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Start a business · Export & Import

Registrations to start an export or import business

Before your first shipment you need a customs identity, a bank code at the port, GST set up for zero-rated exports, and the council membership that unlocks benefits.

Your checklist

What each registration is, who issues it and when it applies to an export business. Rules vary by state and by size — treat this as the map, and ask us about your exact case.

Mandatory · Needed by every business of this kind.

IECDGFT

Mandatory · DGFT

The Importer-Exporter Code — needed to clear exports and imports through customs and to receive foreign payments against exports of goods.

We handle this See the service →

GST registrationCBIC · GSTN

Needed to export goods and claim refunds · CBIC

Required once aggregate turnover crosses the threshold — ₹40 lakh for goods and ₹20 lakh for services in most states — and in some cases from the first sale, such as most inter-state supplies of goods.

We handle this See the service →

AD code registrationYour bank · Customs

Mandatory · your bank, registered at each port

The Authorised Dealer code is issued by your bank and registered with customs at each port you export from. Without it customs will not process shipping bills, and export proceeds and IGST refunds cannot be routed to your account.

Coming soon Raise a request →

RCMCExport promotion council

Needed for export benefits · Export Promotion Council

The Registration-cum-Membership Certificate from the export promotion council or commodity board for your product — needed to claim benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy.

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If it applies · Needed once you cross a threshold or do a particular activity.

FSSAI licenceFSSAI

For food exports · FSSAI

Every food business that makes, stores, sells or serves food needs a basic registration, a state licence or a central licence. Which one depends on turnover and activity; from 1 April 2026 the slabs are ₹1.5 crore (basic) and ₹50 crore (state).

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APEDA RCMCAPEDA

For scheduled agri products · APEDA

Registration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, required to export the scheduled agri and processed-food products.

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Recommended · Not compulsory, but worth doing early.

LUTCBIC

Export without paying IGST · CBIC

A Letter of Undertaking (Form GST RFD-11) lets exporters of goods and services, and suppliers to SEZs, supply without paying IGST. It is filed for each financial year.

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Udyam (MSME)Ministry of MSME

Recommended · benefits

A free, Aadhaar-based registration that classifies you as a micro, small or medium enterprise — used for priority-sector credit, protection against delayed payments and preferences in government tenders.

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ICEGATE registrationCBIC (Customs)

Recommended · file and track customs online

Registration on the customs e-filing portal to file documents, track shipping bills and follow IGST export refunds online.

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The order to do them in

Some registrations need another one first — this is the sequence that avoids rework.

  1. Get the IEC — it is PAN-based and usually quick.
  2. Register for GST and file an LUT for the year.
  3. Register your bank's AD code at each port, and sign up on ICEGATE.
  4. Take the RCMC from the council for your main product.
  5. Product approvals — APEDA, FSSAI, commodity boards — where your product needs them.

Go further

After the registrations come the returns and filings that keep you compliant.

Running it, not just starting it

GST returns, bookkeeping, TDS and annual filings — everything a business like yours has to keep doing, in one place.

See the compliance pack →

Common questions

What people starting an export business ask us most.

Is GST registration compulsory for exporters?

An export of goods is treated as an inter-state supply, so exporters of goods need GST registration. Exports are zero-rated — you export under LUT without tax, or pay IGST and claim it back.

What is an AD code and why does customs need it?

The Authorised Dealer code identifies your bank account. Registering it at each port lets customs process your shipping bills and route export proceeds and IGST refunds to you.

Which RCMC do I need?

The one from the council that covers your main product — AEPC for garments, CHEMEXCIL for chemicals and so on. FIEO covers multi-product exporters.

Other industries

Every sector, with its own checklist.

Starting an export business?

Tell us what you are building. We map every registration.

A CA or CS confirms which of these apply to you, in your state, and handles the ones we cover.

Book a Consultation → Chat on WhatsApp Mon–Fri 10–6 · Sat 10–2 IST