AD Code Registration for Exporters
Before your first shipping bill can be filed, the 14-digit Authorised Dealer (AD) code from your bank has to be registered with Customs on ICEGATE. Since June 2022 one registration at one port works at every Customs location. We collect the bank letter, file the request online and follow it through to approval.
What it is
An AD code is a 14-digit number your bank gives you when your current account is with a branch authorised to handle foreign exchange. It tells Customs which bank will receive the payment for your exports.
Getting the code from the bank is only half the job. The code, with the linked bank account, must be registered in the Customs system through ICEGATE, the e-commerce portal of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). Until it is registered, your customs broker cannot file a shipping bill in your name.
Who it applies to
You are shipping for the first time
Any business with an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) about to send its first consignment out of India. Say, a Faridabad auto-parts maker with its first order from a buyer in the Gulf.
You are changing or adding a bank
Move your export receipts to another bank, or open a second account for them, and the new AD code must be registered before shipments use it.
You claim refunds or incentives
Duty drawback, RoDTEP and IGST refunds on exports all depend on correct bank details in the Customs system, starting with the AD code.
Why it matters
Your shipping bill can be filed
The shipping bill carries the AD code. Without a registered code, the bill cannot be generated and the goods wait at the port or container freight station.
Export money is traced to you
The AD code links each shipment to the bank that will receive the foreign currency. Your bank uses that link to match payments against shipping bills.
Refunds and incentives reach you
IGST refunds on exports paid with tax, drawback and RoDTEP credits all rely on the bank details Customs holds for your IEC.
Documents required
From your bank
- AD code letter on the bank’s letterhead, showing your name, account number and the 14-digit code
- Cancelled cheque or bank statement of the same account
From your business
- IEC certificate
- GST registration certificate
- PAN of the business
- Incorporation certificate, partnership deed or proprietor’s proof
- Business address proof
For signing and filing
- Class 3 digital signature certificate (DSC) of the authorised person
- Board resolution or authority letter for the signatory
- Authority letter, if a customs broker files for you
How it works
Get the AD code letter from your bank
Ask your branch for the AD code letter for your export account. Here is the catch: the name on it must match your IEC and GST certificate letter for letter. “Pvt Ltd” on one and “Private Limited” on the other is enough to cause trouble.
Register on ICEGATE with your IEC
If you are not yet on ICEGATE, we register you using your IEC and digital signature. The same login handles all your bank and refund details later.
Add the AD code and choose a port
Under the bank account section, we add the AD code, link the account, upload the bank letter and supporting papers, and pick the Customs port where the request will be processed.
Sign and submit online
The request is signed with your DSC and sent to the Customs officer at the chosen port. No visit to the Customs House is needed.
Track approval and share it with your broker
Once Customs approves, the code works at every Customs location. We confirm the status and send it to your customs broker or freight forwarder.
One port or every port?
| Before June 2022 | Now (ICES Advisory 10/2022) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where to register | Separately at every port you exported from | At any one Customs port |
| Where it works | Only at the port where it was registered | At all Customs locations |
| How | Request made at each Customs House | Online on ICEGATE |
| Changes | At each port | Only at the port where it was first registered |
Codes that were registered under the old system were linked by Customs to the port where your last shipping bill was filed. You can also register more than one AD code against the same IEC.
Timelines
Bank letter
Usually a few working days, depending on your branch. Ask for it when you apply for the IEC so it is ready.
Customs approval
Often the same day if filed before the port’s cut-off, otherwise one to three working days.
Before the first shipment
No statutory deadline applies. In practice, the code must be live before the shipping bill is filed, so start at least a week before the truck leaves your factory.
What happens if you skip it
Your cargo waits at the port
The shipping bill cannot be filed, so the cargo cannot be cleared. Storage and container detention charges start running.
Your refunds get stuck
IGST refunds, drawback and RoDTEP can get stuck when bank details in the Customs system are missing or do not match. An exporter shipping under a Letter of Undertaking still needs the code for the shipping bill.
Each rejection costs you days
A wrong port, a name mismatch or an expired DSC leads to rejection. Each fresh request restarts the approval wait.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register my AD code at every port?
No. Since ICES Advisory 10/2022 dated 14 June 2022, an AD code registered at any one Customs port is available at all Customs locations. You pick one port when filing on ICEGATE, and the officer there approves it. Any later change to that code is made at the same port. If you ship from Mundra one month and ICD Tughlakabad the next, one registration covers both.
How many digits does an AD code have?
An AD code has 14 digits. Your bank issues it on its letterhead for the account where you will receive export proceeds, usually after you ask the branch handling your current account. Check each digit against the letter before filing, because a single wrong digit is enough for Customs to reject the request.
Is there a government fee for AD code registration?
No. Customs does not charge any fee for registering an AD code on ICEGATE. Your costs are limited to a DSC if you do not already have one, any charge your bank levies for the letter, and our professional fee. If you still need an IEC, the DGFT fee for that is ₹500.
Can I register more than one AD code?
Yes. More than one AD code can be registered against the same IEC, for example when you bank with two branches or two banks. Each code is registered through ICEGATE, and each can be registered at a different port. Tell your customs broker which code to use on each shipping bill, so the payment goes to the account you expect.
Do I need an IEC before registering the AD code?
Yes. The AD code is registered against your Importer Exporter Code, so the IEC has to come first. An IEC is issued by DGFT on an online application with a ₹500 fee, usually within one to three working days. It is valid for life but must be updated online every year between April and June. We can handle both together.
How long does Customs take to approve the AD code?
Approval often comes the same day if the request is filed before the port’s cut-off time, and otherwise within one to three working days. When names, account numbers and the IEC match, requests tend to go through on the first attempt. We track the status on ICEGATE and tell you the moment it is approved.
Why do AD code requests get rejected?
The usual reasons are a wrong port selection, a business name that differs between the bank letter and the IEC, an expired or unregistered DSC, unclear document scans, or a change attempted at a port other than the original one. A check before submission avoids all of them. If a request is rejected, we correct it and refile.
Is the AD code the same as the bank account used for IGST refunds and drawback?
Not exactly. The AD code identifies the bank handling your foreign exchange, while refunds and drawback are credited to a bank account registered with Customs by its IFSC. In many cases the account is the same, but the two registrations are separate on ICEGATE. We check both, so export money and refunds land in the right account.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Customs charges no fee for AD code registration on ICEGATE. If you still need an Importer Exporter Code, the DGFT fee is ₹500.
Ready to begin?
Send us your IEC and the bank’s AD code letter. We will get the code live on ICEGATE before your goods reach the port.