.
Economic operator
Creates the passport and keeps it up to date
Directly or through a DPP service provider, with a backup held by an independent third party
EU registry
Stores the unique identifiers, not the full passport
Lets customs and market surveillance authorities find and check a passport
Making passport claims verifiable
A passport written by the manufacturer is still a self-declaration. Many claims actually come from someone else: a supplier states the recycled content, a lab measures the footprint, a certification body issues a certificate. When those parties issue their claim as a verifiable credential, the passport can carry it and anyone can check who made the claim and that it has not been changed or revoked.
Issuer, for example a test lab
Signs a single claim about a product batch
The passport links to the credential, and a verifier checks the signature, the issuer and its revocation status
Credential payload for one passport claim (illustrative)
{
"iss": "https://lab.example.com",
"vct": "https://lab.example.com/credentials/recycled-content",
"iat": 1789200000,
"sub": "https://id.example.com/01/08712345678906/10/B2026-114",
"recycledContent": { "material": "cotton", "share": 0.30 },
"status": {
"status_list": { "idx": 812, "uri": "https://lab.example.com/statuslists/1" }
}
}When passports become mandatory
- 18 July 2024: ESPR enters into force and sets the framework, without obligations for any specific product yet.
- 19 July 2026: The Commission deadline to set up the digital product passport registry. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 of 16 July 2026 sets out how it works, and the registry went live on 20 July 2026.
- 18 February 2027: Battery passport required under the Battery Regulation for EV batteries, light means of transport batteries and industrial batteries above 2 kWh.
- Next: Product groups from the ESPR working plan, such as textiles, furniture, tyres, mattresses, steel and aluminium, each once its delegated act applies.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Is the QR code the passport?
No. The QR code, NFC tag or RFID chip is only the data carrier. It holds the unique product identifier and a link, and the passport is the dataset that link resolves to. That is why the passport can be updated after the product has shipped without reprinting anything.
Does the EU store every passport centrally?
No. The passport data stays with the economic operator or a service provider acting on its behalf. The Commission registry stores the unique identifiers, so a passport can be found and checked by customs and market surveillance authorities, but it does not hold the full dataset. The Commission also runs a public web portal for searching and comparing passport data, within the access rights each delegated act sets.
Does ESPR require verifiable credentials?
No. ESPR requires the passport to be machine-readable, interoperable and based on open standards, and leaves the technical format to standards and delegated acts. Verifiable credentials are one way to meet those requirements while also making each claim checkable, which is why they come up in DPP pilots.
When does my product need a passport?
Only once a delegated act for your product group applies. Each act sets its own date, and ESPR requires at least 18 months between a delegated act entering into force and applying, barring duly justified exceptions. Batteries follow the separate Battery Regulation, with a battery passport required from 18 February 2027.
Sources
This page is informational and does not constitute legal advice. For authoritative guidance consult the regulations and the delegated act for your product group.