How to Check IEC Renewal Status on the DGFT Portal

Your IEC renewal status tells you whether your Importer Exporter Code has completed its mandatory annual update for the current financial year. You can check it free of cost on the DGFT portal in about two minutes, either by logging into IEC Profile Management or by using the public View Any IEC search, no login required.

This matters because an IEC that has not been updated between 1 April and 30 June is deactivated automatically. A deactivated IEC stops your Bill of Entry and Shipping Bill at customs, blocks your bank from processing trade remittances, and is visible to every buyer, supplier, and freight forwarder who looks you up.

Quick answer: the fastest way to check IEC renewal status

1. Go to dgft.gov.in and log in with your registered credentials or Aadhaar OTP.
2. Open Services > IEC Profile Management.
3. Select Update/Modify IEC, the screen displays whether your IEC has been updated for the current financial year.
4. If it shows an update is pending, complete it immediately. There is no government fee where you are only confirming existing details.

Would rather have it done for you? See our IEC renewal and annual update service.

What IEC renewal actually means

The Importer Exporter Code never expires. It is issued under Section 7 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 and carries lifetime validity. What people call “IEC renewal” is really the annual updation requirement introduced by DGFT Notification No. 58/2015-20 dated 12 February 2021.

Under that notification, every IEC holder must log in and confirm or update their IEC details once each financial year, between 1 April and 30 June, even when nothing has changed. Miss it and DGFT deactivates the IEC without a hearing or a notice.

Method 1: Check IEC renewal status inside IEC Profile Management

This is the definitive method because it shows the DGFT system’s own view of your profile.

1. Log in at dgft.gov.in with your username and password, or authenticate with Aadhaar OTP.
2. Click Services, then IEC Profile Management.
3. Click Update/Modify IEC. The portal either confirms the update is complete for the current year or prompts you to complete it.
4. Review each section: PAN, entity name, address, branch details, directors or partners, and bank account.
5. Sign with your DGFT-registered Class 3 DSC or Aadhaar e-Sign and submit.

Method 2: Check IEC status without logging in

Useful when you have lost portal credentials, or when you need to verify a supplier’s or buyer’s IEC before releasing a payment or a shipment.

1. Open dgft.gov.in and go to Services > IEC > View Any IEC.
2. Enter the IEC number (same as PAN) and the entity name exactly as registered.
3. Complete the captcha and submit.
4. The result shows the IEC’s current status along with basic firm details.

Method 3: Track Status for a pending application

If you have already filed the update and are waiting on DGFT, use Services > Track Status. Enter the IEC number with the registered mobile number or email to see whether the application is submitted, under process, approved or rejected. DGFT also sends confirmation by SMS and email to the registered contact details once the updation succeeds.

Method 4: Cross-check on ICEGATE before filing at customs

This is the step most guides leave out and the one that causes the most damage. DGFT and ICEGATE do not sync instantly. After a successful update, the status typically refreshes on DGFT within a few hours but can take up to a full working day to propagate to icegate.gov.in.

If you have a Bill of Entry or Shipping Bill queued, confirm the IEC reads as active on ICEGATE, not just on DGFT, before your Customs Broker files. Filing against an IEC that ICEGATE still shows as inactive triggers a rejection at the gateway and costs you a day of demurrage. Not sure your credentials are set up correctly on the customs side? See our ICEGATE registration guide.

What each IEC status means and what to do next

Why your status still shows not updated after you filed

• The submission never completed. The form was saved as a draft but not signed and submitted. Drafts do not count.
• The DSC failed silently. An expired token, a missing eMBridge utility or a DSC registered to a different PAN will stop the signature without an obvious error.
• A mandatory field is incomplete. DGFT often shows a section as filled when a sub-field, typically a branch address or a director’s details, is blank. Click the pencil icon in each section to check.
• Payment gateway hold. Where a modification fee applied and the amount was debited but not credited, the status stays pending until the gateway settles, usually within a few hours.
• Bank account mismatch. The account details on the profile must match the cancelled cheque exactly, including the account holder’s legal name.

Filed after 30 June? Here’s how to update your IEC after the due date.

What happens if you never check and the IEC stays deactivated

• Customs clearance stops. Your Bill of Entry or Shipping Bill will not be accepted against an inactive IEC.
• Cargo accrues demurrage and detention while sitting at the port awaiting a fix.
• Banks block trade remittances. Inward and outward foreign currency transactions tied to the IEC are held.
• Export incentives become inaccessible, including RoDTEP and duty credit scrips.
• Your trade partners can see it. The DGFT verification tool is public, so a deactivated IEC is visible to buyers, suppliers and forwarders.

Want the full annual cycle laid out end to end? Read the IEC renewal period explained.

How JPARKS INDIA Helps

JPARKS INDIA Pvt. Ltd. is an EXIM compliance consultancy based in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, backed by over 40 years of customs and DGFT experience through our associate customs brokerage. We process IEC updates, reactivations and profile corrections every working day.

• Same-day status audit. We check your IEC on both DGFT and ICEGATE and tell you exactly which sections are incomplete.
• 24-hour IEC renewal and reactivation at a single all-inclusive fee of Rs. 1,700, including government charges.
• Profile correction for failed updates: PAN mismatches, wrong bank details, missing branch addresses and stale director records.
• DSC troubleshooting, including registering a fresh Class 3 DSC on the DGFT portal when the existing token has failed.
• Annual reminder service so the April-June window never passes unnoticed again.

Explore our full IEC renewal and annual update service, or call/WhatsApp +91 9167379073 to book a free 30-minute consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I check my IEC renewal status on the DGFT portal?

Log in at dgft.gov.in, open Services > IEC Profile Management, and select Update/Modify IEC. The screen states whether the annual update is complete for the current financial year. You can also use Services > IEC > View Any IEC to check without logging in.

Q2. Is there a fee to check IEC renewal status?

No. Checking the status is completely free on the DGFT portal. There is also no government fee for the annual updation itself where you are only confirming existing details. A fee of Rs. 200 applies only when you file a modification to the IEC.

Q3. What is the last date for IEC renewal?

30 June of every year. The window opens on 1 April. An IEC not updated by 30 June is deactivated automatically by DGFT.

Q4. My IEC shows Deactivated. Can I still fix it?

Yes. Log in to the DGFT portal and complete the pending annual update. The IEC reactivates on successful submission, usually within a few hours to one working day. There is no penalty for a late update, only the trade disruption while it was inactive.

Q5. How long does it take for the updated status to show on ICEGATE?

DGFT typically reflects the change within a few hours. ICEGATE can take up to one full working day. Always confirm on ICEGATE before your Customs Broker files a Bill of Entry.

Q6. Can I check someone else’s IEC status?

Yes. The View Any IEC tool on the DGFT portal is public. Enter the IEC number and entity name to verify any Indian importer or exporter before transacting.

Related guides

• Why Does the IEC Get Deactivated? Causes, Status Check and Reactivation Guide.
• Can I Extend My IEC? Validity, Renewal and Reactivation Explained
• What is IEC Code Renewal Process?

Prefer to hand this over? We provide IEC renewal services for importers across India.