10-digit code issued by DGFT that identifies an Indian importer or exporter. Mandatory for any cross-border trade activity.
Definition
IEC — Import Export Code — is a 10-digit unique identifier issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to any Indian entity engaged in import or export. Without an IEC, no shipping bill can be filed at any Indian customs port and no customs clearance is possible.
How to get one
Free (no fee) online application via dgft.gov.in
Requires PAN, Aadhaar, bank account, and business registration proof
Issued within 1-2 working days for clean applications
Linked to your PAN — an IEC is portable across banks and business models
What can go wrong
Not updated — DGFT introduced annual IEC updation in 2021. Missing an update deactivates the IEC. Log into DGFT once a year and click "Update IEC" — takes 2 minutes.
Caution-listed — if your shipping bills accumulate unrealized EDPMS entries, RBI notifies DGFT and your IEC is added to the caution list. New shipping bill filings are then blocked at the port.
AD Bank change — if you change your AD Bank, the IEC master must be updated to reflect the new bank code. Otherwise EDPMS entries route to the old bank.
For Indian FBA exporters
Your IEC is the single point of contact between DGFT, customs, RBI, and your AD Bank. Keeping it clean is non-negotiable — a caution-listed IEC means your Amazon warehouses stop receiving stock. See the real cost of an unclosed EDPMS shipping bill for what happens when things go wrong.