What does a textile passport hold?
A passport collects the proof a buyer usually asks for, in one place instead of a dozen PDFs on WhatsApp. For a fabric lot, that typically means:
- Product details: fabric name, construction, GSM, colour and the lot number.
- Composition: the fibres and their percentages, for example 95% cotton, 5% elastane.
- Where it was made: the knitting, dyeing and finishing units and their locations, if you choose to show them.
- Certificates: OEKO-TEX, GOTS or Textile Exchange certificates, and transaction certificates for the shipment.
- Lab test reports: results with the test method code, the lab's name and the report number.
Because each lot gets its own page, a buyer can see which reports belong to the fabric they are actually buying. See a live example passport.
Why do buyers ask for one?
Exporters and brands have to answer their own customers. Their buyers ask for OEKO-TEX certificates, GOTS transaction certificates and test reports for azo dyes, formaldehyde or PFAS, and that request travels down to the fabric supplier. Most of these requests come from buyer standards and rules that already apply today, not from the EU passport.
Buyers also check documents more carefully than before. After India's organic-cotton certificate fraud (around 20,000 tonnes certified with fake transaction certificates, confirmed by the Ministry of Commerce in November 2024), a PDF on its own is not always enough. A passport that links each certificate to the official registry makes checking quicker.
Is the EU digital product passport (DPP) mandatory for textiles?
Not yet. The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) entered into force on 18 July 2024. It allows the EU to require a digital product passport (DPP) for product groups, but the detailed rules for textiles are still being prepared. Application is expected around 2028–29.
When it applies, the main duty sits with the companies that place products on the EU market, mostly brands and importers. They will need data from their suppliers, so a fabric lot that already has its composition, origin, certificates and test reports in one record is easier to work with.
You don't need to do anything for the EU passport today. A textile passport is useful now because it answers the requests your buyers already send.
How is a passport different from sending PDFs?
| — | PDFs on WhatsApp or email | A textile passport |
|---|---|---|
| Finding the right file | Search old chats for each request | One link per lot, sent again in seconds |
| Which lot it covers | Often unclear | Lot number on the page, reports listed under it |
| Checking a certificate | The buyer has to find the registry | A link to the official registry next to each certificate |
| Updates | Send a new file and hope the old one is deleted | Publish a new version; the link stays the same |
| What you keep private | Whatever is in the file | You choose what each buyer sees |
How does TexPass help?
TexPass gives every fabric lot a free passport with a link and a QR code. You upload the documents you already have, we read the details for you to confirm, and you share it with any buyer. See how it works.
If a buyer wants more proof, you can order a registry check: a person checks your certificate on the official registry and the passport shows Verified with the date. If a test is missing, you send a sample to our Tiruppur or Bangalore office and an NABL-accredited lab issues the report, which is added to your passport. TexPass is not a lab or a certification body. Read what Verified and Lab-tested mean and see prices.
Sources
We link to the official sites so you can check the details yourself. Rules and standards change, so check the source before you rely on them.
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR)The official text of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which sets up the digital product passport.
- OEKO-TEX — Label CheckCheck an OEKO-TEX certificate or label number.
- GOTS — certified suppliers databaseCheck whether a company holds a valid GOTS scope certificate.
- Textile Exchange — find a certified companyCheck GRS, RCS and OCS certificates.
General information, not legal advice. Standards and regulations change; check the official source or ask your buyer what they need. See our disclaimer.