IEC Registration Online: Get Your Import Export Code

An Import Export Code is a 10-character business ID issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Customs uses it to identify who is shipping goods out of India or bringing them in. Without it, your shipping bill or bill of entry cannot be filed in your name.

Para 2.05 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 says the IEC is the same as your Permanent Account Number (PAN). Even so, it is not automatic. DGFT issues it only after you file an online application in form ANF-2A. Think of it as switching on your PAN for foreign trade.

The legal base is Section 7 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992. It says no person shall import or export except under an IEC granted by the Director General, unless exempted. The FTP and the Handbook of Procedures (HBP) 2023 set out how the code is issued, updated and cancelled.

Key facts at a glance

You need an IEC before your first commercial shipment, in or out. Para 2.05(a) of the FTP 2023 is clear: no goods may be exported or imported without an IEC unless a specific exemption applies.

DGFT allows these entity types to apply:

• Sole proprietors (the IEC is issued on the owner's PAN)
• Partnership firms and LLPs
• Private and public limited companies
• Trusts and societies
• Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs)

Typical situations that trigger the need

• A manufacturer starting to ship goods to foreign buyers.
• A trader importing machinery, raw material or finished goods for resale.
• An online seller dispatching orders to overseas customers through courier or postal channels.
• A firm that wants export benefits such as duty drawback or RoDTEP.
• A buyer whose foreign supplier needs an Indian importer of record.

Your bank also uses the IEC. Foreign remittances for exports and payments for imports are matched against it. Most authorised dealer banks ask for the IEC before they process trade payments.

Not everyone who moves goods across the border needs their own IEC. Para 2.07 of the HBP 2023 lists the exempt groups. For several of them, DGFT has notified common permanent codes that can be quoted at customs.

Two cautions apply. First, the personal-use route is not for repeat purchases that you resell. Customs can treat frequent shipments as trade. Second, SCOMET items (dual-use goods and technology) still need an IEC, except for government departments. The full list is in Chapter 2 of the Handbook of Procedures (PDF).

An IEC answers only one question: can this business trade across the border? It does not replace your other registrations. A food exporter, for example, also needs an FSSAI licence, and a manufacturer may need factory and pollution approvals.

Use this quick check:

• You will ship goods abroad or buy goods from abroad for business: you need an IEC.
• You only export software, design or consulting services: an IEC is optional unless you claim FTP benefits.
• You sell only within India: you do not need an IEC. Look at GST, Udyam and Shop Act instead.
• You import once for personal use: use the exempt route, not a business IEC.

If you are still setting up, our business licence guide maps every registration by business type. Food exporters should also read our FSSAI registration page. Small exporters often pair the IEC with Udyam (MSME) registration for credit and scheme support.

• Customs clearance: shipping bills and bills of entry are filed against your code, so goods move without holds.
• Bank remittances: export proceeds and import payments go through smoothly when the bank can match your IEC.
• Export incentives: schemes such as RoDTEP, duty drawback, Advance Authorisation and EPCG are linked to the IEC.
• Marketplace access: global selling programmes on large online platforms ask for an IEC before you list for export.
• Lifetime code: one application, no renewal. You only confirm details once a year.
• Credibility: overseas buyers and freight forwarders treat an active IEC as a basic trust signal.
• Low cost: the DGFT fee is ₹500, and there is no yearly government charge for the April to June update.

Getting the code before your first order is wise. A buyer may want a proforma invoice with your IEC, and freight forwarders often refuse bookings without one.

The DGFT list is short. The common reason for delay is not a missing paper but a mismatch between names on different records. We check that before filing.

Each upload must be a PDF of 5 MB or less, as stated in the DGFT IEC user manual v4.1 (PDF). You will also declare every active bank account linked to your PAN. This matters more since 2026 because DGFT now checks bank details live (see the 2026 section below).

The whole process is online. You do not visit any DGFT office. Here is how we handle it.

1. Free first call: our expert confirms that you need an IEC, which entity should hold it and whether you also need GST or other licences.
2. Document check: you share PAN, address proof, bank proof and signatory details on WhatsApp or email. We match names and addresses across all of them.
3. Portal account: we help you register on dgft.gov.in as an Importer/Exporter user, with OTPs sent to your own mobile and email.
4. Signature setup: we link your DSC or set up Aadhaar e-sign for the signatory.
5. ANF-2A filing: we enter entity details, address, bank accounts, signatories and the main export or import sector, then upload documents.
6. Bank validation: DGFT checks the bank accounts through NPCI in real time. If a check fails, we fix the details before submitting.
7. Payment: you pay the ₹500 DGFT fee online through the Bharatkosh gateway. The receipt is in your name.
8. Signing and submission: the application is signed with DSC or Aadhaar OTP and submitted.
9. e-IEC issue: once validation succeeds, the code is generated and you are told by email and SMS. You can then download the e-IEC from your DGFT dashboard.
10. Handover: we share the e-IEC, your portal login notes and a reminder for the April to June update.

After issue, DGFT sends the IEC data to the customs system (CBIC). Your status appears under "CBIC Transmission Status" on the portal. Shipping is smoother when that transmission is complete.

Para 2.08(b) of the HBP says the IEC is generated automatically and sent by email and SMS. In practice, the time depends on how quickly your documents are ready and whether the bank check passes on the first attempt.

Most clients with clean documents get the e-IEC within 1 to 3 working days. If the bank check fails after submission, a new application is rejected and must be filed again, which adds time.

These are government charges under Appendix 2K of the FTP, as shown in the DGFT user manual. They are paid to DGFT, not to TaxCaller.

The fee is paid online through Bharatkosh at the time of filing. A rejected application has to be filed again, which costs time. That is another reason to check documents first. You can read the official notes on the DGFT IEC page and in the DGFT IEC user manual v4.1 (PDF).

TaxCaller's fee covers our professional work only: eligibility check, document review, form filing, query handling and handover. TaxCaller's fee starts at ₹1,499 + GST for a new IEC. Government fees (the ₹500 DGFT fee, and the ₹200 modification fee if any) are paid separately at actual.

• No surprise charges: you get the full quote in writing before we start.
• DSC: if you need a new Class 3 DSC, the certifying authority's charge is separate. Proprietors can usually sign with Aadhaar OTP instead.
• Bundles: the Standard and Premium plans add GST registration, LUT filing or guidance on bank and customs registrations. See the plans on this page.
• Yearly update: we can handle the April to June update every year for existing clients. The government fee for it is nil.

If you only need a modification, such as a new address or partner, our expert confirms the fee on the first call.

This is the rule most IEC holders miss. Para 2.05(d) of the FTP 2023 requires every IEC holder to update details online each year between April and June. If nothing has changed, you must still log in and confirm that online.

• What happens if you skip it: under para 2.05(e), the IEC is deactivated.
• How to restore it: a deactivated IEC is activated again once you complete the update successfully.
• Fee: nil for an update made between April and June.
• Risk flags: under para 2.05(f), the system may flag an IEC for scrutiny. If the holder does not address the flag in time, the IEC is deactivated.

A deactivated IEC can hold up shipments at the port and payments at the bank. Even if you have not traded this year, confirm your details. We send our clients a reminder each April.

Changes in between, such as a new address, partner or bank, must be updated online within 30 days of the change under HBP para 2.14(b). Read the policy text in Chapter 2 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 (PDF).

Modification

You can change the address, signatories, partners or directors, bank accounts and sector details online. The firm's DSC signs the request, and the DGFT fee is ₹200. Most changes are handled fully online.

PAN change after a merger or new structure

A new PAN means a new IEC. When a proprietorship turns into a company, or firms merge, HBP para 2.14 may require a fresh IEC within 30 days. Old numeric IECs that need a PAN change go to the Regional Authority.

Surrender

If you stop trading, you can surrender the IEC online. Under HBP para 2.13, surrender is allowed only when all authorisations and export obligations against the code are closed, or moved to the merged entity's IEC.

Suspension and cancellation by DGFT

Section 8 of the FTDR Act lets the Director General suspend or cancel an IEC after notice and a hearing. Grounds include customs or foreign exchange offences, and trade that harms India's trade relations. While suspended, you cannot trade except under a special licence.

The IEC lets you trade, but a few more registrations make the first shipment work.

• GST registration: exporters of goods usually need a GSTIN to claim refunds. Importers need it to claim credit of IGST paid at customs. See GST registration.
• LUT for zero-rated exports: a Letter of Undertaking lets you export without paying IGST upfront. Our GST consultant team files it.
• AD code at the port: your bank's Authorised Dealer code must be registered with customs for each port you use.
• ICEGATE registration: needed to track shipping bills and duty drawback. Visit the ICEGATE portal.
• RCMC: a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate from the relevant Export Promotion Council is needed for many FTP benefits.
• Product licences: food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals and some electronics need their own permits.

Keep clean books from the first invoice. Export sales, foreign receipts and IGST refunds are easier to reconcile when bookkeeping is monthly.

The costliest outcome is usually not the penalty. It is demurrage at the port while goods wait, and a buyer who cancels the order. Keeping the code active avoids both.

1. Name mismatch: the business name on the PAN, bank record and address proof does not match.
2. Bank check fails: account number, IFSC or holder name is wrong, or an active account linked to the PAN was not declared.
3. Wrong signatory: the person signing is not a partner, director or authorised signatory on record.
4. Expired or wrong DSC: the DSC has lapsed, or is not Class 2 or Class 3 from a licensed authority.
5. Old address proof: a utility bill that is too old or in someone else's name without an NOC.
6. Applying twice: trying to get a second IEC for a branch. One PAN gets one IEC for all branches.
7. Skipping the yearly update: the code goes inactive and the next shipment gets stuck.
8. Using personal use routes for trade: repeat imports under the common personal code can draw customs action.

We check each of these before we press submit. Most rejections we see from self-filers come from the first two points.

These changes come from DGFT notices issued in 2025-26 and 2026-27. We file according to the rules in force on the day of filing.

1. Live bank account validation through NPCI

DGFT Trade Notice No. 23/2025-26, dated 6 February 2026, added real-time NPCI checks on bank accounts in new IEC applications and modifications. It builds on Public Notice No. 32/2025-26 dated 20 November 2025. Applicants must declare all active bank accounts linked to their PAN. If any account fails, the application cannot be submitted. For new IECs, a failed check after submission leads to rejection. For modifications, the first failure marks the request deficient so you can correct it.

2. Updated IEC user manual

DGFT's IEC user manual version 4.1 (cover dated February 2026) confirms the ₹500 fee for a new IEC and ₹200 for a modification. It also says an IEC is created only after account validation succeeds.

3. Inventory-based e-commerce export framework

DGFT Notification No. 27/2026-27, dated 5 August 2026, set up an inventory-based cross-border e-commerce export model under the FTP 2023. An "Exporter-on-Record" buys goods from Indian GST-registered sellers and exports them. The Exporter-on-Record must hold a valid IEC and GSTIN and register with DGFT under the framework.

4. Annual update stays mandatory

The April to June update rule in FTP para 2.05(d) continues in 2026. Holders who missed the 2026 window should update now to reactivate the code.

Services: the DGFT page says service exports do not need an IEC unless the provider claims benefits under the FTP. A software company or freelancer billing foreign clients can usually receive payments without one. Many still take it, because some banks and platforms ask for it.

Freelancers and individuals: a proprietor applies on their own PAN. You do not need a company. The address can be your home if you have valid proof.

Online sellers: anyone shipping physical goods to buyers abroad needs an IEC, even for small orders sent by courier. From August 2026, the inventory-based export model also requires an IEC for the Exporter-on-Record.

Drop shipping: if goods move from a foreign supplier straight to a foreign buyer without touching India, customs is not involved. An IEC may still help with bank remittance checks. Ask our expert for your case.

IEC is a central registration, so the process and fee are the same in every state. There is no state stamp duty or local licence fee for the code itself.

• Online across India: we file for clients in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and other states from our Ghaziabad office.
• Regional Authority: DGFT assigns a Regional Authority based on your address. It handles cancellation requests, numeric IEC PAN changes and any physical verification.
• Ports and ICDs: NCR businesses often ship through Inland Container Depots and the Delhi air cargo terminal. Register your AD code at each port or ICD you use.
• Address verification: DGFT may verify the business address when it issues the code. Keep the premises proof current.

• Checks before filing: we match PAN, bank and address records first, which avoids paid applications getting rejected.
• Clear pricing: our fee is shown separately from the DGFT fee, with a written quote.
• Working since 2018: our team has handled tax and registration work for small businesses since 2018.
• One team for the next steps: GST registration, LUT, GST returns and bookkeeping are handled by the same team.
• Yearly reminders: we remind clients about the April to June update so the code stays active.
• Expert review: page content and processes are reviewed by Abhinay Rai, Advocate.

• Business licences guide: every registration your business may need.
• GST registration: needed for export refunds and import credit.
• GST return filing: report export invoices and claim refunds.
• MSME registration: Udyam certificate for credit and schemes.
• FSSAI registration: for food importers and exporters.
• Startup India registration: DPIIT recognition for new ventures.
• Company registration: set up a company or LLP to trade.
• Trademark registration: protect your export brand.
• Contact us: book a free first call.