Insurance Marketing Firm (IMF) Registration
An insurance marketing firm is an IRDAI-registered intermediary that can sell policies of several life, general and health insurers, and distribute other financial products, from one office. You need a company or LLP, a net worth of at least ₹10 lakh and a trained principal officer. We prepare the application and follow it through to the certificate.
What it is
An insurance marketing firm (IMF) is a business registered with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to sell and service insurance through its own trained insurance sales persons. It can work with several insurers in each line of business at once, and offer other financial products under the licences they need.
The rules sit in the IRDAI (Registration of Insurance Marketing Firm) Regulations, 2015, as amended. The Insurance Intermediaries (Amendment) Regulations, 2022, notified on 5 December 2022, raised the tie-up limit to six insurers each in life, general and health. The amendment of 30 July 2026 (IRDAI/Reg/8/222/2026) moved IMFs to continuous registration with an annual fee. Applications are filed online on IRDAI’s IMF portal.
Who it applies to
Agents ready to become a firm
Agents and agency managers who want to sell more than one insurer’s products and build a sales team under their own brand.
Financial product distributors
Mutual fund distributors who want insurance at the same counter, so a client’s savings and cover sit together.
Existing IMFs under the 2026 rules
Already registered? You must apply for a fresh certificate of registration by 31 January 2027, or by 31 March 2027 with an additional fee of ₹750.
Why it matters
Give customers a real choice
With up to six insurers in each of life, general and health, you compare plans for the customer instead of pushing one company’s product.
Earn commission lawfully
Section 40 of the Insurance Act, 1938 allows insurers to pay commission only to agents and registered intermediaries.
Sell more from one counter
IRDAI allows an IMF to distribute mutual funds, pension products, other SEBI-regulated products and postal banking services alongside insurance.
Eligibility at a glance
| Requirement | What IRDAI expects |
|---|---|
| Legal form | A company (including a One Person Company) or an LLP, with “Insurance Marketing” in its name |
| Net worth | Not less than ₹10 lakh, maintained every year and certified by a chartered accountant |
| Principal officer | A prescribed qualification, plus 50 hours of IMF training and the Insurance Institute of India examination (25 hours for certain insurance qualifications) |
| Insurance sales persons | Class 12 pass, IMF training and examination, and resident of the State where the IMF is registered |
| Insurer tie-ups | Up to six life, six general and six health insurers |
| Professional indemnity | Cover of two times total remuneration, minimum ₹10 lakh, within 12 months of registration |
The principal officer answers to IRDAI for the firm, so choose this person first. Accepted qualifications include an associate or fellow of the Insurance Institute of India, a chartered accountant or company secretary, an MBA, or a graduate with two years of insurance experience.
Here is the catch: the principal officer’s training and examination take time, and nothing can be filed without them. Picture a Faridabad agency manager who has sold health policies for years and now wants a firm. In practice, start the training and the incorporation in the same week, so neither waits.
Documents required
About the entity
- Certificate of incorporation
- MOA and AOA, or LLP agreement
- PAN of the company or LLP
- Details of directors or partners and shareholding
Money and infrastructure
- Net worth certificate from a chartered accountant
- Business plan
- Details of office space and infrastructure
- Consent letter from at least one insurer
About the principal officer
- Qualification and experience proof
- IMF training completion certificate
- Examination pass certificate
- Identity and address proof
How it works
Set up the right entity
We form a private limited company or LLP with a name and objects that fit an IMF, or check whether your existing entity works.
Qualify the principal officer
The principal officer completes the prescribed training and passes the Insurance Institute of India examination. We track the certificates; the training itself is done by the accredited institute.
Put in the capital and paperwork
We plan the capital so net worth crosses ₹10 lakh, issue the CA net worth certificate, and draft the business plan and infrastructure details.
File Form A on the IMF portal
We file the application with the ₹5,000 fee plus tax and the insurer consent letter, and answer IRDAI’s queries.
Start selling, then stay compliant
After registration, your sales persons are trained and examined, indemnity cover is taken within 12 months, and the annual fee and records stay current.
Timelines
Professional indemnity within 12 months
An IMF must take professional indemnity cover within 12 months of the date of its registration.
Fresh certificate by 31 January 2027
Existing IMFs apply for a fresh certificate of registration by 31 January 2027, or by 31 March 2027 with reasons and an extra ₹750.
Sales tagging from 1 January 2027
From 1 January 2027, every proposal form must name the individual who sold the policy.
What happens if you miss it
The firm stops operating
Under the 2026 amendment, an existing intermediary that does not apply by 31 March 2027 ceases to operate and must seek a fresh registration.
No registration, no commission
Section 40 of the Insurance Act bars insurers from paying commission to an unregistered firm. Sell without registration and the income itself is at risk.
A net worth shortfall needs fresh capital
The ₹10 lakh net worth has to be kept every year and certified by a CA. Say a Ballabgarh IMF books losses in its first two years while it hires staff. If they eat into the ₹10 lakh, the promoters must top up capital before the CA can certify the figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum net worth for an insurance marketing firm?
The minimum net worth is ₹10 lakh. IRDAI requires the applicant to have a net worth of not less than ten lakh rupees, and to maintain it every year, certified by a chartered accountant. Most new firms meet it with enough share capital or partner contribution at the start. We plan the capital so the certificate is ready before you apply.
Who can be the principal officer of an IMF?
A person with one of the qualifications IRDAI lists, who has also completed IMF training and passed the examination. Accepted qualifications include an associate or fellow of the Insurance Institute of India, a chartered accountant, company secretary or MBA, or a graduate with two years of insurance experience. Training is 50 hours, or 25 hours for those holding certain insurance qualifications. We check the profile first, so no training effort is wasted.
How many insurers can an IMF tie up with?
Up to six life insurers, six general insurers and six health insurers. This limit was raised from two insurers per line by the IRDAI (Insurance Intermediaries) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022, notified on 5 December 2022. You need a consent letter from at least one insurer to apply, and can add tie-ups later. Your customers get a real choice of plans.
Which business structures can apply for IMF registration?
A company, including a One Person Company, or an LLP can apply. IRDAI also expects the name to include “Insurance Marketing”, so the public knows what it does. If your existing company has a different name or unrelated objects, those may need changing first. We review the documents and tell you exactly what has to change.
What is the government fee for IMF registration?
The application fee is ₹5,000 plus applicable tax, and it is non-refundable. Under the 2026 amendment, a registered IMF also pays an annual fee: the higher of ₹10,000 or 0.04% of commission and other receipts from insurers in the previous financial year. Training, examination and indemnity insurance costs are separate. We list every charge before you begin, so nothing comes as a surprise.
Who can work as an insurance sales person for an IMF?
A person who has passed Class 12 or equivalent, completed the prescribed IMF training and passed the Insurance Institute of India examination. The sales person must also be a resident of the State in which the IMF is registered. Under the 2026 amendment, principal officers and sales persons must undergo training at least once every three years. A simple training calendar keeps your whole team eligible.
What changed for IMFs in July 2026?
The IRDAI amendment of 30 July 2026 replaced periodic renewal with continuous registration. A certificate stays valid as long as the annual fee is paid and the rules are followed. Existing IMFs must apply for a fresh certificate by 31 January 2027, or by 31 March 2027 with reasons and an additional ₹750. Policy-level tagging of the individual seller starts on 1 January 2027. We can file the fresh application for you well before the deadline.
Does an IMF need professional indemnity insurance?
Yes, within 12 months of registration. The cover must be two times the firm’s total remuneration, subject to a minimum of ₹10 lakh. So a firm earning ₹8 lakh in remuneration needs ₹16 lakh of cover. We remind you before the 12-month mark and check the policy meets IRDAI’s requirement. After that it simply renews each year.
Can an IMF sell mutual funds and other financial products?
Yes. IRDAI allows an IMF to distribute mutual funds, pension products, other SEBI-regulated products and postal banking services, besides insurance. Each product still needs the registration or certification its own regulator requires, so plan those alongside the IMF application. We help you line up the insurance side first and plan the rest around it.
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.
| IRDAI charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (non-refundable) | ₹5,000 plus applicable tax |
| Annual fee (2026 amendment) | Higher of ₹10,000 or 0.04% of commission and other receipts from insurers in the previous financial year |
| Late fresh application by existing IMFs (1 February to 31 March 2027) | ₹750 additional fee |
Ready to begin?
Tell us your entity, your principal officer’s background and the insurers you want to work with, and we will map your IMF registration step by step.