What do I actually need before my first export shipment?

Five things, in order: a valid IEC from DGFT, an AD code registered on ICEGATE at the port you ship from, a GST LUT so you can export without paying IGST upfront, RCMC with the right Export Promotion Council if you want scheme benefits, and a current account mapped at your AD bank for inward remittance. Missing any one of them stops either the shipment or the money.

What is the difference between IEC and AD code registration?

IEC is your DGFT identity, one per PAN, valid nationwide. The AD code is your bank's authorised-dealer code registered at each specific port or airport you ship from. An IEC alone will not let Customs generate your shipping bill; the AD code has to be registered at that port first.

Can a proprietorship export, or do I need a company?

A proprietorship can export and import legally with its own IEC. The entity type mainly affects banking, liability and how buyers perceive you. We flag the trade-offs during the review instead of pushing you into a structure you don't need.

I only invoice foreign clients for services, do I still need this?

Yes, in a reduced form. Service exporters need an IEC to receive forex cleanly, a correctly assigned purpose code at the AD bank, and eBRC/FIRC discipline from the first invoice. Skipping it is why so many agencies find remittances parked in suspense accounts.

How long does the setup take?

It depends on two things outside anyone's control: how quickly your documents and signatory approvals reach us, and how fast DGFT, the Customs house and your bank branch process them. What we commit to is that nothing waits on our side, every filing goes in correct the first time, and you always know which document is holding the file.

What slows a new setup down the most?

KYC mismatches between PAN, GST and bank records, a DSC that isn't ready, and waiting on the bank to issue the AD code letter in the exact Customs-accepted format. We pre-check all three before filing, which is why files rarely loop back.

Can you work towards a planned shipment date?

Yes. Tell us the dispatch window at intake and we sequence the registrations backwards from it, port registration first if that is the binding constraint, and flag early if a document you owe us puts that date at risk.

What do I have to send you?

PAN, GST certificate, cancelled cheque of the current account, address proof, incorporation documents or partnership deed, DSC of the signatory, and a passport-size photo. We send a checklist on day one, review each document before it is used, and tell you exactly what to fix if something won't pass.

Do I need to hand over portal logins?

No. We work under your signatory's DSC-backed session and a signed engagement letter. Your DGFT and ICEGATE profiles stay yours.

What if my company was incorporated only last month?

That is the ideal time to start. A fresh entity has no legacy KYC drift, so the whole chain can be built correctly the first time instead of being corrected later.

A senior EXIM practitioner, end to end. No juniors, no handoffs between a registration agent, a customs broker and your bank branch.

Do you help after the registrations are done?

Yes. You get an invoice compliance pack, purpose-code guidance for your bank, and a written SOP for eBRC and EDPMS closure so your first shipment does not become next year's open entry.

Fixed scope, quoted upfront after a free review. Government and council fees are always at actuals.

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Container port operations representing a first export shipment

New Exporter & Importer Setup

Get your export paperwork right the first time.

Starting an import-export business in India means connecting DGFT, Customs on ICEGATE, and your AD bank into one working chain. A gap in any single link holds your container at the port or traps your first foreign payment. We prepare, check, and file every document in that chain with you, so nothing is rejected, reworked or discovered late.

Request a setup review See what the setup covers

20-min call · Fixed-scope quote · Response within 1 business day

Quick answer

A new Indian exporter or importer needs an IEC from DGFT, an AD code registered on ICEGATE at each shipping port, and RCMC with the relevant Export Promotion Council. thefintrado prepares, checks and files all four plus the AD bank remittance protocol, so every document is accepted the first time rather than looping back for correction.

The cost of an incomplete setup

Most first-shipment delays happen at the bank and the port gate, not in production.

Shipment held at port

An IEC alone isn't enough. Without an AD code registered on ICEGATE at that port, no shipping bill generates.

Forex stuck in suspense

Wrong purpose codes or an unmapped account leave your first inward remittance parked at the AD bank.

Working capital blocked

No GST LUT means paying 18% IGST upfront on exports and waiting months for the refund.

Benefits forfeited

No RCMC, no RoDTEP or drawback. Missed at the start, the claim window rarely reopens.

Open entries from day one

A first shipment filed without eBRC and EDPMS discipline becomes a caution-list problem two years later.

The thefintrado engagement

One partner, the whole chain

Every document prepared, checked and filed with you.

No running between a registration agent, a customs broker and a branch manager who has never seen an AD code letter. One senior practitioner owns the paperwork, tells you exactly what is needed from you at each stage, and keeps the file moving until your first invoice clears.

IEC application, DGFT profile setup and DSC configuration

AD code registration on ICEGATE at your chosen ports

GST LUT filing so exports go out without upfront IGST

RCMC and Export Promotion Council linkage against the right product code

AD bank setup: current account mapping, purpose codes, FIRC and eBRC protocol

Invoice and documentation pack aligned to Customs and FEMA requirements

Written SOP for eBRC filing and EDPMS closure from shipment one

How the setup works

Four steps. Clear timelines. One person accountable.

Intake & classification

HS code mapping, entity check, and a target-country regulatory read, so the registrations are filed against the right product and scheme from the start.

Core registrations

IEC allotment, DGFT digital key setup and RCMC linkage, with PAN, GST and bank records reconciled before anything is filed.

Gateways & ports

ICEGATE profile, AD code registration at each port you ship from, and GST LUT filed, the three things Customs actually checks.

Banking & first invoice

Purpose codes agreed with your AD bank, invoice templates issued, and a written SOP so your first shipment closes cleanly on EDPMS.

Who this is for

Built for businesses about to trade across the border for the first time.

Manufacturing MSMEs moving from domestic supply to direct exports
D2C and e-commerce brands starting international shipping
IT, design and consulting firms invoicing foreign clients for the first time
Importers bringing in raw material, components or machinery from overseas

15+

Years inside banking, forex & trade regulation

400+

DGFT and EXIM files handled

Industries served across India

100%

Advisory-led, no juniors on your file

Led by a senior EXIM practitioner who has been on the regulator's side of the desk, the same side that raises the queries you're trying to answer.

Related services

Other compliance workstreams we run.

EDPMS / IDPMS

EDPMS & IDPMS Closure

eBRC

eBRC Issuance & Correction

DGFT Licensing

Next step

Starting exports or imports this quarter? Send the details, we'll come back with a setup plan within 1 business day.

20-minute call. No sales script, no junior. A clear roadmap of what you need, in what order, and which documents we'll need from you.

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FAQ

Straight answers, from someone who's actually filed these.

Getting started

Timelines

Documents you'll need

Process & engagement