DGFT starts automatic issue of Free Sale and Commerce Certificates for eligible applications
Eligible applications on the DGFT portal will be issued without manual scrutiny by the Regional Authority. Others continue on the manual route, and auto-approved cases can be flagged for review.
In 30 seconds
- Free Sale and Commerce Certificates are issued for items not covered under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940.
- Eligible applications are now issued automatically, without being routed for manual scrutiny.
- Applications needing verification, or outside the automated parameters, still go to the Regional Authority.
- Auto-approved applications may later be flagged to the RA under risk management parameters.
हिंदी में सार
DGFT ने पोर्टल पर Free Sale and Commerce Certificate का ऑटोमैटिक जारी होना शुरू किया है। पात्र आवेदन अब Regional Authority की मैनुअल जाँच के बिना जारी होंगे; बाकी आवेदन पहले की तरह RA के पास जाएँगे।
Before and now
Every application was scrutinised and verified by the Regional Authority before the certificate was issued.
Eligible applications are issued automatically; only the rest go to the Regional Authority.
What has changed
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has enabled automated issuance of Free Sale and Commerce Certificates on the DGFT portal. These certificates are issued to exporters under the Foreign Trade Policy for items not covered under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. Until now they were issued by the Regional Authorities after scrutiny and verification.
How applications will move now
- Eligible applications — considered for automatic issuance under the prevailing framework, without manual scrutiny.
- Applications requiring verification, or not meeting the automated processing parameters — may continue to be routed to the concerned RA for manual processing.
- After issue — certain auto-approved applications may be flagged to the RA for review under the system’s risk management parameters.
The PIB release does not list the parameters; they are in the DGFT notice linked from it.
Published 1 September 2026. Updated 2 October 2026. This report is for general information and is not professional advice. Read the source document before acting on it.