IEC Code Charges: DGFT Fee, Total Cost & Process
TL;DR - Summary
- What are IEC code charges for registration? - ₹500, paid online on the DGFT portal at dgft.gov.in. The amount is the same for every applicant, whether you import, export, or both, and whether you're a solo exporter or a large trading company.
- What is the total cost of IEC registration with professional help? - ₹1,500 to ₹5,000 or more, once you add a consultant fee of ₹1,000 to ₹3,000, a DSC at ₹1,500 to ₹2,500, and 18% GST on the service. Filing yourself with Aadhaar e-sign keeps the total at ₹500.
- Are there hidden charges in IEC code registration? - Not when you apply directly on the DGFT portal. Extra line items for documentation, DSC procurement, or priority processing come from third-party agencies. Two official charges do surprise people later: ₹200 for a modification and ₹200 for a duplicate certificate.
- Are IEC code charges refundable if the application is rejected? - No. A rejection over a PAN or document mismatch forfeits the ₹500, and you pay a fresh ₹500 to reapply. DGFT refunds only duplicate payments, excess amounts, or payments made without an application, claimed through the e-Refund Management Process.
- Is there an IEC renewal fee? - No. An IEC is valid for life and never expires. You do have to complete a free electronic update between April 1 and June 30 each year.
What Are IEC Code Charges for Registration?
IEC code charges are the fees you pay to get an Import Export Code from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, or DGFT. The IEC is a 10-digit number that works as your business's license to import or export goods and services from India. Without it, your shipment won't clear customs, and your bank can't process an export payment.
The government fee for a new IEC is ₹500. You pay it online on the official DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in), and it's the same ₹500 whether you're a small home exporter or a large trading company, and whether you import, export, or both.
Suppose you run a handloom business in Bhagalpur, and you've just landed your first order from a buyer in Germany. To ship it out and get paid, you need an IEC. Your cost to the government for that code is ₹500, no matter how big or small that first order is.
There are a few other charges you might run into, but they're situational:
- A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), if your business structure needs one instead of Aadhaar e-sign.
- Professional or consultant fees, if you would rather someone else file it for you.
- ₹200 for any later modification to your IEC, like a change of address or ownership.
- ₹200 for a duplicate certificate, if you lose the original.
- One thing worth knowing upfront: the ₹500 is non-refundable. If your form has an error and DGFT rejects it, that money is gone and you'll pay ₹500 again on your second attempt. So it pays to get the details right the first time.
IEC Code Registration Charges & Fees: A Full Breakdown
Your total IEC cost depends entirely on how you apply. Do it yourself on the DGFT portal, and you'll pay ₹500. Hand it to a professional service, and you're looking at anywhere from ₹1,500 to ₹5,000 or more, once you add their fee, GST, and a DSC if they insist on one.
Here's the full picture, side by side.
| Cost component | DIY cost | With professional help |
|---|---|---|
| DGFT application fee (new IEC) | ₹500 | ₹500 |
| Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) | Not required (Aadhaar e-sign) | ₹1,500-₹2,500 |
| Professional / consultant fee | ₹0 | ₹1,000-₹3,000 |
| IEC modification fee (if needed) | ₹200 | ₹200 |
| Duplicate IEC certificate | ₹200 | ₹200 |
| GST on professional services | Not applicable | 18% on service fees |
| Total estimated cost | ₹500 | ₹1,500-₹5,000+ |
A few of these rows deserve a closer look.
- The ₹500 application fee is the only charge that's mandatory for everyone. It goes straight to the government and doesn't change.
- The Digital Signature Certificate is where a lot of unnecessary spending occurs. A sole proprietor can authenticate the entire application using an Aadhaar OTP at no cost. You only need a DSC for certain company structures, and even then it runs ₹1,500 to ₹2,500, not the higher figures some agencies quote.
- Professional fees of ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 are purely for convenience. You're paying someone to fill a form you could fill yourself. That's a fair trade if you're short on time, as long as you know it's a choice rather than a requirement. And if you do use a service, GST at 18% gets added on top of their fee.
- The ₹200 charges for modification and duplicate certificates are official DGFT fees. First-time applicants often forget these exist, then get caught out later when they need to update an address.
⚠️ COMMON MISCONCEPTION
Many first-timers assume the ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 they are quoted is the official government fee. The government share is always ₹500. Anything above that is a service charge.
Are There Any Hidden Charges for IEC Code Registration?
Applied directly on the DGFT portal, an IEC has no hidden charges. The ₹500 is the full government cost for a new registration, and the portal shows you exactly what you're paying before you confirm.
Hidden costs show up when a third party sits between you and the portal. That's where you might see line items for documentation, consultancy, DSC procurement, or priority processing that DGFT itself doesn't charge for. Some agencies also add 18% GST on their service fee, which is legitimate, though it should be shown clearly rather than buried in a lump sum.
Two official charges do catch people off guard, even though they aren't hidden. A modification to your IEC costs ₹200, and a duplicate certificate costs another ₹200. First-time applicants rarely think about these until they need to change a bank detail or an address months later.
If you want to keep your cost to the ₹500 minimum, three habits help:
- Apply straight through dgft.gov.in rather than a reseller site.
- Check every document before you submit, because a PAN or name mismatch will cause a rejection, and a rejection means paying ₹500 again.
- If you do hire a consultant, ask for the full breakup in writing before you pay, so you can see the government fee separately from their charge.
✅ PRO TIP
Before paying any service provider, ask them to itemize the ₹500 government fee separately. If they can’t or won’t, that’s your signal to walk.
How to Pay IEC Code Registration Fees Online on the DGFT Portal?
You pay the IEC fee online on the DGFT portal using net banking, a debit or credit card, or UPI. It all happens inside the same application flow, so there's no separate payment site to visit.
Here's how the payment fits into the application, step by step:
- Log in at dgft.gov.in. Use your existing credentials, or register first if this is your first time on the portal.
- Fill the IEC application form (ANF-2A). Add your business details and attach the required documents: PAN, address proof, bank proof, and identity proof.
- Move to the payment step. Once the form is complete, the portal takes you to the payment option.
- Pick a payment mode. Net banking, debit or credit card, or UPI all work, and each one processes instantly.
- Save the payment receipt. The moment the transaction succeeds, download the receipt. You will need it for your records and for tracking the application.
- Submit the application. With payment confirmed, complete the final submission.
- Track your status. Use the reference number you get after submission to follow your IEC’s progress on the portal.
Payments are processed through the BharatKosh government gateway, so the funds go directly to DGFT. The fee is ₹500 for a new application and ₹200 for a modification. Once you've submitted, DGFT usually processes and approves the IEC within one to three working days.
✅ PRO TIP
Download the payment receipt before you close the tab. If the page times out and you don’t have the receipt or reference number, tracking the payment later can be a challenge.
What Is the Refund Policy for IEC Code Charges?
The ₹500 IEC fee is non-refundable once you've paid it. Even if DGFT rejects your application, cancels it, or turns it down due to an error, that money stays with the government, and you have to pay again to reapply.
When you lose the fee: a rejection due to the wrong PAN, a document mismatch, or a mistake in the form means the ₹500 is forfeited. There is no appeal for the fee itself. You fix the error, resubmit, and pay a fresh ₹500.
When a refund is possible: DGFT considers refunds only in narrow cases, such as a duplicate payment, an excess amount paid by mistake, or a payment that went through without any application being started.
To claim one of those eligible refunds, file an online request through the e-Refund Management Process on the DGFT portal, with your transaction reference number and proof of payment. If DGFT verifies it, the extra amount is either refunded or adjusted against a future IEC application.
How to Reduce IEC Code Charges?
You can bring your IEC cost down to just ₹500, the government fee, by applying yourself on the DGFT portal and using Aadhaar e-sign instead of buying a Digital Signature Certificate. Everything above ₹500 is optional, so reducing your cost is mostly about skipping the extras you don't need.
Four moves make the biggest difference:
- Skip the consultant. Filing yourself on dgft.gov.in saves you ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 in service fees. The form is straightforward if you have your documents ready.
- Use Aadhaar e-sign, not a DSC. Authenticating with an Aadhaar OTP costs nothing and saves you ₹1,500 to ₹2,500, plus the hassle of procuring a certificate.
- Do the annual update on time. Between April 1 and June 30 each year, DGFT asks you to confirm your IEC details. It is free, and doing it on time keeps your code active so you never face a reactivation charge.
- Avoid amendments. Each modification costs ₹200. Cross-check your bank details, address, and PAN before you submit, and you won’t have to pay to fix them later.
⚠️ WATCH OUT
A first-time exporter who files themselves with Aadhaar e-sign and gets every detail right pays exactly ₹500. Every rupee above that is a convenience you chose or a mistake you can avoid.
Is There an IEC Code Renewal Fee?
There's no renewal fee for an IEC. Once DGFT issues it, the code is valid for life. It doesn't expire, and you never re-register or pay to keep it.
There is one yearly task, though, and it trips people up because it sounds like a renewal. Between April 1 and June 30 every year, DGFT requires a free electronic update in which you log in and confirm that your IEC details are current. You do it even if nothing about your business has changed. Think of it as ticking a box to say the IEC is still in use.
Miss that window and DGFT can mark your IEC inactive. A deactivated code can't be used for import or export, so a shipment can get stuck at customs or a payment can stall until you reactivate it. The update takes a few minutes, so it's worth putting a reminder in your calendar for early April.
What Are the Next Steps After Paying IEC Code Charges?
After you've paid the ₹500, the immediate steps are to complete the application submission, download your receipt, wait 1 to 3 working days for DGFT to verify it, and then download your issued IEC certificate. Getting the certificate is really the start, not the finish. A few things need to happen before you can trade and get paid.
Right after payment:
- Complete the digital sign-off and submit the form once payment is confirmed.
- Download and save the payment receipt for your records.
- DGFT reviews the application, usually within one to three working days.
- Once approved, your digital IEC certificate is ready to download from the portal, and a copy is sent to your email.
Once the certificate is in hand:
- Register on ICEGATE. Adding your IEC to the ICEGATE portal (the customs EDI gateway) is what lets you file shipping bills and clear goods through customs.
- Tell your bank. Ask your current account branch to map your IEC to your account, which banks need for FEMA compliance on export payments. Without this, an incoming foreign payment can get held up.
- Note the annual update. Mark April 1 to June 30 in your calendar so you never miss the free yearly confirmation and risk deactivation.
Say your IEC gets approved on a Tuesday. By Wednesday you've registered on ICEGATE and emailed your bank to map the code. By the time your first shipment leaves, the paperwork side is done, and the only thing left is making sure the payment from your buyer actually reaches you cleanly.
How Does Skydo Help Exporters Receive Foreign Payments After IEC?
An IEC gives you the legal right to export. It doesn't tell you how to collect the foreign currency your buyer sends, and that's where many first-time exporters lose money without realizing it. This is the gap Skydo fills.
Traditional bank wires can quietly eat up to 8% of an international payment through forex markup and wire charges, so the amount that lands in your account is smaller than what your buyer sent. Skydo replaces that with a flat, predictable fee: ₹19 for payments under $2,000, ₹29 for payments between $2,000 and $10,000, and 0.3% above $10,000. No monthly fee, no surprise deductions.
Here's what you get with it:
- Free virtual accounts in USD, EUR, GBP, SGD, AUD, and CAD. You share the account details with your buyer, they pay into it, and the money settles to your Indian bank account.
- A free FIRA on every transaction. The Foreign Inward Remittance Advice is the document your bank and CA need to prove the money came from abroad. No separate request, no chasing.
- eBRC closure help. Link your DGFT account once, bulk-upload your shipping bills to auto-map the remittances, and generate eBRC in a click, which matters the moment your IEC is active and you’re exporting.
- EDPMS closure support. Less manual back-and-forth with your bank on export payment reconciliation.
- Settlement within one working day, instead of the three to seven days a traditional wire can take with no visibility.
- India-based support over WhatsApp, call, and text, so you’re not stuck in a global support queue.
Setup takes about 5 minutes, with no branch visit and no relationship manager calls. → https://www.skydo.com/
What is the official government fee for IEC code registration?
₹500 for a new IEC, paid online on the DGFT portal. Modifications and duplicate certificates cost ₹200 each.
Is IEC code free if I apply myself on the DGFT portal?
Do I need a Digital Signature Certificate to apply for IEC, and what does it cost?
What happens if I miss the annual IEC update — will my code get deactivated?
Can I get a refund if my IEC application is rejected after paying the fee?
Why do third-party portals charge ₹2,000–₹5,000 when the DGFT fee is only ₹500?
How long does it take to get an IEC after paying the fee?
What is the IEC modification fee, and when would I need to pay it?
After getting my IEC, how do I start receiving foreign payments?
