IEC code registration: how to apply online, fee and documents

The quick answer

IEC code registration is done online on the DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in): register as a user, choose "Apply for IEC", fill in the ANF-2A form with the firm's PAN, address and bank details, upload an address proof and a cancelled cheque or bank certificate, sign with Aadhaar or a digital signature, and pay the ₹500 fee. DGFT's Handbook of Procedures says the IEC is then auto-generated and sent to you by email and SMS. The number is the same as the firm's PAN, it never expires, but it must be updated online every year between April and June or it is de-activated.

This guide is for anyone who is about to import or export for the first time: a manufacturer taking its first export order, a trader importing stock, or a start-up selling abroad. It covers who needs an Importer-Exporter Code and who is exempt, the exact documents DGFT accepts, the application step by step, the fee, the yearly update that trips up many firms, what to register for after the IEC (an RCMC from an export promotion council), and how to find your first overseas buyers, freight forwarders and customs agents once the code is in hand. Every rule below comes from DGFT's own pages, which are linked so you can check them; fees and forms change, so confirm on the portal before you pay anyone.

What an IEC is and who needs one

The Importer-Exporter Code is the business identity that customs, banks and DGFT use for every shipment. Chapter 2 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 (paragraph 2.05) describes it as a 10-character alpha-numeric number allotted to an entity, mandatory for any export or import activity, and says that since GST the IEC is the same as the firm's PAN but is still issued separately by DGFT on an online application. The policy is direct: no export or import of goods shall be made by any person without an IEC unless specifically exempted.

DGFT's IEC Profile Management page lists the kinds of firm that can hold one: proprietorship, partnership, LLP, limited company, trust, HUF and society. A proprietor applies against their own PAN; a company or LLP applies against the company's PAN, not a director's.

Goods versus services

The rule is different for services. DGFT's page says that for services exports an IEC is not necessary, except when the service provider is taking benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy. The policy itself adds that for export of services or technology, the IEC must exist on the date the services are rendered if you want to claim FTP benefits. So an IT consultancy invoicing a US client does not need an IEC just to be paid, but if it plans to claim any FTP scheme benefit later, it should get the code before it starts the work, not after.

Some rules that surprise first-time applicants

• One PAN, one IEC. Paragraph 2.12 of the Handbook of Procedures says only one IEC is issued against a single PAN. DGFT's user manual adds that you cannot continue an application if your PAN has already been used for an IEC, whether the old numeric kind or the PAN-based kind. If someone in the family business got an IEC years ago against the same PAN, you need to find and link that IEC, not apply again.
• One IEC covers every branch. Paragraph 2.10 says the IEC covers all branches, divisions, units and factories of the applicant. You add branches, with their GSTINs, to the same IEC.
• It stays valid in an SEZ or EOU. Paragraph 2.11 says the IEC remains valid whether the firm is a domestic unit, an SEZ unit or an EOU, EHTP, STP or BTP unit.
• Selling abroad on a marketplace still means exporting. If physical goods leave India against your invoice, the shipment is an export and needs your IEC, even when a platform or courier handles the paperwork.

Who does not need an IEC: the exempt categories

Paragraph 2.07 of the Handbook of Procedures, Chapter 2 (the version on DGFT's website on 30 October 2026) lists the categories exempted from obtaining an IEC and the permanent IEC numbers some of them quote on customs documents instead. The table summarises the ones a business reader is most likely to meet.

Two limits matter. First, the exemption does not apply to exports of SCOMET items (dual-use goods and technologies listed in Appendix 3, Schedule 2 of ITC (HS)), except for exports by government departments. Second, "personal use" means personal use: a person who imports a few cartons to resell, or ships samples as part of a business, is trading and needs an IEC. If you are a business, assume you need one.

Documents and details to keep ready

Most rejected or stuck applications fail on small mismatches between the form and the PAN or bank records, because DGFT checks them online. Paragraph 2.08 of the Handbook says the details are validated through online integration with the records of other ministries, departments and banks where feasible, and that you must upload a cancelled cheque bearing the entity's pre-printed name (or a bank certificate in the prescribed format) and the entity's address proof. DGFT's IEC Module user help file (version 2.0, May 2022) gives the detail, summarised below.

The address matters more than people expect. DGFT's page says the address may be physically verified after the IEC is issued, and it runs an IEC address validation process based on the physical delivery and receipt of post at that address. Use an address where someone will actually receive letters.

How to apply for an IEC code online, step by step

These steps follow DGFT's user help file and the Indian Trade Portal's IEC FAQ. Screens on the portal change from time to time, but the order of the work does not.

1. Register on dgft.gov.in. Start the registration, select "Importer/Exporter" as the user type, and give a valid email address and mobile number. After you enter the OTPs sent to both, you receive a temporary password to change at first login. Use an email address and mobile number the firm will keep, because DGFT writes to them.
2. Log in and choose "Apply for IEC". It is on the dashboard and under Services → IEC Profile Management. Choose "Start Fresh Application" (or continue a saved draft).
3. Fill in the general information. Nature of concern (proprietorship, partnership, company and so on), firm name, PAN with the name and date exactly as per PAN, preferred activities, whether the firm is in an SEZ or an EOU/EHTP/STP/BTP scheme (this decides which DGFT office handles you), CIN if any, GSTIN if any, the firm's mobile number and email for correspondence, and the address with PIN. The PIN code decides the state, district and jurisdictional DGFT Regional Authority.
4. Attach the address proof and add branches. Add every branch with its GSTIN and address now if you have them; you can add more later through a modification.
5. Enter the proprietor, partners, directors, karta or managing trustee. For companies, directors are pulled from MCA. For each person you give PAN, name as per PAN, father's name, address and mobile. Tick the box if a director is a foreign national.
6. Enter the bank account. Account number, holder name (the firm name), IFSC, bank and branch, and upload the cancelled cheque or bank certificate.
7. Answer "Other details". You pick the export sectors you prefer and why you are applying for an IEC, which helps DGFT and export promotion councils understand your business.
8. Accept the declaration and sign. Check the summary, then sign with Aadhaar OTP or a registered DSC.
9. Pay ₹500 on Bharatkosh. The portal sends you to the Bharatkosh payment gateway. The manual notes that if a payment fails, wait an hour for the payment to reflect before trying again, so you do not pay twice.
10. Download the e-IEC. Paragraph 2.08(b) says the IEC is auto-generated and the applicant is informed by email and SMS; you can view and download the certificate from your dashboard. DGFT's page says new certificates carry a QR code that can be used to verify the certificate online.

If DGFT finds the application incomplete, paragraph 2.05 of the Handbook says it can be rejected with reasons and re-opened once you fix the deficiencies, but if you do not fix them within 90 days the application is treated as withdrawn. Watch the email address you gave.

If you already have an IEC

Many firms have an old IEC that nobody can log in to, often one issued before the portal moved online. Do not apply again: register as a user and use "Link your profile to IEC", which DGFT says needs a digital signature token. Once linked, you can add more users to the IEC as primary or secondary users and give each one access to particular DGFT schemes, which is useful when a CA or an export manager handles the filings.

Fee, time and validity

The Indian Trade Portal answers the common cost question on its IEC FAQ page: the application fee is ₹500. That is the government fee. Many consultants and CA firms charge a service fee on top for filling in the form; that is a choice, not a requirement, and the steps above are within reach of most business owners who have the documents ready.

• Fee for a new IEC: ₹500, paid online through Bharatkosh.
• Fee for a modification: DGFT's May 2022 user manual shows ₹200 for a modification request. Check the amount the portal shows when you submit, because fees are set in Appendix 2K and can change.
• Fee for the annual update: the Indian Trade Portal FAQ says no fee is charged if the IEC is updated between April and June.
• Time: the Handbook describes the IEC as auto-generated after a complete application. DGFT does not promise a number of days on the pages we read, and an application that needs checking takes longer, so do not wait until the week your shipment sails.
• Validity: paragraph 2.10 says an IEC has permanent validity unless suspended or cancelled, but it can be de-activated under paragraph 2.05(e) of the policy if it is not updated.

After you get the IEC: the yearly update and other rules

This is the part most "how to apply" pages skip, and the part that stops shipments. Getting the IEC is a one-time job; keeping it active is a yearly one.

A practical habit: put a reminder in the first week of April every year for the IEC update, in the same calendar as GST and income tax dates. DGFT's page also has options to revoke a suspension or a cancellation and to request removal from the Denied Entity List, which tells you these situations happen often enough to need their own buttons.

Checking another firm's IEC

Paragraph 2.09 says the details of any IEC can be verified on the DGFT website under Services → "View IEC Related Details". Exporters use it to check an Indian importer or a merchant exporter before signing a deal, and buyers use it to check that a supplier who claims to export really holds an IEC. Our company search guide shows how to combine it with MCA, GST and Udyam look-ups.

What to register for next: RCMC, GST and your service partners

The IEC lets you ship. It does not by itself make you eligible for export promotion schemes or tell buyers abroad that you are a serious exporter. The next registration most exporters need is a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate.

• RCMC from an export promotion council. Paragraphs 2.79 to 2.81 of the Handbook say an exporter applies in form ANF 2C to the council concerned with the product of its main line of business; if no council or commodity board covers the product, or a multi-product exporter has not settled its main line, the RCMC comes from FIEO. Prospective exporters can join a council as associate members. An RCMC is valid for five years, from 1 April of the licensing year in which it was issued to 31 March, unless otherwise specified, and changes in ownership, name or address must be reported within one month. Councils also run buyer-seller meets and fair delegations, which is often the real reason to join.
• GST. The IEC form asks for a GSTIN only "if applicable", so the IEC itself does not need GST. In practice, most exporters of goods are registered for GST because they buy inputs with GST and claim refunds or export under bond; ask your CA how this applies to your turnover and product.
• A customs broker and a freight forwarder. First-time exporters rarely handle the shipping bill, port formalities and booking themselves. Our guide to freight forwarders explains who does what in a shipment and how to check a customs broker's licence before you hand over documents.
• Product rules. The IEC does not override product rules. Policy paragraph 2.06 says that for goods subject to restrictions, policy conditions or an NOC under any statute, the regulator concerned may notify additional documents for export or import. Check the ITC (HS) code of your product on DGFT before you quote a buyer.

Finding your first buyers and partners once you have an IEC

An IEC is a licence to trade, not a customer. The harder work is finding the importer abroad, or the Indian supplier, distributor or customs agent you will work with. Starleads publishes counts of the businesses in its data, which give a sense of how many firms are already in the trade and where. These are counts of contacts in Starleads' data, compiled from business directories, not an official census or a DGFT register of IEC holders.

• The Exporters list had 1,75,373 contacts on 30 October 2026, 71% with a mobile number and 85% with an email address. The most are in Maharashtra (60,790), Delhi (30,704) and Tamil Nadu (13,731), and Starleads' Insights page shows Mumbai alone with 49,256, ahead of Bengaluru (11,460), Chennai (8,049), Kolkata (6,301) and Pune (6,070). New exporters use it to find manufacturer-exporters who may take on merchant exports, or to see who already ships their product.
• The Importers list had 1,08,764 contacts, 90% with a mobile number and 95% with an email address, most of them in Maharashtra (38,779), Delhi (20,821) and Karnataka (7,205). One caution from the list page itself: 98,511 rows carry the category "Paper Importers & Exporters", a label from the source directories that is much broader than paper, so filter by name and address rather than by that category.
• The Freight Forwarders & Customs Clearing Agents list had 15,699 contacts across 101 cities, most in Maharashtra (4,338), Delhi (2,392) and Tamil Nadu (1,540). Getting three quotes from forwarders near your port is one of the easiest ways to understand what a shipment will really cost.

Today the Exporters list has 1,75,373 contacts in 485 cities; 71% have a mobile number and 85% an email address. Most are in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata.

Exporters by city

• Mumbai 49,256 contacts · 82% email · 67% mobile ₹499
• Bengaluru 11,460 contacts · 80% email · 96% mobile ₹499
• Chennai 8,049 contacts · 86% email · 54% mobile ₹499
• Kolkata 6,301 contacts · 92% email · 69% mobile ₹499
• Pune 6,070 contacts · 89% email · 80% mobile ₹499
• Ahmedabad 5,520 contacts · 93% email · 95% mobile ₹499
• Gurugram 5,433 contacts · 93% email · 89% mobile ₹499
• Hyderabad 5,320 contacts · 89% email · 66% mobile ₹499
• Noida 4,665 contacts · 91% email · 85% mobile ₹499
• New Delhi 4,323 contacts · 85% email · 6% mobile ₹499
• Jaipur 3,382 contacts · 78% email · 68% mobile ₹499
• Faridabad 2,147 contacts · 92% email · 72% mobile ₹499

Every Starleads list page shows 60 real sample rows free. A city, state or specialisation list costs ₹499, and bulk data for one industry across India costs ₹1,999, plus 18% GST at checkout. Starleads lists Indian businesses; for buyers abroad, councils, fairs, embassies and trade portals matter more, and our guide to finding export buyers walks through each of them. Our exporters and importers database guide explains the difference between shipment data and contact lists.

The rules for calling and messaging Indian businesses

If you call Indian suppliers, forwarders or traders from these lists, TRAI's rules apply to promotional calls and SMS. Numbers on the DND register (NCPR) have opted out of commercial communication fully or by category; promotional SMS must go through a DLT-registered sender with registered templates; and bulk promotional messages need the recipient's consent. A one-to-one business call about a specific deal is different from a bulk campaign, but the safest course is to check numbers before a campaign. Our DND check guide explains how. Starleads sells business contacts only, never lists of private individuals.

Common mistakes with IEC registration

1. Applying in a director's name for a company. The IEC goes with the entity's PAN. A director's personal IEC cannot be used for the company's shipments.
2. A second IEC on the same PAN. The portal blocks it. Find the old IEC and link it, or ask the jurisdictional Regional Authority for help if the old numeric IEC is stuck.
3. A bank account that is not in the firm's name. The account holder name must match the firm name.
4. Missing the April-June update. The IEC is de-activated and stays that way until you complete the update.
5. Not updating within 30 days of moving office or changing bank. The Handbook requires it, and an out-of-date address fails DGFT's postal address check.
6. Paying a third party for something DGFT does for ₹500. Help with the form can be worth paying for; a website that looks like DGFT and charges for "IEC registration" without saying it is a private service is not. The official site ends in dgft.gov.in.
7. Thinking the IEC is an export licence for every product. Restricted and SCOMET items need separate permissions.

Questions people ask

How do I get IEC registration?

Apply online on dgft.gov.in in form ANF-2A: register as a user, choose "Apply for IEC", enter the firm's PAN, address and bank details, upload an address proof and a cancelled cheque or bank certificate, sign with Aadhaar or a DSC and pay ₹500. The IEC is auto-generated and sent by email and SMS once the application is complete.

How much does an import export licence cost in India?

The government fee for an IEC is ₹500, according to the Indian Trade Portal and DGFT's user manual. Updating it each year between April and June is free. Licences for restricted goods are separate and have their own fees under Appendix 2K.

Do I need GST for an IEC code?

No. The IEC application asks for a GSTIN only if the firm has one. What you must have is a PAN, a bank account in the firm's name and a valid address. Whether you need GST for your business is a separate question that depends on your turnover and what you sell.

How do you activate a de-activated IEC code?

Log in to the DGFT portal and complete the annual update of the IEC. FTP paragraph 2.05(e) says an IEC de-activated for not being updated may be activated on its successful updation. If the IEC was suspended or cancelled instead, use "Request Revoke Suspension" or "Request Revoke Cancellation" under IEC Profile Management.

Is the IEC number the same as PAN?

Yes, for IECs issued since GST: the policy says the IEC is the same as the firm's PAN. You still have to apply for it, because DGFT issues the IEC separately; holding a PAN does not make you an IEC holder.

Do service exporters need an IEC?

Not to export services. DGFT says an IEC is not necessary for services exports except when the service provider takes benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy, and then it must exist on the date the services are rendered.

What is the validity of an IEC?

Permanent, unless suspended or cancelled, as long as you update it every year between April and June. It covers all branches and units of the firm.

How can I check whether a company has an IEC?

Use Services → "View IEC Related Details" on the DGFT website, which paragraph 2.09 of the Handbook names for verifying any IEC. You need the IEC number and the first letters of the firm name.