The IEC rule that quietly deactivates your code

An Import Export Code is issued by the DGFT and is required to import into or export from India. Banks also ask for it to process foreign remittances.

Getting one is usually quick

You create or log in to a DGFT account, apply for IEC under IEC Profile Management, complete ANF-2A, upload the documents, authenticate through DSC, e-sign or OTP, and pay the fee. When the documents are complete an IEC is often issued within one to two working days.

What you need: applicant PAN; Aadhaar or ID proof plus mobile and email for an individual or proprietor; entity proof such as an incorporation certificate, partnership deed, LLP agreement, trust deed or society registration; business address proof; and a cancelled cheque or bank certificate in the applicant's name. If the applicant is an entity, an authorisation letter or board resolution as well.

The part that catches people out

The IEC has no expiry date. But it must be updated on the DGFT portal every year — even when absolutely nothing has changed. Businesses skip it because nothing changed and there was no reminder, and the IEC gets deactivated. You then discover this at the worst possible moment, usually when a shipment or a remittance is already in motion.

Put the annual update in your calendar the day your IEC is issued.

Modifications

Changing address, branch, bank details or entity details is done through IEC Profile Management too. The one prerequisite that stalls most self-service attempts is that the IEC has to be linked to your DGFT user profile first. Once linked, you update the fields, upload proof for each changed detail, authenticate, and confirm the IEC shows as active afterwards.

A simple profile update can complete quickly. A mismatch, a suspension or a deficiency notice takes longer and is worth handling properly rather than resubmitting the same thing repeatedly.