IEC Code Registration in 2026: How to Get Your Import Export Code from DGFT

If you plan to ship goods out of India or bring them in for business, customs won't file your shipping bill or bill of entry without an Importer Exporter Code (IEC). It's a one-time registration with DGFT, costs a few hundred rupees and usually arrives within minutes. The catch is the yearly update most first-time exporters don't know about. This guide covers the fee, documents, the exact DGFT steps, the April–June update, changes to your IEC and the cases where you don't need one at all.

Quick answer

IEC code registration is done online on dgft.gov.in in form ANF-2A. The fee is ₹500, the IEC number is the same as your business PAN, and it's auto-generated as soon as you sign and pay. It never expires, but you must confirm or update it every year between 1 April – 30 June or it gets de-activated.

• Fee: ₹500 once — no renewal fee

• Documents: PAN, address proof, cancelled cheque or bank certificate

• Sign with a Class 2/3 DSC or Aadhaar e-sign; IEC issued instantly

• Annual update 1 April – 30 June: free; late update ₹200

• Not needed for personal imports, government departments and small border-trade consignments

What an IEC is and who needs one

The Importer Exporter Code is a 10-character identity that the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) gives to a business. Since GST came in, the IEC is the same as the entity's Permanent Account Number. It's still issued separately by DGFT on an online application.

Para 2.05 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 is blunt: no one may export or import goods without an IEC unless specifically exempted. In practice you need one if you are:

• A manufacturer or trader exporting goods — by sea, air, courier or post on a commercial basis
• An importer of goods for resale or for use in your business — raw materials, machinery, stock
• An e-commerce seller shipping orders abroad through a marketplace's export programme
• A services exporter who wants Foreign Trade Policy benefits, such as incentive schemes or status-holder recognition

Freelancers and software exporters don't need an IEC simply to receive foreign payments. The FTP requires it for services only when you claim a Policy benefit. Many banks still ask for one on large inward remittances, so it's often taken anyway.

One IEC covers every branch, division and factory of the entity. Proprietorships, partnerships, LLPs, companies, trusts, HUFs and societies can all apply.

IEC fees in 2026

DGFT fees are set in Appendix 2K of the Handbook of Procedures, last revised by Public Notice 02/2025-26 on 15 April 2025.

IEC at a glance (2026)

₹500

New IEC application

One time

₹0

Annual update

If done 1 April – 30 June

₹200

Annual update after 30 June

₹200

Modification / amendment

30 days

To report a change of address, bank or constitution

Cost-of-ownership example. A Surat textile trader takes an IEC in 2026 and pays ₹500. If she confirms her details every May, her IEC costs nothing more for the next ten years. If she forgets one year, her IEC is de-activated in July, a shipment waits at the port, and she pays ₹200 to update late. If she moves her godown, she files a modification at ₹200 within 30 days.

Pay only on dgft.gov.in. Agents may add a service charge; the government fee itself doesn't change.

Documents required for IEC registration

The Handbook (para 2.08) asks for only two uploads beyond your PAN details. DGFT validates as much as it can online against the Income Tax, MCA and bank records.

Keep these ready before you start

0/8

• Business PAN — name and date of birth/incorporation must match the Income Tax database exactly
• Address proof of the business: sale deed, rent or lease agreement, electricity bill, landline or post-paid mobile bill, MoU or partnership deed
• Proprietors only: Aadhaar, passport or voter ID can serve as address proof
• If the premises aren't in the firm's name: NOC from the owner plus their address proof, merged into one PDF
• Cancelled cheque with the entity's pre-printed name, or a bank certificate in the DGFT format
• Proof of establishment for partnerships, societies, trusts and HUFs (deed, registration certificate)
• CIN for companies and LLPs (details are fetched from MCA), GSTIN if you have one
• A Class 2/3 digital signature, or Aadhaar linked to a mobile number for e-sign

Share Print

Upload each document as a PDF of no more than 5 MB. The commonest rejection is a PAN name typed differently from the Income Tax record — enter first, middle and last names exactly as they appear there.

How to apply for IEC online: step by step

IEC code registration on dgft.gov.in

1. 1

   Register on the DGFT portal

   Go to dgft.gov.in, click Register, choose Importer/Exporter and verify your email and mobile with OTPs. You'll receive a temporary password to change on first login.

   Open DGFT portal
2. 2

   Start the application

   From the dashboard choose Apply for IEC → Start Fresh Application (ANF-2A). You can save a draft once the basic and address sections are filled.

3. 3

   Enter firm and PAN details

   Select the nature of concern, firm name, PAN and date of birth/incorporation (checked live with CBDT), preferred activities, SEZ/EOU status, CIN and GSTIN if any, and the firm's mobile and email.

   Tip: The SEZ/EOU answer decides which DGFT regional office your IEC maps to.

4. 4

   Add branches, proprietor/partners/directors and bank account

   Fill in the details of each partner or director, any branch offices, and the firm's bank account, then upload the address and bank proofs.

5. 5

   Sign and pay

   Sign with a registered DSC or Aadhaar e-sign of the proprietor/partner/director, then pay ₹500 online by net banking, card or UPI.

6. 6

   Download your e-IEC

   The IEC is generated automatically and sent by email and SMS. Download it from the dashboard; anyone can verify it under Services → View IEC Related Details.

DGFT may later carry out a post-verification of online IECs, including a physical address check. Keep the premises proof and bank details current to avoid a query.

The annual IEC update (April–June)

This is the rule most new exporters miss. Para 2.05(d) of the FTP requires every IEC holder to update its details electronically each year between 1 April – 30 June. If nothing has changed, you still log in and confirm.

Your IEC calendar

1 April

Annual update window opens on dgft.gov.in (free)

30 June

Last day to update or confirm without a fee

From 1 July

IEC not updated is de-activated; customs won't clear shipments against it

Any time after

Reactivate by completing the update online — fee ₹200

Within 30 days of any change

Modify IEC for new address, bank, partners or constitution

To update: log in, open My Dashboard → Update/Modify IEC, review each section, correct anything outdated and submit with your DSC or Aadhaar e-sign. A de-activated IEC is restored once the update succeeds, though DGFT can still act on any other default.

Don't confuse de-activation with the Denied Entity List. An IEC goes on the list for unmet export obligations, unpaid penalties or misuse of authorisations. Getting off it needs a request to the regional authority with proof of compliance.

Modifying, surrendering or cancelling an IEC

Para 2.14 of the Handbook says any change in constitution, address, bank account or other primary detail must be updated online within 30 days of the change. Most modifications are auto-approved and cost ₹200.

Three situations work differently:

1. Change of PAN — after a merger, acquisition, inheritance or a proprietorship becoming a company, the new entity needs its own IEC against its new PAN within 30 days. The old IEC can be operationally linked so pending authorisations move across.
2. Cancellation, and PAN change on old numeric IECs — apply to your jurisdictional DGFT regional authority, not through the self-service form.
3. Surrender — possible online only when every authorisation and obligation against the IEC is closed, or has been transferred to a successor entity.

When you don't need an IEC

Para 2.07 of the Handbook lists the exemptions. Instead of getting your own IEC, these importers and exporters quote a permanent IEC that DGFT has assigned to their category. The main ones:

Border-trade exemptions carry value limits per consignment: up to ₹25,000 CIF for Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar border areas. For China the limit is ₹1 lakh through Gunji and Namgaya Shipkila and ₹2 lakh through Nathula. No exemption applies to exports of SCOMET items (dual-use goods) except by government departments.

If you're ordering a few items from abroad for yourself, you don't need an IEC. If you import even one carton to sell, you do.

Common IEC mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Applying in the proprietor's personal name when the business has its own PAN. A partnership, LLP or company must apply against the entity PAN. A proprietorship uses the owner's PAN — so one person can't hold two IECs for two proprietorships.
2. Using a bank account not in the firm's name. The cancelled cheque must show the entity's pre-printed name, or you need a bank certificate in DGFT's format.
3. Skipping the update because "nothing changed". Confirmation is still compulsory every year in the 1 April – 30 June window.
4. Forgetting to modify after a move. Customs documents carry your IEC address. Update within 30 days of shifting premises or changing banks.
5. Paying a look-alike portal. IECs are issued only on dgft.gov.in; anything else is an agent.

After you get your IEC: what else exporters need

An IEC lets you clear customs, but most businesses need a few more registrations alongside it:

• GST registration and LUT — to export without paying IGST, or to claim refunds and input tax credit on imports. See our GST registration guide.
• AD code registration at each port — your bank's Authorised Dealer code is registered with customs (ICEGATE) so export proceeds are tracked.
• RCMC from the relevant export promotion council, if you want FTP benefits.
• Product licences — food importers and exporters need a central FSSAI licence whatever their turnover; see FSSAI registration. Some goods also need BIS, drug or plant-quarantine approvals.
• Udyam registration — free, and many export incentives and bank schemes favour MSMEs; see Udyam registration.

Official links

• DGFT portal — apply, update, modify, print IECOnly official site
• IEC profile management services
• Foreign Trade Policy 2023 — Chapter 2
• Handbook of Procedures — Chapter 2 (IEC rules, exemptions)
• Appendix 2K — DGFT fee schedule
• IEC module user help file

What to do next

Set a calendar reminder for 1 April every year — the free IEC update takes five minutes and saves you a de-activated code in July. Then get your paperwork right for the first shipment: draft a proforma invoice for your buyer, and check rupee realisation with the currency converter before you quote.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

What is the IEC registration fee in 2026?

The government fee for a new Importer Exporter Code is ₹500, paid online on dgft.gov.in when you submit the application. There is no renewal fee because IEC has permanent validity. The annual update between 1 April – 30 June is free; updating after that window costs ₹200, and a modification costs ₹200.

Is GST registration required to get an IEC?

No. The IEC is issued against your PAN, and the DGFT form asks for a GSTIN only if you have one. You do need GST registration separately if you make taxable supplies above the threshold, export under LUT to claim refunds, or import goods and want input tax credit of IGST paid at customs.

How long does it take to get an IEC?

Usually minutes. Once the application is signed with a digital signature or Aadhaar e-sign and the fee is paid, DGFT auto-generates the IEC and sends it by email and SMS. You can download the e-IEC from your dashboard straight away. Delays usually come from PAN-name mismatches or rejected bank or address proofs.

What happens if I miss the IEC annual update?

Under FTP 2023 para 2.05(e), an IEC that isn't updated in the 1 April – 30 June window is de-activated, and customs will not clear shipments against it. You can reactivate it by completing the update online; the late update fee is ₹200. A de-activated IEC also blocks DGFT services such as authorisations.

Do freelancers and software exporters need an IEC?

Not for receiving payment. Para 2.05(a) of the Foreign Trade Policy says IEC is needed for services or technology exports only when you want to claim benefits under the Policy. Many banks still ask for it on large inward remittances, so getting one at ₹500 is usually worth it.

Can one business have two IECs?

No. The Handbook of Procedures follows a one-PAN-one-IEC rule, and the IEC number is the same as the PAN. All branches, divisions and factories of that entity use the single IEC. A new entity with a different PAN, for example after a merger, must take its own IEC within 30 days.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 7 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Foreign Trade Policy 2023 — Chapter 2 (para 2.05 Importer-Exporter Code) — DGFT · accessed 7 October 2026
2. 2.Handbook of Procedures 2023 — Chapter 2 (July 2026 edition) — DGFT · accessed 7 October 2026
3. 3.Appendix 2K — Scale of user charges — DGFT · accessed 7 October 2026
4. 4.Public Notice No. 02/2025-26 (15 April 2025) — revised Appendix 2K — DGFT (reproduced by World Trade Scanner) · accessed 7 October 2026
5. 5.IEC Module User Help File v2.0 — DGFT · accessed 7 October 2026
6. 6.IEC profile management services — DGFT · accessed 7 October 2026
7. 7.IEC Registration in India: eligibility, documents, process, fees and annual update — TaxGuru · accessed 7 October 2026