How long it takes before your company is ready for the furniture passport cannot be captured in a single figure. There is no statutory start date yet: the delegated act that regulates the details is currently expected around 2028, and the obligation itself around 2030. What is certain is that the time companies need to prepare is not determined by law but by their own organisation, their supply chain and the software used for it.
In practice, the timeline depends on three things: how much data you have already recorded in structured form, how many links are in your supply chain, and whether your software provider is already working on this functionality. Companies that already have their material and origin data in order typically experience this as a matter of weeks. Companies that source many components from multiple suppliers, and where that data still sits scattered in email exchanges and spreadsheets, need considerably more time to pull everything together.
Why there is no fixed deadline
The regulation itself does not prescribe a timeline for companies; it prescribes what must eventually be in a passport, not how quickly a company must arrange it. Once the delegated act for furniture is published, it will include transition periods for when the obligation comes into force. Until then, any statement about a concrete deadline is premature, and the only meaningful question is: what can you do now to shorten the timeline later.
Where the timeline gets stuck in practice
Collecting data from suppliers
Most delays do not occur within your own company, but with the parties behind it. A piece of furniture often consists of components from multiple suppliers, and not every supplier keeps data on material origin, repair possibilities or recyclability in the same way. If you only start requesting this data once the obligation becomes concrete, you risk suppliers themselves having to figure out what exactly they need to provide. Starting early to map your own supply chain makes the biggest difference in practice.
Designating the responsible party
Before data becomes a passport, it must be clear within the chain who the responsible party is: the party responsible for the accuracy of the information. As long as that is not established, it is unclear who must provide which data and who must verify it. This step is often underestimated, yet it is decisive for how quickly the rest of the process can proceed.
Involving your software provider
Whether your current business software can later provide data for a passport varies greatly depending on the package and provider. Some providers are already working on interfaces, others have no plans yet. Having the conversation with your software provider early prevents you from ending up in a queue at the end of the process.
What you can do now, even without a fixed deadline
Even without a fixed obligation, it makes sense to start now by inventorying what data you have, what you are missing, and who you need to get it from. This work does not need to be completed all at once; the point is to lay the groundwork before the actual deadlines are known. In the knowledge bank by topic you will find per subject what is and is not yet established, with references to the official text.
Would you like to know where your own company roughly stands, and which steps will yield the most for you? With a few questions you will get an indication from where you are now, without needing an account for it. Those who want to know where the information on furnipas.eu comes from and how it is maintained can read about it on the page about how it works.
No fixed deadline, but your own pace
The question of how long it takes is therefore actually two questions: when the obligation comes into force legally, and how long your own organization needs to be ready for it. The first date is not yet fixed. You determine the second largely yourself, by starting in time to map out data, chain partners and software. For the most frequently asked questions on this subject, there is an overview of frequently asked questions.
Do you have half an hour and want to know where your company stands? Do the free quick-scan or browse through the topics that are closest to your situation.