Import Export Code Number
Import Export Code Number
IEC Code is unique 10 digit code issued by DGFT – Director General of Foreign Trade , Ministry
of Commerce, Government of India to Indian Companies.
Full From of IEC Code is : “Importer Exporter Code ”. To import or export in India, IEC Code is
mandatory. No person or entity shall make any Import or Export without IEC Code Number.
b. An IEC can be obtained by any PAN Holder desirous of conducting Exports or Imports.
1. If there
is any change in the
1. Name of the IEC holder;
2. Address of Registered / Branch office / Factory address;
3. Constitution viz. Change in Directors, conversion from Proprietorship concern to Firm,
Firm to Company, Pvt Ltd to Public Ltd, change in Bank details, etc.
4. PAN Details of the IEC holder.
2. Any change is required by the Government for moving towards an Integrated One Number
Regime;
b. Upon the change being intimated beyond a period of 90 days, the changes shall be
registered by the RLA upon payment of a penalty;
Eligibility condition and Legal Provisions are given for IEC Code Number Application in Foreign
Trade (Regulation) Rules, 1993 Ministry of Commerce, Notification No. GSR 791 (E), dated 30-12-
1993.
An application for grant of IEC number shall be made by the Registered/Head Office of the
applicant and apply to the nearest Regional Authority of Directorate General Foreign Trade,
the Registered office in case of company and Head office in case of others, falls in the ‘Aayaat
Niryaat Form - ANF2A’ and shall be accompanied by documents prescribed therein. In case of
STPI/ EHTP/ BTP units, the Regional Offices of the DGFT having jurisdiction over the district in
which the Registered/ Head Office of the STPI unit is located shall issue or amend the IECs.
Only one IEC would be issued against a single PAN number. Any proprietor can have only one
IEC number and in case there are more than one IECs allotted to a proprietor, the same may
be surrendered to the Regional Office for cancellation.
The application can be download Form in PDF or Word. This is called "Aayaat Niryaat Form -
ANF2A". Along with IEC Code Number Application Form it is necessary to submit
Appendix-18B Attested by Applicant's Banker in his letter head with two passport size photo).
You can find the list of Foreign Exchange Control Department of the RBI as given in
Appendix-18D.
If an IEC holder does not wish to operate the allotted IEC number, he may surrender the same
by informing the issuing authority. On receipt of such intimation, the issuing authority shall
immediately cancel the same and electronically transmit it to DGFT for onward transmission to
the Customs and Regional Authorities.
Mode of Payment
: In Demand Draft of any Bank or Payment through EFT ( Electronic Fund Transfer by
Nominated Bank by DGFT Like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, UTI Bank, Punjab
National Bank, Central Bank etc) or Application fee can deposited by TR6 Challan with
Duplicate Copy in any branch of Central Bank of India and TR6 Challan need to be submit along
with IEC Code Application.
Specified fee shall be paid for making an application under any provision of the
Policy and Handbook of Procedure Volume-I.. The scale of fee, mode of payment, procedure for
refund of fee and the categories of persons exempted from the payment of fee are contained
in Appendix-21B.
Every application, unless otherwise specified, shall be submitted to the Regional Authority of
Directorate General Foreign Trade, as per the territorial jurisdiction of the Regional
authorities indicated in
Policy and Handbook of Procedure Volume-I.
Filing of Application
Application can be filed online in DGFT website, details of online links are given below.
Each Importer/Exporter shall be required to file importer/ exporter profile once with the
Regional Authority in Part 1 of ‘Aayaat Niryaat Form - ANF2A’. Regional Authority shall enter
the information furnished in Part 1 of ‘Aayaat Niryaat Form ANF-2A’ in their database so as to
dispense with the need for asking the repetitive information. In case of any change in the
information given in Part 1 of ‘Aayaat Niryaat Form ANF-2A’, importer/exporter shall intimate
the same to the Regional Authority.
The applicant shall furnish a self addressed envelope of 40 x 15 cm with postal stamp affixed
on the envelope as follows for all documents required to be sent by Speed Post:
The following categories of importers or exporters are exempted from obtaining Importer -
Exporter Code (IEC) number:
1. Importers covered by clause 3 (1) [except sub-clauses (e) and (l)] and exporters
covered by clause 3(2) [except sub-clauses (i) and (k)] of the Foreign Trade (Exemption
from application of Rules in certain cases) Order, 1993.
2. Ministries/Departments of the Central or State Government.
3. Persons importing or exporting goods for personal use not connected with trade
or manufacture or agriculture.
4. Persons importing/exporting goods from/to Nepal provided the CIF value of a
single consignment does not exceed Indian Rs.25,000.
5. Persons importing/exporting goods from/to Myanmar through Indo-Myanmar
border areas provided the CIF value of a single consignment does not exceed Indian
Rs.25,000.
However, the exemption from obtaining Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) number shall not
be applicable for the export of Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipments
and Technologies (SCOMET) as listed in Appendix- 3, Schedule 2 of the ITC(HS) except
in the case of exports by category(ii) above.
6. The following permanent IEC numbers shall be used by the categories of
importers/ exporters mentioned against them for import/ export purposes..
S.N Code
Categories of Importers / Exporters
o Number
Application can be submitted in person/by Authorised Employee of the Company at the R &
I counters in the office Or It can be sent by post/courier.
The application can be submitted at the counter in person at the office or it can be sent
through Post/Courier. An acknowledgement in form of a receipt having File Number is
generated on receipt of application. The file number is used for any correspondence/query
regarding the IEC application submitted to the office. The application is then sent to IEC
section where it is processed. If the application is found complete in all aspects (as per
requirements prescribed) an IEC is generated, or else a deficiency letter stating the nature
of deficiency is prepared and sent to the applicant. Replies are awaited in cases where
deficiency letter is issued and after due compliance by the applicant the IEC is allotted.
IEC allotment letter is sent through post at the registered office mentioned by the
applicant in the application. Similarly deficiency letters are sent to applicant by post.