Stamp Mitra prepares and files your Import Export Code application on the DGFT portal, so your business can import or export goods and services from India.
It is a 10-digit unique identification number that DGFT, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, issues to businesses that import or export goods or services from India. It is now based on the business PAN.
Stamp Mitra's guidance explains that an IEC is needed to clear customs for imports, to send export shipments, to receive foreign remittances and to claim export incentives. Without one, trade transactions cannot be legally completed.
Stamp Mitra reviews your documents, files the application on the DGFT portal in Form ANF-2A, follows it up with DGFT and shares the e-IEC certificate once it is issued.
No. DGFT decides every application. Stamp Mitra files it carefully but cannot guarantee approval or a date.
Yes. A nominal application fee is paid on the DGFT portal, and the amount is confirmed at filing. It is extra, together with GST on the add-on.
Stamp Mitra's IEC page says that an application filed correctly with matching records is typically issued in 1 to 2 working days. Treat it as an indication. Queries and mismatched records add time.
It has lifetime validity while the entity exists, with no renewal. DGFT does require the details to be confirmed online once a year, in a notified window, and missing it can lead to de-activation.
No periodic returns are needed solely for holding an IEC. The yearly confirmation on the DGFT portal is the only recurring task.
No. GST registration relates to tax on supplies within India, and the IEC is for customs clearance of imports and exports. Many trading businesses need both.
No. One IEC against the entity's PAN is valid for all its branches and all products and services it trades in.