IEC is a 10-digit business identification number that any person or company must hold to import or export goods and services from India. It is issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and is required at customs, banks, and ports whenever a shipment crosses the border.

Any individual, proprietorship, partnership, LLP, or company that wants to import goods into India or export goods and services abroad needs an IEC. This includes manufacturers, traders, e-commerce exporters, and service providers billing overseas clients.

Yes. An individual can apply for IEC in their own name using their PAN, even without registering a company first. This is common among freelancers, consultants, and small proprietors who export services or sample goods.

Yes. Proprietorships, partnerships, LLPs, private limited companies, trusts, and societies can all apply for a single IEC registered against their entity's PAN. Each entity, however, holds only one IEC regardless of how many branches it operates.

The IEC certificate is issued directly by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), a Government of India authority. We are a private consultancy — we prepare, review, and submit your application, and track it through to approval, but the certificate itself is granted by DGFT.

Share your PAN, address proof, and bank details with our team through the application form. We prepare your documents, complete the DGFT filing on your behalf, and keep you updated at every stage until your certificate is issued.

Most IEC applications are approved within 1–2 working days once all documents are in order. Minor discrepancies flagged during DGFT verification can extend this slightly, which is why we review your paperwork closely before submission.

DGFT cross-checks your PAN, bank account, and address details against government records. We pre-verify each document with you before filing, which is the single biggest factor in avoiding delays or rejection.

Once DGFT approves your application, your IEC is generated instantly in their system and a digital certificate is issued to your registered email. We forward you a copy along with a short checklist of what to set up next, such as your AD Code and ICEGATE login.

Your IEC certificate is a digital document, delivered as a PDF to your registered email address and downloadable anytime from the DGFT portal. No physical copy is issued or required for customs or banking purposes.

Yes. You can update details such as address, bank account, or business activity through an IEC modification filing at any time. We handle these updates the same way we handle new registrations — document review, filing, and confirmation.

A valid PAN card in the applicant's or entity's name is the primary requirement, along with address proof, a cancelled cheque or bank certificate, and a working email and mobile number for OTP verification. We share an exact checklist once we know your entity type.

Aadhaar is not strictly mandatory but is commonly used for e-KYC and digital signature verification, which speeds up processing considerably. If you'd rather use an alternate address proof, we can guide you through that path as well.

Yes. A cancelled cheque bearing your name and account number, or a bank certificate on letterhead, is required to link your current account with your IEC for foreign remittances.

GST registration is not compulsory to obtain an IEC, but most businesses that trade regularly hold one for input tax credit and smoother customs clearance. If your turnover crosses the GST threshold, registering for both together is usually the practical choice.

Utility bills, rent agreements with a no-objection certificate, property tax receipts, or Aadhaar linked to the business address are all accepted. If your registered address is a co-working space, we'll tell you exactly which supporting letter is needed.

A dedicated email isn't required, but we recommend using one that you check regularly, since DGFT sends your certificate, OTPs, and any clarification requests to this address.

Your mobile number is used for OTP-based verification during filing and for time-sensitive updates from DGFT or our consultants while your application is in progress.

Our consultancy fee covers document review, complete application filing, and follow-up until your certificate is issued. Pricing depends on the service you need, so we share an exact quote before you commit to anything.

Yes, always. Government fees are paid directly to DGFT and shown separately from our professional charges on every quote, so you know exactly what you're paying for and to whom.

We accept UPI, net banking, and major debit and credit cards through a secure payment gateway. A receipt is emailed to you immediately after every payment.

We require payment before we begin filing, since government fees are paid on your behalf at the time of submission. For larger consultancy engagements, staged payments can be arranged — just ask your consultant.

Our professional fee is refundable if we haven't yet started work on your application. Once a filing has been submitted to DGFT, government fees paid on your behalf are non-refundable, as they are collected by the authority itself.

If you cancel before we begin document preparation, or if we're unable to proceed due to an error on our end, you're entitled to a full refund of the consultancy fee. Reach out to our support team and we'll process it within a few working days.

An Authorised Dealer (AD) Code is a 14-digit number issued by your bank, confirming that it's authorised to handle your foreign currency transactions. It's registered against your IEC at each port you plan to ship from.

Customs won't generate a shipping bill for your export without a registered AD Code at that specific port. It's what allows your export proceeds to be credited back to your bank account correctly.

Once your bank issues the AD Code letter, registering it against your IEC at a port typically takes 1–3 working days. We coordinate directly with your bank and the customs portal to keep this moving.

ICEGATE is the Indian Customs Electronic Commerce Gateway — the official portal used to file shipping bills, bills of entry, and other customs documents electronically. It's operated by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), not by our consultancy.

Registering gives you direct visibility into your shipment status, duty payments, and customs correspondence, instead of relying entirely on a broker. It also speeds up clearance since documents are filed electronically rather than manually.

You'll need your IEC, a registered digital signature certificate (DSC), and your AD Code details for the ports you operate from. We help you gather and format each of these correctly before submission.

Your documents and personal details are stored on encrypted, access-controlled systems and only used to complete the service you've requested. We never publish or sell any information you share with us.

We only share your details with the government authority relevant to your filing, such as DGFT, your bank, or CBIC — never with unrelated third parties or for marketing purposes.