AEO certification for importers and exporters

AEO is customs' trusted trader status. It gets your goods through the port faster with fewer checks. We prepare your file and see you through the visit. Then we keep your status live.

AEO certificate
AEO status in good standingKept live by our team

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Which AEO tier fits you?

Pick where you stand. Our customs team then checks it against your record.

Where do you stand?

Start with Tier One

Tier One is a check of your papers with no site visit. You get faster clearance and a smaller bank guarantee. It has no renewal date. You send customs a declaration each year and customs reviews your record from time to time.

Tier Two fits

Tier Two adds security checks and a visit to your site. In return you can pay import duty once a month instead of on each shipment. Customs also skips some checks on your seals and papers. If you manufacture, customs also runs a scheme that lets manufacturers who import pay monthly without Tier Two for a limited time.

Move up to Tier Three

Tier Three has the fewest checks. In most cases you give no bank guarantee at all. You qualify after a longer spell at Tier Two. Or sooner if the partners in your supply chain hold AEO status too.

Build your record first

Customs looks for a record of trade and regular customs filings. Small businesses need a shorter record. A new business is taken only in rare cases, after customs checks its site. Until then we clear your goods and keep your papers in order.

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What you need before you apply

AEO is for businesses with a track record. Customs looks for a few years of steady trade, regular customs filings and sound accounts.

  1. IEC
  2. GST
  3. Sound accountsAccounts
  4. No serious customs offenceClean record
  5. AEO statusAEO

The papers customs asks for

Business papers

Your PAN, GST certificate, IEC and the papers that set up your business. Add a list of your directors, partners or owner.

Your customs filings

Copies of the bills of entry or shipping bills you filed over the last year.

Your customs record

Every show cause notice from recent years with a note on where each stands.

Accounts

Your accounts and a solvency certificate. A chartered accountant can sign it for Tier One and Tier Two. Tier Three needs your auditor.

Process map

How your goods and papers move from order to delivery.

Site plans

A plan of each site with its gates, fences, lights and CCTV.

Written procedures

How you keep your records and check each customs paper.

Security plan

From Tier Two: how you keep your sites and loads secure. It covers your staff and partners too.

How we help you get AEO status

We prepare the file and stay with you through the visit. You sign where the law asks you to.

  1. We look at your customs record, your filings and your accounts. Then we tell you which tier you can reach.

  2. We draw how your goods and papers move from order to delivery. We add a plan of each site.

  3. We write down how you keep records and guard your sites. Then we help your team follow those steps every day.

  4. We put the file together on customs' AEO portal. Your signatory signs and sends it.

  5. Customs officers visit your site before they grant Tier Two. We get your team ready and walk the officers round with you.

  6. Customs grants your tier. From then on we quote your AEO number on every shipment we clear.

How we keep your AEO status live

Your status lasts only while your record stays clean and your procedures stay in use.

  • Your AEO number

    Each shipment

    We quote it on each bill of entry and shipping bill we file. Without it you get none of the benefits.

  • Deferred duty

    Every month

    At Tier Two and up you can pay import duty once a month. We track what falls due so you pay it on time.

  • Yearly declaration

    Every year

    Tier One has no renewal date. It stays live while you send customs a declaration each year. We prepare it and you sign.

  • Renewal

    Before the term ends

    You renew Tier Two and Tier Three before their term ends. We prepare the renewal in good time.

  • Changes reported

    When things change

    Customs needs to hear soon when you add a site or change your name. We prepare the report for you.

  • Procedures in use

    All the time

    Your team must follow your procedures every day. We check that your logs and records show it.

  • Reviews and audits

    When customs asks

    Customs reviews your status from time to time. We get your records ready for each review.

  • Your customs record

    If a notice comes

    A show cause notice can cost you your tier. We watch your record and tell you at once where you stand.

Where AEO applications go wrong

Most delays come from gaps in the file or procedures nobody follows.

  • What goes wrong: Names and addresses differ from one paper to the next.

    What we do: We match every paper to your PAN and GST before you apply.

  • What goes wrong: The procedures are written down but nobody follows them.

    What we do: We help your team follow each one and log it as they go.

  • What goes wrong: The file leaves out an old show cause notice.

    What we do: We list every notice from recent years with a note on each.

  • What goes wrong: Customs asks a question and the reply comes late.

    What we do: We draft each reply as soon as the question comes.

  • What goes wrong: The team is not ready when the officers visit.

    What we do: We go over the visit with your team before the day.

  • What goes wrong: A new warehouse joins the supply chain and nobody tells customs.

    What we do: We prepare the report and its site plan as soon as you add one.

Where our warehouses and customs team come in

Your AEO status is yours alone. Here is how our customs team and warehouses work with it.

  • Cleared under your status

    Our customs team clears your goods with your AEO number on each filing. Then we move them into our warehouse and on to your buyers.

  • Our warehouse on your process map

    If your goods sit with us we draw that part of your map. It shows how we receive, store and dispatch them.

  • Records ready for review

    We keep the customs papers for the goods we handle in order. They are ready whenever customs reviews your status.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Still have a question?

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What is AEO certification in customs?
AEO stands for Authorised Economic Operator. It is customs' trusted trader status in India. Customs gives it to businesses with a clean record and good controls. Their goods clear faster with fewer checks at every port.
Is AEO certification mandatory?
No. It is voluntary and there is no penalty for not having it. Without it your goods clear with the usual checks.
Who can apply for AEO certification?
Importers and exporters can apply, both manufacturers and traders. Customs looks for a few years of trade and regular customs filings. It also wants no serious customs offence in recent years and sound accounts. An ordinary dispute with customs does not rule you out. Small businesses get easier terms: a shorter record, fewer filings and shorter forms. Logistics firms such as customs brokers and warehouse operators have a tier of their own called AEO-LO.
What are the benefits of AEO certification in India?
Your goods clear faster with fewer checks. You give customs a smaller bank guarantee. At Tier Three you give none in most cases. Your containers can go straight from the port to you if your volumes allow. From Tier Two you can pay import duty once a month. From Tier Two you also get your own contact at customs.
What are the AEO benefits for exporters?
Your export containers can go straight from your premises to the port if your volumes allow. From Tier Two customs can skip its checks on your seals and papers. From Tier Two, countries that recognise India's AEO status can ease their checks on your goods. What each country gives varies.
What is the difference between AEO Tier One, Tier Two and Tier Three?
Tier One checks your papers only. It gives you faster clearance and a smaller bank guarantee. Tier Two adds security checks and a visit to your site. In return you can pay duty once a month and face fewer checks. Tier Three is for Tier Two holders with a longer record or with partners who hold AEO status. It has the fewest checks and in most cases no bank guarantee.
How do I apply for an AEO certificate in India?
You apply online on the AEO portal run by customs. The file holds your business papers, process map, site plans, procedures and accounts. Your signatory signs it. Customs officers then visit your site if you apply for Tier Two. For Tier Three they visit again only if your business has changed or you apply through your partners' status. We prepare the whole file and stay with you through the visit.
What documents are required for AEO certification?
For every tier you need your PAN, GST, IEC and the papers that set up your business. Add copies of your bills of entry or shipping bills from the last year. List any show cause notices from recent years. A chartered accountant gives a solvency certificate with your accounts. For Tier Three it must be your auditor. You also need a process map, a plan of each site and your written procedures. Tier Two and up add a security plan.
What does AEO certification cost?
Customs charges no fee to apply. Your costs are the work to get ready: procedures, site plans and any security you add.
How long is an AEO certificate valid?
Tier One has no renewal date. It stays live while you send customs a declaration every year and pass its reviews. Tier Two and Tier Three run for a set term. You apply to renew before it ends and show what has changed since. We keep track of both for you.
Does my customs broker's AEO status cover me?
No. AEO status belongs only to the business that holds it. Your broker's or warehouse's status does not pass to you. You apply in your own name.
What happens to my AEO status after a show cause notice?
It depends on the notice. One for fraud, forgery or smuggling can cost you the status. You then wait a set time before you can apply again. Other notices can see it suspended or dropped a tier. A suspended status can come back if the duty in dispute is small. To move back up a tier you apply again. We watch your record and tell you where you stand.