Certificate of Origin Format: Every Box Explained for 2026

The certificate of origin format used in India follows a standard twelve-box layout covering the consignor, consignee, route, goods description, origin criteria, quantity, invoice reference and two declarations. The layout is now generated by the Trade Connect ePlatform rather than typed onto a printed blank, because DGFT withdrew printed blank certificates in January 2025.

That change removed a whole class of errors and created a new one. You no longer control the layout, but you do control every field that feeds it, and the platform will not fix a description you wrote badly.

The certificate of origin ormat Differs for Preferential Claims

The Certificate of Origin Format: Twelve Boxes, One by One

• Box 1, goods consigned from. Exporter’s name, full address and country. This must match the IEC record, because the platform pulls it forward.
• Box 2, goods consigned to. Consignee’s name and address in the destination country. If the buyer and the consignee differ, name the consignee and reflect the buyer in the invoice.
• Box 3, means of transport and route. Vessel or flight, port of loading and port of discharge. Name any transhipment point, because an unexplained third-country route is a standard trigger for verification.
• Box 4, for official use. Left blank by the exporter. The agency uses it.
• Box 5, item number. Sequential line numbering where you have multiple products.
• Box 6, marks and numbers of packages. Copy exactly what appears on the cartons and the packing list.
• Box 7, number and kind of packages, description of goods. The field that causes most rejections. Describe the goods the way the tariff describes them, include the HS code, and avoid trade shorthand.
• Box 8, origin criteria. Either wholly obtained, or the applicable substantial transformation rule. Under a preferential claim this is a coded entry, not free text.
• Box 9, gross weight or other quantity. Must agree with the packing list and the shipping bill.
• Box 10, number and date of invoices. The invoice number here must match the shipping bill. Notification 05/2026-27 made this an automated verification point.
• Box 11, certification. Completed by the issuing agency with place, date and signature.
• Box 12, declaration by the exporter. Your declaration naming the importing country. Naming the wrong country is a surprisingly common and entirely avoidable defect.

Origin criteria, in plain terms

Certificate of Origin Format Fields That Must Match Other Documents

Origin verification is now largely a matching exercise, so build the document set from one source of truth.

The HSN code entry deserves particular attention, because it determines which origin rule applies as well as which duty line the buyer pays.

Self-certification and back-to-back certificates

Self-certification. Notification 05/2026-27 provides for self-certification by approved exporters. It removes the agency step but not the evidence burden, and the origin file still has to stand up.

Back-to-back non-preferential certificates. Introduced by Public Notice 43/2024-25 dated 27 January 2025, these cover goods that are not of Indian origin moving through India for re-export, transhipment or merchanting trade. The certificate explicitly records the foreign country of origin and the supporting documents relied on. Do not use a standard Indian-origin certificate for this.

In-lieu certificates. Where a certificate has already been issued with an error, the platform allows an online in-lieu correction rather than a fresh application.

The five certificate of origin format errors that cause queries

1. Description too generic. “Spare parts” or “chemicals” will not survive scrutiny. Use tariff language.
2. Weight disagreeing with the packing list. Gross and net get swapped more often than you would think.
3. Wrong importing country in Box 12. Usually a copy-paste from the previous shipment.
4. Origin criteria asserted without evidence. Especially value addition claimed without a costed bill of materials.
5. Invoice number differing from the shipping bill. Now caught automatically rather than at inspection.

How JPARKS INDIA Helps

JPARKS INDIA prepares origin documentation alongside the customs clearance it feeds, so the certificate, the invoice and the shipping bill are built to agree from the start.

• Field-by-field preparation of the certificate of origin format against your invoice and packing list.
• Origin criteria assessment and evidence file build, including costed bills of materials.
• Classification review so the HS code on the certificate matches the one on the shipping bill.
• Filing and follow-up through our certificate of origin service, including in-lieu corrections.
• Agency selection where a chamber of commerce has to be nominated.

Send us your draft invoice for a format check, or call/WhatsApp +91 9167379073.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How many fields does the certificate of origin format have?

The standard non-preferential layout has twelve boxes. Preferential certificates follow agreement-specific forms with broadly similar fields plus coded origin criteria.

Q2. Is the certificate of origin format the same for preferential and non-preferential certificates?

No. Non-preferential uses the standard twelve-box layout. Preferential uses the form prescribed by the relevant agreement, with a coded origin criterion and often a value-addition figure.

Q3. Do I need to put the HS code on the certificate?

Yes in practice, and always for a preferential claim, because the HS code determines which product-specific origin rule applies.

Q4. How detailed must the goods description be?

Detailed enough to match the tariff heading and the invoice. Generic commercial shorthand is the most frequent cause of queries at the destination.

Q5. Can I correct a certificate after issuance?

Yes. eCoO 2.0 supports an in-lieu certificate, applied for online, rather than requiring a fresh application.

Q6. What is a back-to-back certificate of origin?

A non-preferential certificate for goods that are not of Indian origin, moving through India for re-export or merchanting trade. It names the actual foreign country of origin.

Q7. Does the certificate still need a physical stamp?

No. Issuance is electronic and verification is done by entering the CoO number on the Trade Connect ePlatform.