Renew my IEC certificate, or apply for a new one? If you already have an IEC, you almost certainly need to renew, not reapply. To renew your IEC certificate simply means logging in once a year on the DGFT portal to confirm or update your existing code, and it is free unless you are changing details. A new application is a separate, one-time process to get a fresh code, and it costs Rs. 500. The two get confused constantly, so this page clears up exactly which one applies to you.
The short version: your IEC never expires, so you are not really renewing a lapsed licence, you are doing the mandatory annual confirmation that keeps your existing code active. You do not reapply and you do not pay Rs. 500 again.
Here is the difference side by side, so you can see at a glance which one you need.
| IEC Renewal (annual update) | New IEC Application | |
| What it is | Confirming or updating an existing code | Getting a brand new code for the first time |
| Who needs it | Anyone who already has an IEC | A business with no IEC yet |
| Fee | Free to confirm, Rs. 200 to change | Rs. 500 one-time |
| When | Every year, April to June | Once, whenever you start trading |
| Result | Same code, refreshed certificate | A new 10 digit code is issued |
The confusion comes from the word renewal. When people ask how to renew my IEC certificate, they often picture a lapsed licence being bought again. The IEC does not work that way. It has lifetime validity, so it never actually expires. What the DGFT introduced in 2021 is a mandatory annual update, where you log in between April and June and confirm your details. People hear renewal and assume a fresh Rs. 500 application, but if you already hold a code, that is not what you need.
Only in narrow cases. You apply for a brand new IEC if your business has never had one, or if your existing code is tied to a PAN that no longer applies, for example after a genuine change of legal entity where the PAN itself changes. In day to day terms, if your firm and PAN are the same as when the code was issued, you renew, you do not reapply. For the application route, see how to apply IEC online.
Once you know which applies to you, the step by step lives on the right page. To renew my IEC certificate the practical way, that is, confirm or update your existing code, follow our how to update your IEC walkthrough, or read the IEC code renewal process guide for the full picture. To get a fresh code, use the apply IEC online guide. For what each one costs, see IEC renewal fees in India.
If you are unsure whether your code is active, whether you need to renew or reapply, or your business has changed in a way that affects your IEC, JParks India will check your status and handle the right process for you, whether that is renewal or a fresh registration. Call or WhatsApp +91 9167379073 with your IEC number.
If you already have an IEC, you renew it with the free annual confirmation. You only apply for a new one if you have never had a code or your PAN has genuinely changed.
No. The IEC has lifetime validity and never expires. The yearly renewal is a mandatory confirmation, not a re-issue of an expired licence.
No. Renewal confirms or updates your existing code and is free unless you change details. Reapplying is a one-time Rs. 500 process to get a brand new code.
No. The Rs. 500 is only for a new application. Renewal is free to confirm, or Rs. 200 if you modify details.
No. Renewal keeps the same 10 digit code and simply refreshes the certificate. A new number is only issued with a brand new application.
