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.
- Mandatory for import/export
- Lifetime validity
- Issued in 1–3 days
- Annual update handled
At a Glance
- 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
MandatoryAny 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
MandatoryAny 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 benefitsService 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
MandatoryBusinesses 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Documents Required
Entity documents
- PAN of the entity (or of the individual, for a proprietorship)
- Aadhaar of the proprietor, partner or director signing the application
- Certificate of Incorporation, partnership deed or LLP agreement
- GST registration certificate, where registered
- Cancelled cheque or a banker's certificate in the entity's name
- Digital signature certificate, for companies and LLPs
Address & bank documents
- Proof of the registered address — electricity bill, rent agreement or sale deed
- No-objection certificate from the property owner, for rented premises
- Bank account details with IFSC in the entity's name
- Passport-size photograph of the signatory
- Board resolution or authorisation letter for the signatory
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.
Step by step
- 1
Document collection
Same dayPAN, Aadhaar, constitution, address and bank details collected and cross-checked for consistency with your existing registrations.
- 2
Application preparation
Same dayDGFT application drafted with correct entity classification, all branch addresses and bank particulars.
- 3
Filing and fee payment
Same dayOnline submission with Aadhaar OTP or DSC authentication and payment of the government fee.
- 4
IEC issue
1 – 3 daysDGFT processes and issues the ten-digit IEC, which is auto-transmitted to customs systems.
- 5
Handover
Same dayCertificate 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, ₹103 Cr+ facilitated
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.
₹103 Cr+
Funding facilitated
700+
Businesses helped
85%
Success rate
28
States covered
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.
Related Services
Subsidies & Grants for MSMEs
Capital subsidy, R&D grants and export incentives you never repay.
GST Registration
GSTIN registration, amendments and ongoing return compliance.
E-commerce Onboarding & Brand Promotion
Marketplace onboarding, listings, ads and brand protection.
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.