If your code has gone inactive, here is the reassuring part: to reactivate your IEC you do not apply for a new one and you do not visit any office. A deactivated IEC is brought back simply by completing the annual update you missed, right on the DGFT portal, and the status is usually restored within a few hours. This page walks you through it, and clears up one thing that trips people up, the difference between a deactivated code and a suspended one, because they are not fixed the same way.
Before you do anything, check which state your code is in, because the fix is different. A deactivated IEC simply means you missed the mandatory annual update between April and June; you can self-reactivate it by completing that pending update, which is what this page covers. A suspended IEC is different, it has been blocked by a formal DGFT or government action, and you cannot just update your way out of it; it needs DGFT intervention. If yours is suspended rather than deactivated, see what to do if your IEC is suspended. Not sure which it is? Our how to check if your IEC is active guide shows you how to tell in two minutes.
If your code is deactivated, here is how to bring it back online.
That is the whole recovery. For the detailed version of this same update, see our how to update your IEC walkthrough.
For a clean submission, reactivation is fast, the status usually returns to active within a few hours, and often the same day. It can take up to a working day or two if a detail needs verification. The thing to know is that there is no separate waiting queue for reactivation; it moves as quickly as the underlying update does.
There is no special penalty fee to reactivate your IEC. Because you are reactivating through the normal update, the cost follows the same rule: free if you are only confirming your details, or Rs. 200 if you also change something. For the full cost picture, see our IEC renewal fees in India guide.
A deactivated IEC is, in practice, as good as not having one. Customs will not clear your shipments, your bank will not process foreign remittances, and consignments can sit at port racking up detention charges. None of that is a fine from DGFT, but it costs far more than the update ever would. The moment you spot an inactive code, complete the update, because every day it stays deactivated is a day you cannot trade.
If a shipment is stuck and you need the code live now, JParks India reactivates deactivated IECs through the IEC renewal process, usually same day. We also handle the trickier cases where a login fails, a DSC has expired, or the profile has errors blocking self-reactivation. Call or WhatsApp +91 9167379073 with your IEC number.
Log in to the DGFT portal, open Update/Modify IEC, confirm or update your details, and e-Sign with DSC or Aadhaar. The status is usually restored within a few hours.
Usually a few hours after a clean submission, sometimes up to a working day or two if a detail needs verification.
No. Reactivation uses the normal update, so it is free to confirm or Rs. 200 if you change details. There is no separate late or reactivation penalty.
No. A suspended IEC results from a formal DGFT action and needs DGFT intervention, not just an update. See our guide on what to do if your IEC is suspended.
No. You keep the same code. Reactivation just completes the overdue update, it is not a fresh application.
