The automatic check does not open the passport itself. When covered goods are declared for release into the EU, the declarant quotes the product’s registration identifier, a number the EU passport registry issues. Customs then check that number and the commodity code against the registry. If they match, a registered Digital Product Passport (DPP) exists and that check is passed; other customs controls still apply.
Does a match mean the product complies?
No. It shows a passport is registered, nothing more. Whether the product actually meets the rules is for market surveillance authorities to judge. Customs can still use passport and registry data to decide which shipments to look at more closely.
When do the checks start?
In two steps. The duty to give customs the registration identifier comes first. For products under the Ecodesign Regulation it applies once a group’s rules require a passport, since the registry is already running. No group is covered yet. For toys and detergents it follows each law’s own start date.
The automatic match comes once the registry is connected to the EU customs single window. The law sets 6 August 2030 as the latest date for that link; the Commission’s FAQ expects it around 2029.
| Ecodesign product groups | Once the group’s rules apply | When the link works |
|---|---|---|
| Toys | 1 August 2030 | 1 August 2030 or the link date, whichever is later |
| Detergents | 23 September 2029 | 23 September 2029 or the link date, whichever is later |
| Batteries and construction products | No automatic passport check | No automatic passport check |
For example, if the link only opens on its deadline of 6 August 2030, the automatic match for detergents and toys starts that day.
What does this mean for exporters outside the EU?
The passport has to exist, and be registered, before the goods are declared. Once the duty applies, customs may release the goods only after the identifier has been checked.
Where this comes from: Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, Article 15; Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509, Article 23; Detergents Regulation (EU) 2026/405, Article 25; Regulation (EU) 2019/1020; European Commission, DPP FAQ.