ICEGATE Registration & AD Code
The customs-side registration that turns a valid IEC into a shipment customs will actually clear — including the AD code your bank issues and where people commonly get it wrong.
ICEGATE is the Indian Customs EDI System — the portal the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) uses to receive shipping bills, bills of entry and every other electronic customs filing. Holding an IEC gets you the right to trade; registering on ICEGATE is what lets you actually file the documents customs needs to release your cargo. You can't skip straight to shipping — without this registration, a shipping bill simply cannot be filed against your IEC.
Alongside ICEGATE registration itself, you need to register an AD (Authorised Dealer) Code — a 14-digit number your bank issues once you hold a current account with them, confirming they'll handle the foreign exchange side of your trade. One registration is valid at every Indian customs port under the same IEC.
The two most common ways this goes wrong: registering with the wrong role on ICEGATE for what you actually do (importer, exporter, or customs broker are different roles with different document requirements), and assuming the AD code covers everything a port needs — it doesn't. Duty refunds and IGST credits are still routed by your bank branch's own IFSC code, which has to be registered separately at each port you actually export from.
Enquire about ICEGATE Registration
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If any of these describe where you are right now, this is the service you are looking for.
You've just received your IEC and need to file your first shipping bill or bill of entry.
Your bank has issued an AD code letter and it now needs to be registered on ICEGATE against your IEC.
You're switching your current account to a new bank and need the AD code re-linked before your next shipment.
You're a customs house agent or freight forwarder setting up ICEGATE access for client filings.
Customs or your CHA has told you a shipping bill can't be filed because your ICEGATE or AD code registration is missing or incomplete.
Everything handled, end to end
The full scope of the engagement, so there is nothing to discover halfway through.
Role and eligibility check
We confirm the correct ICEGATE role for what you actually do — importer, exporter or customs broker — before anything is filed.
Document preparation and verification
We assemble the IEC, GSTIN, PAN and authorisation documents ICEGATE asks for, checked against the portal's current format before submission.
Digital Signature Certificate coordination
We arrange the Class 3 DSC your registration needs, mapped correctly to your ICEGATE account rather than left to fail at the signing step.
AD code coordination with your bank
We liaise with your bank for the AD code letter and register it on ICEGATE, so this doesn't sit as an open item between two counters.
Registration filing and follow-up
We file the role registration form and follow up until customs validation is complete, rather than waiting for the portal to update on its own.
Port-wise IFSC registration guidance
We tell you exactly which additional, port-specific registration you still need for duty refunds — the step most businesses miss.
What you'll need to hand over
Collected once, at the start. We tell you which of these apply to your case before you gather anything.
ICEGATE registration
- 01Import Export Code (IEC), already issued by DGFT
- 02GSTIN, where the business is GST-registered
- 03PAN of the business or proprietor
- 04Address proof of the applicant — Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence or passport
- 05Authorisation letter naming the person who will operate the ICEGATE account
- 06Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate of the authorised signatory
AD Code registration
- 01AD Code letter issued by your bank on its own letterhead, addressed to Customs
- 02Bank certificate or the AD code letter confirming your current account number and IFSC
- 03IEC and GSTIN of the business
- 04Board resolution or authorisation letter, for a company or LLP
The AD code letter has to come from the bank branch where you hold the current account used for trade — a letter from any other branch or a different account is routinely rejected at the registration stage.
4 steps, start to finish
Where the work actually goes, and what we need from you at each stage.
Role and document check
We confirm your ICEGATE role and the exact documents your entity type needs, including whether your DSC is already mapped for customs use.
Confirm with us
AD code obtained from your bank
We coordinate directly with your bank for the AD code letter — a 14-digit number confirming they'll handle your trade's foreign exchange.
Confirm with us
ICEGATE registration filed
The role registration form is submitted with your IEC, GSTIN and documents, digitally signed with your Class 3 DSC.
Confirm with us
Customs validation and AD code linking
Customs validates the registration and the AD code is linked to your IEC. One registration is valid at every Indian customs port under the same IEC
3 to 4 working days
What to expect, and what it costs
Timelines are indicative and depend on departmental processing and how quickly documents come back to us. Message us on WhatsApp for a written quote.
Enquire on WhatsApp- Document and DSC check
- Confirm with us
- AD code letter from your bank
- Confirm with us
- ICEGATE registration filed
- Confirm with us
- Customs validation
- 3 to 4 working days
Professional fees
On request
Common questions
The questions we are actually asked about ICEGATE Registration. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Yes, and you need both. The IEC is DGFT's registration confirming you can trade; ICEGATE is CBIC's customs portal, and registering on it is what lets you actually file a shipping bill or bill of entry against that IEC. One doesn't substitute for the other.
An AD (Authorised Dealer) Code is a 14-digit number your bank issues, confirming it's authorised to handle the foreign exchange for your import or export. Customs links it to your IEC so export incentives and duty refunds are credited to the right account, and won't process a shipping bill without it.
No — One registration is valid at every Indian customs port under the same IEC What still has to be done port-by-port is registering your bank branch's IFSC code, specifically for receiving duty refunds and IGST credits at each port you export from. That distinction trips up more businesses than the AD code itself.
None — no government fee for ICEGATE or AD code registration itself. Your bank may charge its own processing fee for issuing the AD code letter, and a Class 3 DSC has its own issuance cost — neither of those is a government charge, but budget for both.
Yes — ICEGATE registration and most of the filings that follow it (shipping bills, bills of entry) require a Class 3 DSC mapped to your account. We issue Class 3 certificates ourselves, so this doesn't become a separate errand before you can even register.
Once your AD code letter is in hand and your documents are ready, customs typically validates the ICEGATE registration in 3 to 4 working days. The AD code letter itself usually takes the longest, since it depends on your bank's own internal process, not on us or on customs.
Yes. An AD code is tied to a specific bank account, so switching accounts or banks means getting a fresh AD code letter and re-registering it on ICEGATE against your IEC before your next shipment — the old registration doesn't carry over automatically.
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