Yes — the Digital Product Passport is a legal requirement in the EU, established by the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR 2024/1781). But it does not switch on for everything at once: it becomes mandatory product group by product group, each on its own date. So the honest answer is: yes, and here is exactly when it applies to you.
ESPR entered into force in July 2024 as a framework regulation — directly-applicable law, no national transposition needed. It does not name a single 'DPP day.' Instead, each product group is switched on by its own delegated act, which fixes that group's data set, granularity and start date. So the passport is mandatory in principle today, and mandatory in practice for your product when its act applies.
Two are certain: the EU DPP Registry opened for registration on 19 July 2026, and the EU Battery Passport is mandatory from 18 February 2027 for batteries above 2 kWh. Textiles, furniture, iron & steel, aluminium and tyres follow through 2027–2030. The full deadline table lays them out.
Your obligation begins when the delegated act for your product group takes effect, and it lands on the economic operator that places the product on the EU market: the manufacturer, or — for imported goods — the EU importer or an authorised representative. It cannot be delegated away. See who carries the obligation.
Registration is available from 19 July 2026, and some operators register early — to be ready, or to hand a buyer or a tender a proof of registration. But once your group's date arrives, a registered, sealed passport is a condition of placing the product on the market: no passport, no legal sale. Not sure which date is yours? The free readiness check maps your products to their regulations in two minutes.
Take the 2-minute readiness check, watch the 10-minute interactive walkthrough, or download the full 2026 compliance guide. No account needed.