Business Legal Services / IEC Code
IEC (Import-Export Code): 10-Digit DGFT Identifier in 1–2 Working Days.
Required for any import or export from India. Now fully automated on the DGFT portal: issuance within 24–48 hours in most cases. Lifetime validity (with annual confirmation).
- India-wide · Kerala HQ
- 12+ years · 900+ clients · 10+ countries
- GSTIN: 32AAFCG5839D1ZT
- ISO 9001:2015 certified
- IEC in 1–2 working days
What is IEC
IEC is a 10-digit code issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), required for any business or individual that imports or exports goods or services from India. Since the 2020 DGFT process redesign, IEC has been near-automated: you file, pay the government fee, and the code is generated typically within 1–2 working days. Validity is lifetime, subject to annual confirmation on the DGFT portal between April and June each year (else the IEC is deactivated).
Who needs it
Eligibility.
- • Manufacturers exporting to GCC, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.
- • Spice exporters (Kerala's traditional export base)
- • Software exporters / IT services companies billing foreign clients
- • Importers of machinery, raw materials, electronics
- • E-commerce sellers shipping internationally (Amazon Global, eBay, Etsy international)
- • Service exporters under SEIS / RoDTEP / RoSCTL schemes
Who doesn't need it (exemptions):
- • Government departments
- • Personal imports/exports below CBIC-specified limits
- • Notified charitable institutions
- • Imports/exports through India Post for personal use
Document checklist
What we'll need.
- • PAN of business + proprietor / directors / partners
- • Aadhaar of authorised signatory
- • Photo of authorised signatory
- • Business address proof (electricity bill, rent agreement, sale deed)
- • Bank account details + cancelled cheque
- • Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), for companies / LLPs
- • Class 3 DSC for filing (we arrange if not held)
Process
3 steps. 1–2 working days.
- Day 0: WhatsApp consult, document checklist sent
- Day 1 (AM): Documents collected, application filed on DGFT portal
- Day 1 (PM) – Day 2: IEC generated, 10-digit code emailed
Genuinely 1–2 working days in most cases. The DGFT portal auto-issues IEC after document verification.
Pricing
Flat fee + small government fee.
- Our professional fee:
- Scoped per project. WhatsApp us for a quote.
- Government fee:
- ₹500 (one-time).
- DSC (if needed):
- ~₹1,500–2,500 pass-through.
Common mistakes
Where IEC applications stall, and where active IECs go dark.
IEC itself is one of the fastest registrations in the country: clean cases see the code by the next working day. The trouble usually starts after issuance, or comes from a specific data mismatch at filing. The patterns we see most often:
- Forgetting the April–June annual confirmation. IEC is "lifetime" validity, but every year between April 1 and June 30 you must log into the DGFT portal and confirm IEC details, even if nothing has changed. Miss the window and the IEC is deactivated. Reactivation needs a written request and 7 to 15 working days. Containers waiting at the port do not move while the IEC is dark.
- PAN–Aadhaar mismatch at filing. The DGFT portal validates the authorised signatory's PAN against their Aadhaar in real time. If the names do not match exactly (a spelling difference, an initial vs full name, a maiden vs current name on Aadhaar), the application fails with a generic error. We resolve this on the Income Tax portal first when needed, usually a 24-hour fix.
- Bank account in the wrong name. The bank account on the IEC application must be in the business's name (or proprietor's name for sole proprietorships). A current account in a director's personal name, or a savings account when a current account is required, gets the application rejected. We verify the cancelled cheque or bank certificate before filing.
- IEC under personal PAN when the business needs it. Freelancers and individuals can hold IEC in their personal name. A Pvt Ltd or LLP exporting goods needs IEC in the company name (using company PAN). Holding the IEC under a director's personal PAN means duty drawback, RoDTEP, and SEIS benefits flow to the individual rather than the company. Re-issuing in the company name later requires fresh documentation.
- Skipping GST when exporting under LUT. To export goods without paying IGST upfront (under a Letter of Undertaking), you need GST registration first. IEC alone is not enough. We usually file IEC + GST together for first-time exporters, so the LUT can be filed in the same week as the first shipment.
Why Get N Dial
12 years of export paperwork, including the post-2020 DGFT digitisation.
IEC is digitised and fast, but it sits inside a wider export documentation chain: LUT, RoDTEP, SEIS, customs registrations, bank AD codes. Getting just the IEC is rarely the whole job. We have been on the DGFT portal since the manual era and through the 2020 redesign, and we file IEC inside that wider context rather than as a standalone form.
- 12+ years · 900+ clients · 10+ countries. IEC issuance for Kerala's traditional exporters (spices, cashew, rubber, marine products), software services exporters billing GCC and US clients, manufacturers exporting to Africa and Southeast Asia, and e-commerce sellers shipping on Amazon Global and eBay International. The CRM has IEC documentation patterns mapped to each export type.
- ISO 9001:2015 documented intake. Every IEC file runs through the same checklist before submission. PAN–Aadhaar linkage verified. Bank account name confirmed against business PAN. DSC arranged if needed. Once issued, we add the IEC to our annual-reminder list so the April–June confirmation does not slip. A small detail, but the difference between an active IEC and a deactivated one.
- Pass-through government fees. Government fee for IEC is ₹500 (one-time). DSC, if needed, is pass-through at ~₹1,500–2,500 with no markup. Our professional fee is flat, quoted in writing before you pay. The annual confirmation reminder service has a separate small fee, also quoted upfront.
- The wider export-paperwork chain. Most IEC clients also need GST registration for LUT exports, a bank AD code for foreign currency receipt, and RoDTEP / SEIS scrip claims later. We file IEC alongside those when it makes sense, on a single WhatsApp thread. You do not have to find a separate consultant for each step in the export documentation chain.
FAQ
Common questions.
Is IEC really issued in 1–2 days?
Yes, in most cases. The DGFT process was fully digitised in 2020, applications are auto-processed after document verification. We've seen IEC issued within 4 hours when documents are clean. The 1–2 working day estimate accounts for occasional manual verification triggered by mismatches in PAN/Aadhaar/bank data.
Does IEC need renewal?
IEC validity is "lifetime", but there's an annual confirmation requirement. Every year between April and June, you have to log into the DGFT portal and confirm your IEC details (even if unchanged). Miss the window and your IEC is deactivated until reactivated. We offer an annual reminder + reactivation service.
Can a freelancer / individual get IEC?
Yes. IEC is PAN-based, anyone with a PAN (individual or business) can apply. Freelance software developers, content writers, designers billing foreign clients regularly often hold an IEC in their personal name.
Do I need GST before IEC?
Not strictly. IEC and GST are separate registrations. But practically, if you're exporting goods (and want to claim duty drawback or RoDTEP / RoSCTL benefits) you'll want GST registered too. Exporting under LUT (Letter of Undertaking) requires GST. We usually file IEC + GST together for exporters.
Exporting soon? You need IEC before the first container.
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