Import Export Code Registration

The Import Export Code is a 10-digit number issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. You need it to import or export goods, to clear customs, and in practice to receive export proceeds through your bank. It is linked to your PAN, so a business has one IEC across all its branches.

This is the part many businesses miss. The IEC has to be updated or confirmed on the DGFT portal every year between April and June, even if nothing has changed. Skip it and the code is deactivated, and your next consignment waits at the port until it is fixed. We handle the update every year so it never comes to that.

An IEC is rarely enough on its own. Food importers need an FSSAI Central Licence, packaged goods need Legal Metrology importer registration, many electronic products need BIS registration, and medical devices and cosmetics go through CDSCO. We plan these together with the IEC, so the first shipment is not held up for a registration nobody thought of.

Questions clients usually ask

Is the IEC update compulsory every year?

Yes. It must be updated or confirmed on the DGFT portal between April and June each year, failing which the IEC is deactivated until updated.

Do service exporters need an IEC?

Generally yes, to claim benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy, and banks often ask for it for foreign remittances.

Do I need an IEC to sell on international marketplaces?

Yes. Exports through e-commerce channels need an IEC.

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Import Export Code Registration

What the IEC Is

The Annual Update

Other Registrations Importers Need

Questions clients usually ask

Is the IEC update compulsory every year?

Do service exporters need an IEC?

Do I need an IEC to sell on international marketplaces?

Ready to get answers from a qualified compliance expert?

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Call: +91 76964-26220