ICEGATE EGM: Status Check, Error Codes and Refund Fixes

ICEGATE EGM is the most common reason an Indian exporter’s refund does not arrive. The Shipping Bill is filed, Let Export Order granted, the vessel sailed, and the money still does not come.

EGM stands for Export General Manifest, the carrier’s declaration to Customs that your cargo physically departed India, filed under Section 41 of the Customs Act, 1962. You do not file it. The shipping line, airline or their agent does, and their delay becomes your cash flow problem.

That asymmetry is the point of this guide. You cannot control the filing, but you can monitor it, read the error codes correctly and escalate to the party who can fix the defect. For export compliance support, see our ICEGATE registration process service.

What Is ICEGATE EGM and Who Files It

The Export General Manifest lists all cargo loaded and departing from an Indian port or airport. Under the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, 2018 the sea version is labelled SDM, the Sea Departure Manifest.

Customs treats goods as exported once the manifest is filed and matched against your Shipping Bill. That matching event is EGM closure, and everything financial hangs on it.

Exporters cannot file an ICEGATE EGM, and neither can customs brokers. The carrier files it using its own credentials and DSC. Your role is to verify, evidence and escalate.

Why ICEGATE EGM Decides Your Refund

Four benefits depend on EGM closure. The automatic IGST refund runs only when the Shipping Bill, the EGM, your GSTR-1 invoice data and a PFMS validated bank account all align. Duty drawback scroll generation requires the Shipping Bill to attain EGM status. RoDTEP and RoSCTL eScrip generation depends on the same closure, and your AD bank cannot complete EDPMS closure without it.

A two week EGM delay is a two week delay on every incentive tied to that consignment.

EGM vs IGM

Feature	IGM	EGM
Direction	Cargo arriving in India	Cargo leaving India
Statutory basis	Section 30, Customs Act	Section 41, Customs Act
SCMTR label	Arrival Manifest, SAM	Departure Manifest, SDM
Searched using	Master Bill of Lading	Shipping Bill number
Unlocks	Bill of Entry filing	Refunds and incentives

You track an IGM by Bill of Lading and an EGM by Shipping Bill. For the import side, see our ICEGATE container tracking guide.

How to Check ICEGATE EGM Status in 6 Steps

Step 1. Open the enquiry hub.

Go to icegate.gov.in, then Services, then Enquiry, then Public Enquiries 2.0. No login needed for basic status.

Step 2. Open Document Status and select Shipping Bill.

Enter the customs location code, Shipping Bill number and Shipping Bill date. Use the Shipping Bill date, not the invoice date.

Step 3. Read the EGM field.

A date present means the carrier has manifested your cargo. Absent means it was not filed, or was filed with an error that prevented matching.

Step 4. Run the DGFT integration enquiry.

Inside Public Enquiries 2.0, this returns each Shipping Bill with its EGM date and integration status against DGFT records, for a single Shipping Bill or a date range across your IEC.

Step 5. Note the SB response code precisely.

Record the code, not the message. Codes stay stable across portal versions while wording changes.

Step 6. Check the scroll status.

Log in and open the IGST refund and scroll status enquiries to see whether a Shipping Bill has entered a scroll, is on hold or carries an error. Worth registering for this view alone if you export on payment of IGST.

ICEGATE EGM Error Codes and Who Fixes Each

These are the official SB response codes used in IGST refund validation.

Code	Official meaning	Who fixes it, and how
SB000	Successfully validated	Nobody. Ready for the refund scroll
SB001	Invalid SB details	You. The SB number, date and port code in the invoice sent from GSTN do not match the Shipping Bill. Amend GSTR-1 using Form 9A
SB002	EGM not filed	Carrier. Ask the shipping line to file. If they say it is already filed, ask the customs location to revalidate the EGM
SB003	GSTIN mismatch	You. The GSTIN on the Shipping Bill differs from the GST return. Amend GSTR-1 using Form 9A
SB004	Record already received and validated	Nobody, usually. Duplicate transmission from GSTN. No action if the earlier record shows SB000
SB005	Invalid invoice number	You. The invoice number in the Shipping Bill does not match GSTR-1. Amend GSTR-1 using Form 9A
SB006	Gateway EGM not available	Carrier. A supplementary EGM must be filed by the shipping line and approved by the gateway port officer

SB000 but Still No Refund

CBIC lists four reasons a validated Shipping Bill still produces no credit. Exports were made under LUT or bond, so no refund is due. The refund is below ₹1,000. The bank account is not validated with PFMS. Or the IEC is under suspension.

The bank account is the most common. If yours is not PFMS validated, our export promotion bank account registration service handles it, and AD Code registration must be in place at the port first.

Gateway EGM and ICD Exports

Exports from an inland container depot have two manifest events. Cargo clears at the ICD, moves to a gateway port for loading, and the gateway EGM is filed at the port of actual export.

SB006 arises when that gateway EGM is missing or was filed manually rather than electronically. The Shipping Bill looks clean at the ICD and the refund still does not release. This is the most under diagnosed refund blocker for inland exporters.

Ask your forwarder for the gateway port, vessel and EGM number, then verify against the Shipping Bill enquiry.

How ICEGATE EGM Amendments Work

Amendments are permitted but not freely. The carrier files the request and a Customs officer approves it. Minor corrections happen at officer level, substantial changes may require adjudication.

Mismatches needing a carrier amendment include package count, container count, gross weight, container numbers, cargo description, a Let Export Order date later than the sail date, or the Shipping Bill already appearing in another EGM. None can be fixed by the exporter.

The sequence that works:

1. Identify the exact mismatched field from the error

2. Write to the carrier quoting the Shipping Bill, EGM number and conflicting values

3. Ask for a written amendment reference once filed

4. Recheck the Shipping Bill enquiry after two working days

5. Escalate to the customs location if the carrier does not act

Conclusion

ICEGATE EGM is the checkpoint that turns a shipped consignment into a legally exported one. Until the manifest is filed and matched, your IGST refund, drawback and RoDTEP benefits stay frozen. Check status within a week of every sailing, separate carrier errors from your own GST data errors, and escalate in writing quoting the Shipping Bill number, date, port code and container numbers.

JPARKS INDIA resolves EGM mismatches and refund blockages for exporters across India, and has supported 500+ importers and exporters since 2018. Write to [email protected] or start with our ICEGATE registration process service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who files the EGM, the exporter or the carrier?

The carrier, meaning the shipping line, airline or authorised agent. Exporters and brokers cannot file it.

Q2. How do I check ICEGATE EGM status?

Public Enquiries 2.0, then Document Status, then Shipping Bill. Enter the location code, Shipping Bill number and date. No login needed.

Q3. What does SB002 mean?

The Export General Manifest has not been filed by the carrier. Approach the shipping line. If they confirm it is filed, ask the customs location to revalidate it.

Q4. What does SB006 mean?

Gateway EGM not available, common in ICD shipments. A supplementary EGM must be filed by the shipping line and approved by the gateway port officer.

Q5. My status is SB000 but the refund has not come. Why?

Four usual reasons: export under LUT or bond, refund below ₹1,000, bank not PFMS validated, or IEC under suspension.

Q6. Can the Shipping Bill be amended to fix an invoice mismatch?

Not once the EGM has been filed. SB001, SB003 and SB005 are corrected by amending GSTR-1 through Form 9A.