IEC registration for importers and exporters

Customs needs your Importer Exporter Code before it clears your first shipment. We prepare and file it for you. You just sign. After that we keep it active every year.

Importer Exporter Code
IEC activeReady for your first shipment

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Do you need an IEC?

Most businesses that import or export goods do. Pick what you do for a first answer.

What do you do?

You need an IEC

Customs will not take your bill of entry without it. Get it before your goods ship.

You need an IEC

Your shipping bill carries it. Your bank also asks for it to receive your export money.

You do not need one

Goods for your personal use need no IEC. Goods for a business do, even a machine or spares for your own plant.

Ask our team

What you need before you apply

Have these ready before you apply. We check each one against your PAN.

  1. PAN
  2. Bank account in the business nameBank account
  3. Digital signature or AadhaarDigital signature
  4. IEC

PAN of the business

Your IEC number is your PAN. One PAN gets one IEC.

Proof of address

A rent agreement, sale deed or electricity bill. Add the owner's consent if it is not in your name.

Bank proof

A cancelled cheque with your business name printed on it or a letter from your bank.

All your bank accounts

The form lists every active account on your business PAN. DGFT checks each one with the bank.

The people in charge

Name, PAN and home address of each owner, partner, director, karta or trustee. A foreign director gives a passport number.

Your branches

The address of each branch, plant or warehouse. Add its GST number where it has one.

How to get your IEC code

We fill in and check every detail. You sign once.

  1. We match your name, address and bank details to your PAN before we start.

  2. We enter your business, people, branches and bank accounts on the DGFT portal.

  3. You sign with your digital signature or an Aadhaar OTP.

  4. The portal checks your bank accounts online. If a name does not match we show you what to change.

  5. Your IEC arrives by email. We add it to your customs file.

  6. We clear your goods at the port under your new IEC.

How we keep your IEC active

Your IEC never expires. But DGFT switches it off if you skip its yearly update or leave a flag on it unanswered.

  • Yearly update

    Every year

    We remind you each April and file the update even when nothing has changed. The same update brings back an IEC switched off for a missed update.

  • Changes

    When things change

    We update your address, bank account or directors soon after they change.

  • New branches

    Each new branch

    We add each new branch to your IEC.

  • Status check

    Before each shipment

    We check your IEC is active before we file your customs papers. We answer any flag DGFT raises on it.

Why IEC applications get stuck

Most of the trouble is one detail that does not match your PAN.

  • What goes wrong: The bank account name does not match the PAN.

    What we do: We check the name on every account before we file.

  • What goes wrong: The address proof is not in your name and has no consent letter.

    What we do: We add the owner's consent to the same file.

  • What goes wrong: A director's details do not match their PAN.

    What we do: We check each name and PAN before you sign.

  • What goes wrong: Nobody files the yearly update. The IEC stops just as a container lands.

    What we do: We file the update every year and check your IEC before each shipment.

  • What goes wrong: A new branch or bank account never reaches the IEC.

    What we do: We update your IEC as your business changes.

  • What goes wrong: Goods come in on someone else's IEC.

    What we do: We clear your goods only under your own IEC. The law asks for that.

Everything else your first shipment needs

An IEC is the first step. We set up the rest with the same team.

  • Our warehouse on your GST

    We give you the papers to add our warehouse to your GST. In a state where you have no GST number you register there first. Then your stock can move in.

  • Your bank at customs

    If you export we register your bank's AD code with customs before your first shipping bill. Your export money and refunds then reach your account.

  • Customs clearance

    We clear your goods at the port under your IEC. Then we store them and deliver them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Still have a question?

Send your queryA short form Call us+91 98731 44145 Email us[email protected]
Is IEC mandatory for import?
Yes. Any import for a business needs one, even a machine for your own plant. Customs will not accept your bill of entry without it. A few cases are exempt. Goods for your personal use and your baggage need none. Nor do government departments or diplomats. Goods for a trade fair under an ATA carnet and some small trade across land borders are exempt too.
Is an IEC the same as an import export licence?
Yes. When people say import export licence they usually mean the IEC. Some goods also need a licence, registration or certificate of their own. It may come from DGFT or from a regulator such as FSSAI or BIS. We check what yours need before you ship.
How long is an IEC valid?
For life unless DGFT suspends or cancels it. But you must update or confirm it online every year between April and June. DGFT switches it off if you miss it.
My IEC shows deactivated. How do I get it back?
First we see why it was switched off. If you missed the yearly update we file it now. Your IEC works again once it goes through. If DGFT flagged it we answer the flag. A suspended or cancelled IEC needs a request to DGFT. We prepare that too.
Do I need GST registration to get an IEC?
No. DGFT gives you an IEC without it. But GST law asks almost every business that exports goods to register. You also need GST registration to claim the IGST you pay at customs.
Can a proprietor get an IEC?
Yes. A proprietor gets the IEC on their own PAN.
Does one IEC cover all my branches and warehouses?
Yes. One IEC covers your whole business in India. Add each branch to it with its GST number where it has one.
Can I have two IECs?
Only with two PANs. One PAN can hold one IEC.
Can I use my supplier's or a friend's IEC?
Not for goods that are yours. If you buy the goods abroad and pay for them, customs treats you as the importer. They must come in on your own IEC. Buying goods an Indian supplier has imported and cleared in its own name is different. You need no IEC for that.
How long does it take to get an IEC?
DGFT issues it online as soon as your bank accounts pass the check. A name that does not match can hold it up.
What if I change my address or bank account?
Update your IEC soon after the change. We do it for you and you sign.