Getting started · 6 min read
Getting your IEC and starting to export legally
The Importer Exporter Code is the first thing customs asks for. Here is what it takes and what it does not.
What the IEC is
The Importer Exporter Code is a ten-digit identifier issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Without it, no shipping bill can be filed in your name and no bank can remit export proceeds to your account.
It is now identical to your PAN, so businesses that already have a PAN are effectively registering that number for foreign trade rather than obtaining a new one.
What you need to apply
A PAN, a current account with an authorised dealer bank, a cancelled cheque, and address proof for the business premises. Applications are filed on the DGFT portal with a digital signature or Aadhaar-based signing.
Most applications are approved within one to three working days. The code must be updated on the portal every year even if nothing has changed, or it is deactivated.
What comes next
Register your bank's AD code at each port you plan to export from — this is separate from the IEC and is a common cause of first-shipment delays.
File a Letter of Undertaking on the GST portal so you can ship without paying IGST up front, and register with the relevant export promotion council for your product line.
Need this applied to your order?
Our trade desk prepares the paperwork for your specific product and destination.
Talk to the trade desk