IEC: getting, updating and keeping your Importer Exporter Code active

This guide is for anyone applying for an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) for the first time, and for existing holders who want to keep it active. It covers the application on the DGFT portal, the compulsory annual update, deactivation and how to change your details.

What the IEC is and who needs one

The IEC is a 10-character code issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and linked to your business's PAN. Only one IEC can exist for a PAN; branches and additional GST registrations are added to the same IEC rather than getting their own. It does not expire, but it must be updated every year.

You need an active IEC to clear exports or imports through customs, to claim benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) and to register with an export promotion council. The FTP exempts a short list of cases, such as imports or exports for personal use not connected with trade or business, and certain government bodies. If you export only services, the FTP generally requires an IEC only when you claim an FTP benefit, but many banks ask for one before handling export remittances, so check with yours.

Before you apply

• PAN of the business (for a proprietorship, the proprietor's PAN).
• Proof of the business address, such as a sale deed, rent or lease agreement, or a utility bill.
• A cancelled cheque on the business's current account showing its name, or a bank certificate with the account details.
• Details of the proprietor, partners or directors, and the GSTIN of each place of business if you are registered.
• A mobile number and email you control, and either a digital signature certificate (DSC) or an Aadhaar-linked mobile for e-sign.

How to apply on the DGFT portal

1. Register as a user on the DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in) with your mobile number and email, and verify them by OTP.
2. Log in and choose the option to apply for a new IEC in the IEC section under Services.
3. Fill in the application (form ANF 2A): entity type, PAN, address, bank account, partners or directors, and branches.
4. Upload the address proof and the cancelled cheque or bank certificate.
5. Sign the application with your DSC or Aadhaar e-sign.
6. Pay the fee of ₹500 online.
7. Download the e-IEC certificate from the portal once it is issued. Check every detail against your PAN, GST and bank records.

The annual update: April to June

Under paragraph 2.05 of the FTP 2023, every IEC holder must update its IEC details online every year between April and June. If nothing has changed, you still have to log in and confirm the details. The option is "Update/Modify IEC" on the DGFT portal, and you sign the update with a DSC or Aadhaar e-sign.

An IEC that is not updated in that window can be deactivated. DGFT has run deactivation drives, for example in October 2021 and again from 16 September 2025, when about 59,000 IECs that had not been updated were deactivated after reminders. A deactivated IEC cannot be used for customs clearance or FTP benefits, so a shipment can be held at the port. DGFT has said that a deactivated IEC is reactivated automatically once the holder completes the update online, without a visit to the regional office. If yours does not reactivate, raise a ticket through the DGFT helpdesk.

Set a reminder for early April each year. The update takes a few minutes; discovering a deactivated IEC on the day of shipment can cost you demurrage and a missed vessel.

Changing your details

Use the same "Update/Modify IEC" option to change your address, bank account, partners or directors, contact details or branches. IEC data is shared with customs electronically, but some registrations are separate: if you change your bank, you must also register the new AD code and refund bank account on ICEGATE.

A change of constitution that changes the PAN, for example when a proprietorship becomes a private limited company, needs a new IEC in the new entity's name. Plan this before you take orders in the new name, because shipping bills, export incentives and bank records all run on the IEC. When you no longer need an IEC you can surrender it on the portal.

Linking with PAN, GSTIN and customs

• Your name and PAN on the IEC must match the Income Tax records exactly.
• Customs checks the IEC and GSTIN combination on each shipping bill. Add every GSTIN you export from to your IEC profile, or the IGST refund on those shipments can fail with a GSTIN mismatch.
• ICEGATE registration sends OTPs to the mobile and email on your DGFT and GST records, so keep them identical.

Watch out for

• Letting a consultant register the IEC with their own email or mobile. You lose control of OTPs and updates.
• Trying to obtain a second IEC on the same PAN. Add a branch instead.
• Forgetting the annual update in a year when you did not export. It is still compulsory.
• Leaving an old bank account on the IEC after you have moved banks.
• Ignoring a suspended or cancelled status. DGFT can suspend or cancel an IEC under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992. Contact your DGFT regional authority at once.

Related on Exportsmitra

• Policies and licences tracker with IEC update reminders (members)
• How to start exporting from India: the first ten steps
• RCMC: choosing your council, registering and renewing
• AD code and ICEGATE: what customs needs before your first shipping bill

Sources

• Directorate General of Foreign Trade: common digital platform (IEC services)
• DGFT: Foreign Trade Policy 2023 and Handbook of Procedures
• TEXPROCIL e-Serve 154/2025: DGFT deactivation of IECs not updated (September 2025)
• DGFT Trade Notice 18/2021-22 on deactivation and automatic reactivation of IECs (summary, Taxmann)

Last checked 1 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with DGFT or your regional authority before you act.