The Nordic Swan Ecolabel environmental requirements for clothing, textiles, and leather

Nordic Swan Ecolabelled clothes and textiles has documented good quality and must have a reduced environmental impact throughout the life cycle of the textile. UN’s International Labour Conventions (ILO) on workers’ rights must be complied with in the production.

Video about the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and the criteria for textiles (5 minutes, english language).

The requirements include products of textile fibers, hides and leather. Clothing, accessories, home textiles and textile fibers, yarn and fabrics for clothing or furnishings textiles can be certified with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

Examples

  • Clothing: Sweater, dress, trousers, skirt, jeans, shirt, top, jacket, workwear, uniforms, socks, and underwear.
  • Accessories: Hat, cap, scarf, belt, bag, handbag, and backpack.
  • Home textiles: Duvet, pillow, towels, bed linen, curtains, tablecloths and upholstery fabrics.

Baby products made of textiles that also contain other materials such as strollers and car seats are covered by the requirements for baby products with textiles.

The requirements include:

  • Use of fibers that are either organic, recycled or based on renewable resources and meet specific environmental requirements.
  • Environmental and health properties of all chemicals used in the textile production. Among other things, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel forbids the use of substances that are carcinogenic, toxic to reproduction or can damage genetic material. Halogenated flame retardants fluorinated, and antibacterial additives incl. nanoparticles are also forbidden.
  • Implementation of a minimum of BAT (best available technology) water and energy efficiency techniques or local production of solar energy in textile production.
  • Test of the quality of the textile, e.g., dimensional change, color fastness and abrasion resistance.
  • Compliance with UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on workers’ rights.

Information about the application process

Video that explains the certification process for producers (7 minutes, english language).

Two types of licence: Manufacturing and product

As of version 5.0 of the requirements (valid as of March 1, 2022), there are two licence types:

  • Product licence
  • Manufacturing licence

Each licencetype requires a separate application. Fees are calculated per licence type. To get a Nordic Swan Ecolabelled product, you must have a product licence.

Product licence for product/brand owners

If you want to ecolabel a garment or another textile product with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, you must apply for a product licence. In the application process, you must answer all product licence requirements for the products you want to ecolabel in the Nordic Ecolabelling Portal. You must also state which production licence(s) the product licence is to build on.

Manufacturing licence for manufacturers

Generally it will be the factory where the textiles are manufactured that applies for a manufacturing licence. A manufacturing licence gives the right to produce for product licences within the product area specified in the manufacturing licence. A manufacturing licence does not give the right to communicate that any product is Nordic Swan Ecolabelled or meets the requirements of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

For sub suppliers

The Supply Chain Declaration Portal is where suppliers can help their customers to obtain the Nordic Swan Ecolabel by declaring the properties of their items, for example chemicals, raw materials, and other products.

Want to know more about certification with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel?

Contact us and we will help you: kon@svanemerket.no

Please state which product you are considering eco-labeling with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

What does it cost?

When you apply for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, you must pay a fee. Additionally, when you have a certification, you must pay an annual licence fee. Both application fees and annual license fees are calculated per license type:

  • Product license (for brand owners)
  • Manufacturing licenses (for manufacturers)

Application fees

Application fees product licences (brand owners)Fee ex VAT
New application
received in 2023
3 114 EUR
Control visits
Control visits are not carried out as standard. If deemed necessary, it is billed at the same rates as for production licenses (see table below).
Extension or changes in licence,
depends on our time used in the review process:
< 4 hours:
< 8 hours:
≥ 8 hours:


389 EUR
778 EUR
1 557 EUR
Application fees manufacturing licencesFee ex VAT
New application*

3 114 EUR (Includes production plant with up to 1 dyeing unit and 1 printing unit). 778 EUR for each additional dyeing or printing unit linked to the application
Extension or changes in licence,
depends on our time used in the review process:
< 4 hours:
< 8 hours:
≥ 8 hours:


389 EUR
778 EUR
1 557 EUR
Inspection visit
within the Nordic region
Included in the application fee
Additional inspection visit 519 EUR
Inspection visits in Europe**
1 557 EUR
1 038 EUR per extra day
Inspection visits outside Europe**
2 595 EUR
1 038 EUR per extra day
Renewal fee
Application for renewal before the license has expired
1 557 EUR (Includes production plant with up to 1 dyeing unit and 1 printing unit). 778 EUR for each additional dyeing or printing unit linked to the application
Renewal fee
Application for renewal after the license has expired
3 114 EUR (Includes production plant with up to 1 dyeing unit and 1 printing unit). 778 EUR for each additional dyeing or printing unit linked to the application
Application fees manufacturing licences until December 31st 2023

Licence fees until December 31st 2023

Annual licence fees product licences (brand owners) Fee ex VAT
For sales in the Nordic countriesNo fee in 2023
For sales outside the Nordics  No fee in 2023
Annual licence fees product licences (brand owners) until December 31st 2023
Annual licence fees manufacturing licencesFee ex VAT
For sales in the Nordic countries 0,3% of the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products’ turnover in the Nordic countries
Minimum fee the Nordics2 076 EUR
Maximum fee the Nordics 100 000 EUR
For sales outside the Nordics  
(if the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products have a turnover of more than 300 000 EUR outside the Nordic region)
2 076 EUR


Annual licence fees manufacturing licences until December 31st 2023

Licence fees until from and including January 01st 2024

* When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.

** Where audits requires more than one day away from the office including travelling, Nordic Ecolabelling can invoice an additional fee of 1 000 EUR per extra day. Other extraordinary costs induced by the audit can also be invoiced the applicant.

Annual licence fees product licences
(brand owners) from January 1st 2024
Fee ex VAT
For sales in the Nordic countries

0,15% of the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products’ turnover in the Nordic countries up to 30 million EUR.
0,05% of the turnover that exceeds 30 million EUR.
Minimum fee the Nordics2 076 EUR
For sales outside the Nordics  
(if the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products have a
turnover of more than 300 000 EUR outside the Nordic region)
2 076 EUR



Annual licence fees product licences (brand owners) from and including 01.01. 2024
Annual licence fees manufacturing licences from January 1st 2024 Fee ex VAT
Global fee2076 EUR
Annual licence fees manufacturing licences from and including 01.01. 2024

* When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.

** Where audits require more than one day away from the office including travelling, Nordic Ecolabelling can invoice an additional fee of 1 038 EUR per extra day. Other extraordinary costs induced by the audit can also be invoiced the applicant.