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IEC — Import Export Code Registration

The 10-digit DGFT code that no business can legally import or export without — issued for a lifetime, but deactivated if you miss the annual update window.

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  • Mandatory for import/export
  • Lifetime validity
  • Issued in 1–3 days
  • Annual update handled
Issued by
DGFT
Timeline
1 – 3 days
Validity
Lifetime
Basis
One per PAN
Annual update
April – June

What Is Import Export Code?

The Import Export Code is a ten-digit identification number issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. No goods can be imported into or exported from India without it — customs will not clear a consignment, and banks will not process an inward or outward remittance for trade, without a valid IEC. It is issued against a PAN, one code per PAN, and is valid for the lifetime of the entity.

The application is fully online and usually processed within a few days. What catches exporters out is the annual update requirement: every IEC must be updated on the DGFT portal each year, in the April to June window, even when nothing has changed. Miss it and the IEC is deactivated — which is discovered at the worst possible moment, when a consignment is at the port or a remittance is stuck at the bank.

Beyond legality, the IEC is the identifier your export incentive claims run on. RoDTEP, duty drawback and market access schemes are all administered against it, and a deactivated code blocks those claims as well. Keeping it live is a small annual task with disproportionate consequences when neglected.

Who Needs an IEC

  • Goods exporters

    Mandatory

    Any business shipping goods out of India needs an IEC for customs clearance and to receive export remittances through the banking channel.

    • Required for shipping bills
    • Needed for export remittances
    • Basis for incentive claims

  • Goods importers

    Mandatory

    Any business bringing goods into India needs an IEC for the bill of entry and to make outward remittances against imports.

    • Required for customs clearance
    • Needed for import payments
    • Linked to your GST and PAN

  • Service exporters

    For benefits

    Service exporters can operate without an IEC in some cases, but need one to claim benefits under foreign trade policy schemes.

    • Needed for scheme benefits
    • Useful for banking documentation
    • Recommended for regular exporters

  • E-commerce exporters

    Mandatory

    Businesses selling internationally through marketplaces or their own store and shipping goods abroad require an IEC like any other exporter.

    • Required by courier and postal exports
    • Needed for marketplace onboarding
    • Applies to small consignments too

Benefits

What you actually gain from Import Export Code.

  1. It is simply not optional

    Without an IEC you cannot clear a consignment through customs or receive an export payment through the banking channel. There is no workaround.

  2. Lifetime validity, no renewal

    Issued once against your PAN and valid indefinitely. The only ongoing obligation is the annual update, which takes minutes if you do not forget it.

  3. The key to export incentives

    RoDTEP, duty drawback and market access schemes are all claimed against your IEC. A deactivated code blocks the claims as well as the shipments.

  4. Opens international selling

    Marketplace exporters, courier exporters and service exporters claiming scheme benefits all need it to operate at any scale.

Eligibility

Check where you stand before applying — we confirm all of this on the first call anyway.

Who can apply

  • Any individual, proprietorship, partnership, LLP, company, trust, society or HUF intending to import or export.
  • A valid PAN in the name of the applicant entity — one IEC is issued per PAN.
  • A current or savings bank account in the name of the entity.
  • A valid mobile number and email address for DGFT OTP verification.
  • Aadhaar or a digital signature certificate for authentication of the application.

Ongoing obligations

  • The IEC must be updated on the DGFT portal every year between April and June, even if no details have changed.
  • Failure to update results in deactivation of the IEC, blocking customs clearance and remittances until it is reactivated.
  • Any change in address, constitution, directors, partners or bank details must be updated on the portal promptly.
  • Firms in the DGFT denied entity list are not eligible.

How We Help You Get Import Export Code

What we handle for you, and the order we do it in.

  • Application preparation

    The DGFT application prepared with the correct entity details, branch addresses and bank particulars, verified against your PAN and GST records.

  • Portal filing and authentication

    Filing on the DGFT portal with Aadhaar OTP or DSC authentication, and payment of the government fee.

  • Certificate delivery

    The IEC certificate delivered along with your DGFT portal login credentials, so you retain full control of the account.

  • Modification and amendment

    Updates to address, constitution, directors, partners or bank details, filed as and when they change.

  • Annual update compliance

    The mandatory April–June update filed each year, with reminders ahead of the deadline so the code is never deactivated.

  • Reactivation of lapsed IEC

    Where an IEC has already been deactivated for a missed update, the reactivation filing to bring it back to live status.

  1. 1

    Document collection

    Same day

    PAN, Aadhaar, constitution, address and bank details collected and cross-checked for consistency with your existing registrations.

  2. 2

    Application preparation

    Same day

    DGFT application drafted with correct entity classification, all branch addresses and bank particulars.

  3. 3

    Filing and fee payment

    Same day

    Online submission with Aadhaar OTP or DSC authentication and payment of the government fee.

  4. 4

    IEC issue

    1 – 3 days

    DGFT processes and issues the ten-digit IEC, which is auto-transmitted to customs systems.

  5. 5

    Handover

    Same day

    Certificate and portal credentials handed to you, with the annual update deadline explained and diarised.

Why Choose SetuBridge

What working with us is actually like.

  • We tell you when the answer is no

    If you are not eligible, or the timing is wrong, or your credit record needs fixing first, we say so on the first call — before you have paid us anything.

  • One team, start to finish

    The same people who assess your case prepare the file and follow it up. You are not handed to a different desk after the sale, and you never re-explain your business.

  • 700+ businesses across 28 states

    We have run this process across 28 states and most sectors, so we know which departments, portals and branches move quickly and which need chasing.

  • Fees agreed in writing, upfront

    You know the cost before work starts. We never ask you to pay anything to a government official or bank employee, and no legitimate consultant will.

  • Follow-up is the actual work

    Most applications do not fail at filing — they stall at an unanswered query or a missed deadline. Chasing those to closure is the bulk of what we do for you.

  • You keep every document

    Certificates, acknowledgements, login credentials and filed copies are handed over to you. Nothing is held back to keep you dependent on us.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • For goods, yes — customs will not clear a shipping bill without it and banks will not process the export remittance. Service exporters can operate without one in limited circumstances, but need an IEC to claim benefits under foreign trade policy schemes, so regular service exporters should hold one.

  • Usually one to three working days. The application is fully online, authenticated through Aadhaar OTP or a digital signature certificate, and DGFT processes it quickly when the documents are consistent.

  • It has lifetime validity, but it must be updated on the DGFT portal every year between April and June even if nothing has changed. Miss that window and the IEC is deactivated — usually discovered when a consignment is stuck at the port.

  • Yes. A deactivated IEC is reactivated by completing the pending update on the DGFT portal. We file the reactivation and then keep the annual update on our calendar so it does not recur.

  • No. One IEC is issued per PAN. If your business operates from multiple locations, all branch addresses are recorded under the same IEC rather than separate codes being issued.

  • Not strictly for the IEC itself, but in practice you will need GST registration to export or import in any meaningful way — for the shipping bill, for input tax credit and refunds, and for the export incentive claims. Most applicants have or need both.

Government fees, scheme limits and eligibility norms are revised from time to time. Figures on this page are indicative — our team confirms the rules in force on the day of filing before you commit to anything.

Get your Import Export Code

Talk to a SetuBridge advisor. We'll tell you honestly whether this is the right fit for your business — no charge for the first conversation.

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