Who will issue an IEC certificate is one of the first questions every new importer and exporter in India asks, and the answer is simple: the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, known as the DGFT, which works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It is the only authority that can issue an Importer Exporter Code, and it does so entirely online through its official portal. No bank, customs office, or private agency can issue the code, which is worth knowing before you pay anyone who claims otherwise.
This page explains who issues the IEC, why the DGFT is the sole authority, and how the certificate reaches you once you apply.
The DGFT is the single legal body empowered to issue an IEC in India. It grants the 10 digit code directly through its electronic system at the DGFT portal, and no application is handled at a physical counter. Every IEC is reviewed and approved digitally.
Other institutions recognise the code but cannot create it. Indian Customs, through the CBIC and the ICEGATE portal, uses your IEC to clear consignments, and your bank relies on it to process foreign currency payments, yet neither one issues it. Since the move to PAN based codes, your IEC number mirrors your firm’s PAN, but the certificate itself is still issued only by the DGFT after you formally apply. If a private consultant or website offers to issue an IEC directly, treat it as a warning sign, because only the DGFT can.
Once you submit the online application with your PAN, business details, and supporting documents, the DGFT portal validates the information against government records. After the details clear and the government fee is paid, the system generates your IEC, usually within 1 to 3 working days and often within 24 hours for a clean application.
The certificate is issued in digital form and sent to your registered email, and you can download it from the portal at any time. The DGFT does not post a physical copy, since the process is fully paperless, and each certificate carries a QR code so that customs and banks can verify it online. For the exact papers to keep ready, see our guide on the documents required for IEC code, and for the government charge involved, see how to pay the IEC application fee.
Getting the code issued is only the start of staying compliant. Once your IEC is active, you confirm it once each year on the DGFT portal between April and June to keep it live, and you register your AD Code at your customs port before your first shipment clears. If you would rather not handle the DGFT process yourself, JParks India manages the full application from filing to certificate download, and keeps your code compliant year after year. You can apply for your IEC online with us, or view everything connected to your code on our IEC information hub.
The IEC certificate is issued only by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, the DGFT, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It issues the code online through its portal, and no other body has the authority to do so.
No. Banks and customs recognise and use the IEC, but only the DGFT issues it. Customs and ICEGATE rely on the code for clearance, and banks use it for foreign remittances, yet neither one can create it.
No private agency or consultant can issue an IEC. A consultant can prepare and file your application for you, but the code itself is always issued by the DGFT. Anyone claiming to issue it directly should be avoided.
For a clean application, the DGFT usually issues the IEC within 1 to 3 working days, and often within 24 hours. Delays happen mainly when the name on the PAN, bank account, or address proof does not match.
The IEC is valid for the lifetime of the business, but it must be confirmed online once a year between April and June to stay active. Missing that annual update deactivates the code until you complete it.
