Import-Export Code (IEC) Registration

What is an Import-Export Code and who issues it?

Import-Export Code (IEC) is the PAN-based business identification number issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. DGFT's own guidance in form ANF-2A is unambiguous: all who intend to import or export are required to have an IEC, subject to a list of exempt categories.

The IEC is what connects a business to India's foreign trade system. Without it, customs will not clear a consignment and banks will not process an inward or outward foreign trade remittance in the trade channel. It is issued against the applicant's PAN, and only one IEC is allowed per PAN.

Key features of the IEC

• Issued electronically by DGFT and delivered as a downloadable certificate.
• Lifetime validity, with no renewal, but a compulsory annual updation.
• Covers goods and services across every sector; ANF-2A lets you tick preferred sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals and textiles to IT services, legal services and tourism.
• Applies to a wide range of entity types: proprietorship, partnership, LLP, private limited, public limited, one person company, registered society, trust, HUF, government undertaking, foreign LLP and foreign company registered in India.

Who is eligible for an IEC and who cannot apply?

You can apply if:

• You intend to import or export goods or services from India.
• You hold a PAN in the name of the applicant firm or individual.
• You have a bank account in the name of the firm, with details matching the PAN.
• You have a DSC or Aadhaar available for electronic signing.

You cannot apply, or your application will be rejected, if:

• You already hold an IEC against the same PAN. A second IEC on the same PAN is not issued.
• Any director, partner, proprietor, karta or trustee of the applicant entity is on the DGFT Denied Entity List (DEL) through another firm. ANF-2A requires an explicit certification on this point.
• The registered office, head office, branch, unit or division of the entity has been declared a defaulter or made ineligible for import and export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
• Penalties are outstanding against the entity under the Customs Act 1962, the Central Excise Act 1944, the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992, FEMA 1999, COFEPOSA 1974, or the CGST, SGST, IGST or UTGST Acts 2017.

Certain importers and exporters are exempt from holding an IEC at all. DGFT does not list these in ANF-2A itself but points to Para 2.07 of the Handbook of Procedures for the exempt categories. Check that paragraph before applying if your activity is small-scale, personal or falls under a government department.

What documents are required for IEC registration?

DGFT's prescribed bank certificate format, ANF2A(I), is more demanding than a plain cancelled cheque. It must be on the bank's own letterhead, certify the savings or current account number and the date since when it has been maintained, carry the applicant's attested passport-size photograph, include a photograph of the business premises with geo-tagging, and be signed by an official not below the rank of Manager with the bank seal and IFSC code.

How to apply for an IEC online

1. Go to the official DGFT portal at dgft.gov.in and register as a new user, giving your PAN, mobile number and email. Verify both the mobile and email through the OTPs sent.
2. Log in and choose Services → Apply for IEC, which opens form ANF-2A.
3. Fill in the Applicant Details; name of the concern, full address with state, district, city and PIN, mobile and landline, email, nature of the concern from the listed entity types, PAN, name as per the PAN database, date of birth or incorporation, CIN or LLPIN where applicable, and GSTIN.
4. Enter turnover details for the preceding three financial years, separating annual domestic turnover from annual export turnover, and tick your category of exporter: merchant exporter, manufacturer exporter, merchant cum manufacturer exporter, service provider or other.
5. Declare whether the firm is located in a Special Economic Zone, or under the EOU, EHTP, STP or BTP schemes, and add branch details for every branch, division, unit or factory in India with its own GSTIN and address.
6. Enter details of every proprietor, partner, director, karta or managing trustee, name as per PAN, date of birth, PAN, DIN for companies, passport number if a foreign national, residential address and mobile number.
7. Add all bank accounts linked to the PAN, with account holder name matching the firm name, account number, bank and branch name and IFSC code, marking one as primary, and tick the confirmation that all linked accounts have been added.
8. Select your preferred sectors of operation for import and export from the goods and services lists in the form.
9. Read and accept the declaration and undertaking, which covers the DEL certification, absence of penalties, the single-IEC rule, and an undertaking to abide by the FT(D&R) Act 1992, the Foreign Trade Policy, the Handbook of Procedures and the ITC (HS) Classification.
10. Pay the Rs 500 application fee through the portal's integrated payment gateway, then sign the application with your DSC or Aadhaar e-Sign and submit.
11. Note the file number shown on submission and use it to track the application under Services on the DGFT portal.

Is there an offline route for IEC?

No. DGFT states plainly on ANF-2A that the process of application for IEC is completely electronic and paperless, and that no paper copies or scanned copies of the ANF form are to be submitted to any office of DGFT. The form published on the DGFT website exists for reference only, so that applicants can see what will be asked before they start.

Applicants without a computer can complete the process at a Common Service Centre or through a DGFT Regional Authority helpdesk, but the submission itself is still made through dgft.gov.in.

What does IEC registration cost?

The application fee for a new IEC is Rs 500, paid online through the DGFT portal's payment gateway by net banking, debit card, credit card or UPI. That is the entire government charge.

Annual updation is free when done in the April to June window each year under Para 2.05 of the Handbook of Procedures. No fee is charged for updating an IEC in that period, whether or not any detail has changed.

This is a place where middlemen do real damage. Consultants routinely charge Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 to "obtain" an IEC that costs Rs 500 and is issued automatically by a system, and some then charge again every year for a free annual update. Applying yourself at dgft.gov.in is straightforward. The form is long but it asks only for information you already have. If you do use a consultant, you are paying for their time, not for any government privilege, and no consultant can make DGFT issue an IEC faster.

How do I check my IEC status and download the certificate?

1. Log in to dgft.gov.in with the credentials used for the application.
2. Open Services → IEC Profile Management to see the status of the application and the issued IEC.
3. Once approved, download the IEC certificate from the same screen. It is issued digitally; no physical certificate is posted.
4. To verify any IEC, including your own, use View IEC Related Details on the portal, which is publicly accessible.

A complete, correctly signed application with cleared payment is generally processed within 1 to 3 working days. Applications flagged for scrutiny — usually because of a PAN or bank mismatch, take longer and may attract a query from the Regional Authority.

Why do IEC applications get rejected?

• Name mismatch between the PAN database and the name entered in ANF-2A. The form asks separately for "name of the concern" and "name as per PAN database" precisely because this trips people up.
• Bank account not in the firm's name, or the account holder name not matching the applicant entity.
• Bank certificate not in the ANF2A(I) format: missing the attested photograph, the geo-tagged premises photograph, the bank seal or a manager-level signature.
• Existing IEC on the same PAN, sometimes obtained years earlier and forgotten.
• DEL or defaulter flag against a director or partner through another entity.
• Unsigned application, filled and paid for but never e-signed, which leaves it incomplete.
• Address proof not matching the registered or head office address entered.

Most of these are curable. Correct the PAN record on the Income Tax e-filing portal, get a fresh bank certificate in the prescribed format, and resubmit.

Annual updation and de-activation

Every IEC holder must update the IEC electronically every year, even where there is no change in the details. Updation done between April and June is free of charge. An IEC that is not updated within the prescribed period is de-activated, and a de-activated IEC cannot be used for customs clearance.

Re-activation is done by completing the pending updation on dgft.gov.in. Because de-activation surfaces at the worst possible moment; usually when a consignment is already at the port, treat the April to June window as a fixed annual task.

Where do I get help with an IEC?

• DGFT helpline: 1800-572-1550 or 1800-111-550
• DGFT EDI email: dgftedi[at]nic[dot]in
• DGFT Helpdesk Service on dgft.gov.in, for logging a complaint or suggestion with a ticket number
• Application Help and FAQs under the Learn menu on the DGFT portal
• Regional Authority of DGFT for your jurisdiction, for scrutiny queries and DEL-related issues

DGFT will never ask for your DSC PIN, Aadhaar OTP or payment card details over the phone.