IEC Eligibility India.
Know exactly where you stand.

Documents required for IEC registration on the DGFT portal: (1) PAN of the entity (company/firm/proprietor); (2) Aadhaar of the authorized signatory (for DSC); (3) GST registration certificate (with active status); (4) Cancelled cheque or bank certificate showing current account details, IFSC, and SWIFT code; (5) COI (Certificate of Incorporation) for companies, partnership deed for firms, or registration certificate for proprietorships; (6) MOA and AOA for private limited companies. All documents must match the entity name and PAN exactly — any mismatch causes rejection.

IEC registration on the DGFT portal is typically completed within 1–3 working days if all documents are in order. The DGFT sends the IEC certificate to the registered email. Common delay causes: Aadhaar-PAN linkage not updated in CBIC/UIDAI database (can take 3–7 days after linkage), GST registration not reflecting in CBIC portal (24–48 hours after GST approval), or bank SWIFT code not in DGFT's approved bank list (requires bank letter).

IEC is mandatory for export of goods from India. For export of services (software, consulting, design, etc.), IEC is technically not mandatory but is strongly recommended because: (1) it enables FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) processing with your bank for GST LUT benefits; (2) it is required to access SEIS (Service Exports from India Scheme) incentives; (3) many foreign clients request it as a vendor compliance document. Service exporters should also obtain a GST Letter of Undertaking (LUT) annually to export services without charging GST (zero-rated supply).

IEC (Import Export Code) is the basic registration that identifies you as an exporter in the DGFT system and enables customs and bank transactions. RCMC (Registration cum Membership Certificate) is issued by Export Promotion Councils and is required to access government export incentive schemes (RoDTEP, EPCG, participation in trade fairs). IEC is prerequisite for RCMC. All exporters claiming incentives need both. The relevant EPC depends on your product category — APEDA for agriculture, EEPC for engineering goods, FIEO for services and general merchandise.