IEC should generally be obtained first, followed by APEDA Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC), if your products fall under APEDA’s scheduled categories.
An Importer Exporter Code (IEC) is a 10-digit identification number issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and is generally required for commercial exports from India. APEDA registration (RCMC) is a product-specific exporter registration for businesses exporting agricultural and processed food products covered under APEDA’s scheduled categories.
APEDA requires exporters to obtain an IEC before applying for its e-RCMC through the DGFT portal. Therefore, exporters dealing in APEDA-scheduled products generally need both registrations, while exporters dealing in products outside APEDA’s jurisdiction may need registration with the relevant Export Promotion Council or Commodity Board instead.
Talk to our experts for IEC and APEDA registration support today. If you are in Chennai or elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, see our APEDA registration in Chennai service.
Quick Summary
Businesses planning to export agricultural and processed food products from India may require both Importer Exporter Code (IEC) and APEDA registration. IEC is the basic export-import authorisation issued by DGFT, while APEDA registration is required for exporters dealing in products covered under APEDA’s jurisdiction. The correct sequence is to obtain IEC first and then complete APEDA registration through the e-RCMC process.
- IEC Registration: Issued by DGFT, IEC is required for most import and export activities. The government fee is ₹500, it has lifetime validity and requires a free annual update between April and June.
- APEDA Registration: Exporters dealing with APEDA-scheduled products must obtain e-RCMC registration through the DGFT portal. The stated fee is ₹5,900, including ₹5,000 plus 18% GST, and the registration is valid for five financial years.
- Products Covered: APEDA covers specified products such as fresh fruits and vegetables, processed food products, meat, dairy products, honey, cereals and rice.
- Registration Sequence: Arrange PAN and a current bank account, obtain IEC, complete applicable GST registration and LUT formalities, and then apply for APEDA e-RCMC. FSSAI registration can be pursued in parallel where required.
- Other Export Boards: Not every food product falls under APEDA. Products such as spices, tea, coffee, seafood and coir are covered by their respective export promotion boards or authorities.
- Which Registration Do You Need? IEC is generally required for exports, while APEDA registration applies only when exporting products covered under APEDA’s scheduled categories.
Planning to export agricultural or processed food products from India?
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What Each One Actually Is
IEC: Import Export Code
The IEC is a 10-digit code issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. It identifies you as an importer or exporter to customs, banks, and shipping lines. For businesses, the IEC is tied to the PAN, and one PAN can hold only one IEC.
It is a one-time registration with a government fee of ₹500, and it doesn’t expire. But it does need a free annual update, which we’ll come to.
APEDA Registration
APEDA is the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. Exporters of scheduled products must be registered with it through a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate, or RCMC. The RCMC confirms you are a recognised exporter of those products, and it’s a requirement for APEDA’s quality certification and financial assistance schemes.
Which One Comes First
The IEC does. The RCMC application asks for an active IEC, so you can’t complete the second without the first.
| Aspect | IEC | APEDA RCMC |
| Issued by | DGFT | APEDA, processed as e-RCMC on the DGFT portal |
| Needed for | Almost all imports and exports | Exporting scheduled agri and food products |
| Prerequisite | PAN | An active IEC |
| Validity | Lifetime, with a free annual update | Five financial years (1 April of the year of issue to 31 March of the fifth year), then renewal |
| Government fee | ₹500, one-time | ₹5,000 plus 18% GST (₹5,900), per APEDA’s latest notice. Renewal is the same. |
Do You Need Both?
No, not always. It depends on the nature of exports.
- In case of scheduled agricultural or processed food products, you will require both the IEC and the APEDA RCMC.
- In case of other goods like textiles or engineering goods, you will require only the IEC, and possibly the RCMC of another export council to claim benefits.
- In case your export comes under another commodity board, such as spices, you will require only that board’s registration and not APEDA.
Make sure you cross-check your export products with the APEDA scheduled list before spending money on any unnecessary registration.
| Product | Board or Council | Notes |
| Fresh fruits and vegetables, processed foods, meat, dairy, poultry, honey, cereals, rice, floriculture | APEDA | IEC plus e-RCMC |
| Spices (scheduled spices) | Spices Board | Registration is required for scheduled spices, along with the IEC |
| Marine products and seafood | MPEDA | Registration through MPEDA |
| Tea | Tea Board | Tea has its own exporter licence and RCMC |
| Coffee | Coffee Board | Registration and a per-shipment permit |
| Coir products | Coir Board | Separate registration |
| Textiles, engineering and other goods | Respective export promotion councils | IEC is enough to ship. An RCMC is for claiming benefits. |
Unclear about your export products? Contact us, and we will check them against the lists. You can also read who is eligible in our guide to APEDA registration eligibility.
Documents Required
For the IEC
- PAN of the business or proprietor.
- Aadhaar of the proprietor, partner, or authorised signatory, with a linked mobile number.
- Email ID and mobile number.
- Bank account details and a cancelled cheque or bank certificate.
- Address proof of the business premises.
- A DSC or Aadhaar OTP e-sign for signing the application.
For the APEDA RCMC
- The active IEC (a signed copy), with an updated profile on the DGFT portal.
- PAN and GST registration.
- Certificate of incorporation, partnership deed, or proof of proprietorship.
- Bank certificate or cancelled cheque.
- For manufacturer exporters: an FSSAI licence where the product requires it, or a Udyam certificate or Pollution Control Board NOC, depending on the product.
- For merchant exporters (those who buy and export): the IEC and entity documents, with details of the source of supply.
- Details of the products you intend to export.
- A DSC or Aadhaar e-sign for the DGFT portal.
Food manufacturers can read about the licence in our FSSAI registration service, and MSME units can add Udyam registration.
Step-by-Step Registration: The Right Order
Step 1. Get Your Business Basics in Place
Incorporate or register the business, obtain the PAN, and open a current account in the business’s name. If you need a structure, see private limited company registration, LLP registration or partnership firm registration.
Step 2. Apply for the IEC
File on the DGFT portal and pay ₹500. The IEC is usually generated immediately or within a day or two, once verification is complete.
Step 3. Register for GST
Exporters generally register for GST, and file a Letter of Undertaking to export without paying IGST where eligible. See GST registration and GST LUT filing.
Step 4. Confirm Whether APEDA Applies
Match your product against the scheduled list. If it is on the list, proceed. If not, skip this step.
Step 5. Apply for the e-RCMC
Apply through the DGFT portal’s e-RCMC module, selecting APEDA as the issuing authority, with the IEC and supporting documents. Pay the fee online and sign with a DSC or Aadhaar e-sign.
Step 6. Get Product-Specific Approvals
Food exporters typically need an FSSAI licence, and some products need additional registrations or certification, depending on the destination market. Fresh produce generally needs a phytosanitary certificate and registration on APEDA’s traceability system, and some products need export inspection.
Step 7. Complete Bank and Customs Set-Up
Register your authorised dealer (AD) code with customs, so shipments can be cleared and export proceeds tracked. Under the FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, as amended from 1 October 2026, export proceeds must be realised within nine months of shipment (12 months for rupee-invoiced exports).
Fees and Validity at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
| IEC fee | ₹500, one-time, no renewal fee |
| IEC validity | Lifetime, with a mandatory annual update |
| APEDA RCMC fee | ₹5,000 plus 18% GST, so ₹5,900 in total |
| APEDA RCMC validity | Five financial years, with online renewal at the same fee |
| IEC processing | Often immediate, or within one to two working days |
| RCMC processing | Commonly 10 to 15 working days after complete submission |
| Basic government cost to start | About ₹6,400, plus FSSAI and other approvals as applicable |
The fee and validity details come from APEDA’s recent circulars and compiled guides, so check the current notice before paying. Pay only through the official DGFT portal.
The IEC Annual Update Trap
This catches more exporters than the registration itself. Every IEC holder must confirm or update their details on the DGFT portal between April and June each year. It is free if nothing has changed.
An IEC that is not updated can be deactivated. A deactivated IEC freezes your shipments and blocks fresh RCMC applications, which can stop an export mid-season. Put a calendar reminder in place the day your IEC is issued.
What Happens If You Skip a Registration
Each consequence may vary, but none of them is good when your cargo is in transit.
- Without an IEC, your export will not go through customs or banking procedures, and your cargo can be held at the port.
- Without the APEDA RCMC, your export of scheduled products will not comply with the regulations, and you will miss out on APEDA’s certification and assistance services.
- When your IEC becomes deactivated, shipping will stop until updating is done, and new applications may become difficult.
- If there is a mismatch of information between the IEC, GST and bank records, export payments and refunds will take longer.
Fixing these after a shipment is waiting costs far more than getting them right at the start.
How Long the Whole Sequence Takes
For a clean application, the IEC can be in hand within a day or two. The RCMC then commonly takes 10 to 15 working days after complete submission. Add time for FSSAI and any product-specific approvals, and a realistic overall window is three to five weeks. Start the slower approvals in parallel, since the FSSAI licence doesn’t depend on the RCMC.
A Recent Change Worth Knowing
Since 17 July 2023, APEDA registration has been processed as an e-RCMC through the DGFT portal, rather than through a separate APEDA application.
APEDA and IEC Registration in Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Both registrations are online, so you do not need to visit an office, but Tamil Nadu has useful local support. DGFT’s Regional Authority in Chennai handles IEC matters for the state; APEDA has a regional office in Chennai, and exports move through Chennai, Ennore and Thoothukudi ports and Chennai Customs. Read our pages on IEC registration in Chennai and IEC registration in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu’s food and agri exports include bananas, mangoes, moringa, millets and rice, jaggery, cut flowers from the Hosur belt, coconut products from Pollachi, cashew and processed foods. Note the product split:
- Under APEDA: fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, millets and cereal products, jaggery, floriculture and processed foods.
- Under other boards: spices (Spices Board), tea and coffee (their own boards), coir (Coir Board) and seafood from Thoothukudi and Chennai (MPEDA).
- Local approvals: food manufacturers need an FSSAI licence from the state or central authority, and may need a Pollution Control Board NOC from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Home-based food entrepreneurs in Chennai often begin with an FSSAI licence and Udyam registration in Chennai, then add the IEC when they are ready to export.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying for the APEDA RCMC before holding an active IEC.
- Assuming APEDA registration is needed for every export product.
- Registering with APEDA for spices, tea, coffee or seafood, which have their own boards.
- Missing the April to June IEC annual update.
- Using a business name or PAN on the IEC that does not match the RCMC application.
- Forgetting the FSSAI licence for food products.
- Exporting before completing GST, LUT and bank set-up.
- Not registering the AD code at the port you ship from.
- Relying on an old guide that mentions the separate APEDA application route.
Benefits of Doing It in the Right Order
- No Rejected Applications- The RCMC goes through smoothly when the IEC is already active.
- Faster Start- Each step unlocks the next, with no backtracking.
- Lower Cost- You avoid paying for a registration your product doesn’t need.
- Access to Schemes- An RCMC opens APEDA’s certification and assistance schemes.
- Fewer Shipment Delays- An active IEC and clean records keep customs clearance moving.
Example
A founder wants to export packaged millet snacks. She registers the business, opens a current account, and applies for the IEC on the DGFT portal, receiving it the same week. She registers for GST, confirms that her product falls under APEDA’s scheduled categories, and applies for the e-RCMC using her IEC. While waiting, she obtains her FSSAI licence. Because every step followed the right order, her first shipment clears without a hitch.
How Kanakkupillai Can Help
Kanakkupillai helps exporters work out which registrations their product actually needs, and files them in the right order. We handle the IEC, the APEDA e-RCMC, GST and LUT, and the annual IEC update, so nothing lapses. Kanakkupillai is a Chennai-headquartered legal and compliance services company with 19+ years of experience and 1 lakh+ customers served.
Conclusion
IEC and APEDA are neither options nor substitutes for each other. The IEC is the universal trading code for imports and exports, and it must come first. APEDA registration comes next, but only for the commodities specified under its purview. Begin with the IEC, see whether your product is listed, and diarise the yearly IEC update.
Planning to Start Your Agricultural or Food Export Business?
Get professional assistance with IEC registration, APEDA RCMC application, DGFT documentation and export registration requirements. Our team can help you complete the necessary registration formalities and prepare your business for international trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need an IEC before applying for APEDA registration?
Yes. The APEDA RCMC application requires an active IEC, so the IEC must be obtained first. Without it, the application can’t be completed.
2. Is APEDA registration mandatory for all exporters?
No. It is mandatory only for exporters of products in APEDA’s scheduled list, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, processed foods, meat, dairy, and rice. Other exports need only the IEC.
3. How long is an IEC valid?
An IEC is valid for life, but it must be confirmed or updated on the DGFT portal between April and June every year. If this is not done, the IEC can be deactivated.
4. How much do the IEC and APEDA registrations cost?
The IEC costs ₹500 as a one-time fee. The APEDA RCMC is ₹5,000 plus 18% GST (₹5,900), per APEDA’s recent circulars, and is valid for five financial years. Check the current notice before paying.
5. Where do I apply for APEDA registration now?
Since 17 July 2023, it is processed as an e-RCMC through the DGFT portal, using your existing IEC. Older guides that mention a separate APEDA portal may be outdated.
6. Do I need APEDA registration to export spices, tea or coffee?
No. These are handled by the Spices Board, Tea Board and Coffee Board, respectively, and you register with the relevant board instead.
7. Do I need FSSAI for exporting food?
Generally, yes, for food manufacturers and processors, since APEDA and the destination market ask for it. The exact licence depends on your product and scale.
8. Can I get APEDA registration without an IEC?
No. The IEC is a prerequisite, and a deactivated IEC can also block the application.
9. How long does the e-RCMC take?
Commonly, 10 to 15 working days after a complete submission, though timelines vary.
10. Does the RCMC expire?
Yes. The APEDA RCMC is valid for five financial years, from 1 April of the year of issue to 31 March of the fifth year, and must be renewed online.
11. Do I also need GST and an LUT?
Exporters generally register for GST and file a yearly Letter of Undertaking to export without paying IGST. These are separate from the IEC and RCMC.
12. Is there an APEDA office in Chennai?
Yes, APEDA has a regional office in Chennai, but the registration itself is applied for online on the DGFT portal.
Official Sources
