IGM Status on ICEGATE: How to Track an Import General Manifest

IGM status tells you whether the carrier has filed the Import General Manifest for your cargo, and whether customs has accepted it. Until the IGM is in, your Customs Broker cannot link a Bill of Entry to the consignment, so the clearance clock has not started. You can check it free on ICEGATE with no login: for sea cargo through SAM/IGM Enquiry using the customs location and the master BL number, and for air cargo through Document Status Air IGM using the location and the master airway bill number.

This guide covers all three IGM enquiries on ICEGATE, what the IGM does, why a Bill of Entry waits for it, and what to do when the search returns nothing.

What Is an IGM and Who Files It

The Import General Manifest is the carrier’s declaration of everything on board a vessel or aircraft arriving in India. Section 30 of the Customs Act, 1962 puts that duty on the person in charge of the conveyance, which in practice means the shipping line, the airline or their agent, and the manifest has to reach customs before arrival.

Two things follow from that, and both catch importers out:

• You cannot file it. Neither the importer nor the Customs Broker files the IGM. If it is late, the carrier or its agent has to act.
• Your Bill of Entry hangs on it. The BE is filed against the IGM and the line item in it, so a missing IGM means the filing has nothing to attach to.

Under the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, sea arrivals are reported as a Sea Arrival Manifest (SAM), which is why ICEGATE’s newer enquiry is labelled SAM/IGM rather than IGM alone.

Why IGM Status Decides When Clearance Starts

Importers usually discover the IGM only when something stalls, which is why IGM status sits at the front of every import. The sequence runs like this:

1. The carrier files the manifest before the vessel or aircraft arrives.
2. Customs accepts it, and each consignment gets an IGM number and a line number.
3. Your Customs Broker files the Bill of Entry against that IGM and line number.
4. Assessment, duty, examination and Out of Charge follow.

Break step one or two and nothing downstream moves, however ready your documents are. That is why an IGM status check is the first thing to run when a broker says the BE cannot be filed. Once the BE exists, switch to our BE status guide to follow the rest of clearance.

IGM Status Tracking on ICEGATE in 5 Steps

Step 1: Open the portal.

Go to icegate.gov.in. No account is needed for any of these checks.

Step 2: Open Services, then Enquiry.

The Enquiry page lists Payment Status, Post Login Enquiries and Public Enquiries 2.0.

Step 3: Open Public Enquiries 2.0, then Document Status.

The panel lists Air Consol, ICD BL Status, Manual/Courier/Postal Shipping Bill, Shipping Bill, Air-IGM, SAM/IGM Enquiry, New SAM/IGM Enquiry, Custom Transit Declaration and Other Govt Agencies.

Step 4: Pick the enquiry that matches the cargo.

Sea cargo goes to SAM/IGM Enquiry or New SAM/IGM Enquiry, air cargo to Air-IGM.

Step 5: Enter the details and search.

Use the master BL or master airway bill, not the house document. The IGM status result appears on the same screen. More on reading it below.

The Three IGM Status Enquiries Explained

SAM/IGM Enquiry, for sea cargo

Select the customs location and enter the master BL number. This is the quickest route for a container arriving at a seaport, and the one most importers want.

New SAM/IGM Enquiry, for SCMTR reporting events

This one asks for the Site ID, a reporting event chosen from SCE, SCX, SAM and SDM, the BL number and the BL date. ICEGATE notes that entering the Site ID, reporting event and BL number populates the matching BL dates. Use it when your carrier or console agent reports under SCMTR and the older enquiry returns nothing.

Document Status Air IGM, for air cargo

Select the customs location and enter the master airway bill number. House airway bills are filed by the consolidator, so they will not be found here.

Reading the IGM Status Result

An IGM status result means the manifest has reached customs for that location. What matters next is the detail:

• The IGM number and date, which your Customs Broker needs to file the Bill of Entry.
• The line number for your consignment, since one manifest covers many consignments.
• The BL or AWB details, which must match your documents exactly. A mismatch here becomes an amendment later.

Amendments to a filed manifest need customs approval, so it is cheaper to catch a wrong container number or weight at this stage than after the Bill of Entry is filed.

Why IGM Status Shows No Record

• The carrier has not filed yet. Chase the shipping line or airline agent, not customs.
• House document instead of master. The manifest carries the master BL or master AWB. Ask your forwarder for it.
• Wrong customs location. Cargo bound for an ICD is manifested at the gateway port first, then moves under transhipment, so search both.
• Checked too early. The manifest is filed before arrival, but the data takes time to appear.
• Wrong enquiry. Sea cargo reported under SCMTR may only show in New SAM/IGM Enquiry, and air cargo never shows in the sea enquiries.
• BL date missing. The new enquiry needs it, and the list only populates once the other three fields are right.

If all of these are ruled out, contact the ICEGATE helpdesk on 1800-3010-1000 with the location, master BL or AWB and the vessel or flight details.

IGM vs EGM vs Container Tracking

Container tracking is a different question again: IGM status tells you whether your cargo has been declared to customs, while ICEGATE container tracking follows the box itself.

How JPARKS INDIA Helps With IGM Status

Three things to carry away. The IGM is the carrier’s job, not yours, so chase the line or its agent when it is late. Use the master BL or master airway bill, never the house document. And a Bill of Entry cannot be filed until the manifest is in, so an IGM check belongs at the start of every import, not at the end.

JPARKS INDIA handles import clearance, backed by S.K. Agency, AEO-LO customs brokers since 1990. We chase late manifests, get line and BL errors amended, and file the Bill of Entry the moment the IGM is accepted.

Cargo landed but no IGM showing? Send us the master BL or AWB and the port through our contact page.

Need help with this? Book a free consultation with the JPARKS INDIA EXIM compliance team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I check IGM status on ICEGATE?

Open icegate.gov.in, then Services, Enquiry, Public Enquiries 2.0 and Document Status. Use SAM/IGM Enquiry with the location and master BL for sea cargo, or Air-IGM with the location and master airway bill for air cargo. No login is needed.

Q2. Who files the IGM, the importer or the carrier?

The carrier. Section 30 of the Customs Act, 1962 places the duty on the person in charge of the conveyance, which is the shipping line, the airline or their agent.

Q3. Can I file a Bill of Entry before the IGM is filed?

No. The Bill of Entry is filed against the IGM and its line number, so the manifest has to be in first.

Q4. What is the difference between SAM/IGM Enquiry and New SAM/IGM Enquiry?

The first takes the customs location and master BL number. The second is for SCMTR reporting and takes the Site ID, a reporting event of SCE, SCX, SAM or SDM, the BL number and the BL date.

Q5. Why does my house BL return no record?

Manifests carry the master BL or master airway bill. Ask your freight forwarder or consolidator for the master document.

Q6. My cargo is going to an ICD. Where is the IGM?

It is manifested at the gateway port first, then moves under transhipment, so check the gateway location as well as the ICD, and use ICD BL Status for the inland leg.

Q7. Can the IGM be amended?

Yes, but amendments need customs approval, so wrong BL, container or weight details are best caught before the Bill of Entry is filed.

Q8. Is IGM the same as EGM?

No. The IGM covers cargo arriving in India, while the EGM is filed after export cargo departs and drives the IGST refund.