India Export and EU Import — Complete Registration Directory
This reference sheet provides a comprehensive directory of all regulatory registrations, certifications, licences, and memberships that an Indian exporter engaged in EU trade may need, organised by the issuing authority and purpose. Use this as a master reference to identify which registrations apply to your product, sector, and target EU market.
SECTION A — INDIA EXPORT REGISTRATIONS (MANDATORY FOR ALL EXPORTERS)
SECTION B — INDIA EXPORT REGISTRATIONS (SECTOR-SPECIFIC)
SECTION C — EU IMPORT REGISTRATIONS (FOR EU BUYER / IMPORTER)
SECTION D — QUALITY AND STANDARDS CERTIFICATIONS
SECTION E — TRADE FINANCE AND BANKING REGISTRATIONS
SECTION F — INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
SECTION G — DIGITAL AND DATA COMPLIANCE REGISTRATIONS
This reference sheet is current as of its publication date. Regulatory frameworks change frequently — always verify current requirements with the relevant authority or a qualified trade compliance adviser before making registration decisions.
Doc 78 — Regulatory Registrations Reference Sheet — Neutral Template
| Registration | Issuing Authority | Purpose and Applicability |
|---|---|---|
| IEC (Importer Exporter Code) | DGFT | Mandatory for all export-import transactions. 10-digit PAN-based code. Apply at dgft.gov.in. No fee for application since 2021. |
| GST Registration (GSTIN) | GST Council / GSTN | Mandatory for turnover above INR 40 lakh (INR 20 lakh for service providers). Required for GST refund on exports. Apply at gst.gov.in. |
| Letter of Undertaking (LUT) | GST Department (online) | Annual filing — enables zero-rated export without payment of IGST. File at gst.gov.in each financial year before first export. |
| AD Code Registration | Exporter's AD Bank + Port Customs | 14-digit code linking exporter's bank branch to the port of export. Mandatory for Shipping Bill filing and FIRC/eBRC issuance. Register separately at each port of export. |
| ICEGATE Registration | CBIC (Customs) | Required for electronic Shipping Bill filing. Register at icegate.gov.in. DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) required. |
| REX Registration | DGFT Regional Authority | Mandatory for claiming EU GSP / FTA preferential duty rates on shipments above EUR 6,000. Apply at dgft.gov.in — Form REX/01. |
| Udyam Registration (MSME) | MSME Ministry (online) | For exporters qualifying as MSME — unlocks priority sector credit, government scheme eligibility. Register at udyamregistration.gov.in. |
| Registration | Issuing Authority | Sector / Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| RCMC — EEPC India | EEPC India | Engineering goods exporters — mandatory RCMC for claiming export incentives and EEPC membership benefits. |
| RCMC — APEDA | APEDA | Agricultural and processed food exporters (scheduled products: meat, poultry, dairy, honey, rice, fruits, vegetables, processed food, cereals). Mandatory for claiming export benefits and using APEDA certification services. |
| RCMC — MPEDA | MPEDA | Marine and seafood exporters. MPEDA registration and HACCP plant approval mandatory for seafood export to EU. |
| RCMC — Spices Board | Spices Board of India | Spice exporters. Mandatory for export of scheduled spices. Lab testing and quality certification through Spices Board. |
| RCMC — PHARMEXCIL | PHARMEXCIL | Pharmaceutical and API exporters. PHARMEXCIL membership required for pharma export incentive schemes. |
| RCMC — GJEPC | GJEPC | Gems and jewellery exporters. Mandatory for export under jewellery export scheme. |
| RCMC — EPCH | EPCH | Handicrafts exporters. |
| RCMC — TEA BOARD | Tea Board of India | Tea exporters — Tea Board licence and registration mandatory. |
| RCMC — COFFEE BOARD | Coffee Board of India | Coffee exporters — Coffee Board registration mandatory. |
| FSSAI Licence | FSSAI | All food business operators including food manufacturers and exporters. Central FSSAI licence required for turnover above INR 20 crore or for manufacturers. Apply at foscos.fssai.gov.in. |
| APEDA QCAL Lab Registration | APEDA / QCAL | For food exporters requiring APEDA-accredited lab testing for EU MRL and aflatoxin compliance. |
| WHO-GMP Certificate | CDSCO | Pharmaceutical manufacturers — required for export to WHO tender markets and as a baseline for EU GMP compliance process. |
| STPI Registration | Software Technology Parks of India | IT and software exporters — EOU status under STPI. Required for SOFTEX filing for IT service exports. |
| SCOMET Authorisation | DGFT | For controlled dual-use goods on SCOMET list — mandatory before export of controlled items. |
| CITES Export Permit | MOEFCC / DGFT | For wildlife products, rosewood, rattan, and other CITES-listed species — mandatory for international trade. |
| Organic Certification | APEDA-accredited certifying body | For organic products — EU-recognised Indian certifying body certification mandatory for EU organic label claim. |
| Registration | Issuing Authority | Purpose and Applicability |
|---|---|---|
| EORI Number | National customs authority (any EU member state) | Mandatory for all EU importers filing customs declarations. Validate at ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/eos. |
| VAT Registration (EU) | National tax authority | Required for import VAT accounting, VAT deregistration on imports, and Intrastat filing. |
| AEO Authorisation (EU) | National customs authority | AEOC / AEOS / AEOF — voluntary trusted trader programme. Apply through national customs authority. EU-wide validity. |
| TRACES NT Account | European Commission (DG SANTE) | Mandatory for filing pre-arrival notifications for regulated plant and animal products. Register at traces.ec.europa.eu. |
| CBAM Declarant Registration | National customs authority (via EU CBAM registry) | Mandatory for EU importers of CBAM-covered goods (steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen). Register at EU CBAM transitional registry. |
| Marketing Authorisation (Pharma) | EMA (centralised) or national authority (decentralised) | Mandatory before any pharmaceutical product can be placed on the EU market. MA holder is the EU importer or distributor. |
| CPNP Notification (Cosmetics) | European Commission (CPNP portal) | Mandatory for all cosmetic products before placing on EU market. Filed by EU Responsible Person. |
| SCIP Notification | ECHA | For articles containing SVHC above 0.1% w/w — notification to ECHA SCIP database by EU importer if annual import volume ≥1 tonne. |
| EU Organic Operator Registration | National competent authority | For EU importers of organic products — registration with national organic control body required before import. |
| Certification | Certifying Body | Applicability and Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | IATF-recognised CB (Bureau Veritas, SGS, TÜV, etc.) | Universal quality management — required by most EU industrial and retail buyers. 3-year certification cycle with annual surveillance audits. |
| IATF 16949:2016 | IATF-recognised CB | Automotive quality management — mandatory for all automotive OEM and tier-1 supply chains. Builds on ISO 9001. |
| ISO 14001:2015 | Accredited CB | Environmental management system — increasingly required by EU OEMs as part of ESG supplier qualification. |
| ISO 45001:2018 | Accredited CB | Occupational health and safety — required by EU buyers with strong HSE procurement policies. |
| EU GMP Certificate | EU member state competent authority | Pharmaceutical manufacturers — site-specific certificate required for each Indian manufacturing facility. Issued after EU GMP inspection. |
| HACCP / BRC / FSSC 22000 | BRC, SQF, or FSSC-certified CB | Food safety management — HACCP mandatory for seafood and meat; BRC / FSSC 22000 increasingly required by EU retail buyers. |
| SA8000 / SMETA Audit | Social Accountability International / Sedex | Social accountability and ethical sourcing audit — required by EU retailers and fashion brands. |
| NABL Accreditation (Lab) | NABL (India) | For testing laboratories — NABL accreditation is ILAC-MRA signatory. Required for MRL, aflatoxin, and other EU-accepted test reports. |
| BIS Certification | Bureau of Indian Standards | For products under mandatory BIS Quality Control Orders in India (not directly equivalent to EU CE marking but demonstrates domestic quality baseline). |
| AEO-T2 / T3 (India) | CBIC (Indian Customs) | Indian trusted trader certification — benefits include faster clearance, reduced inspection, direct port delivery. MRA with EU AEO programme. |
| CEP (Certificate of Suitability) | EDQM (Council of Europe) | For API manufacturers — CEP certifies that the API quality complies with the European Pharmacopoeia. Accepted by EU MA holders in lieu of full ASMF in many cases. |
| Registration / Account | Where to Obtain | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| AD Bank Account (Current Account with AD) | Any scheduled commercial bank with AD licence (SBI, ICICI, HDFC, Axis, Bank of Baroda, etc.) | Required for receipt of export proceeds, issuance of FIRC/eBRC, packing credit, and FEMA compliance. |
| ECGC Policy | ECGC Limited (ecgc.in) | Export credit insurance — Standard Policy for whole-turnover cover; Buyer Exposure Limit (BEL) for individual buyers. |
| EEFC Account | AD bank | Exchange Earner's Foreign Currency account — allows retention of foreign currency earnings without immediate INR conversion. |
| TReDS Registration (M1xchange / RXIL / A.TReDS) | RBI-regulated TReDS platforms | Invoice discounting for MSME exporters — RBI-regulated marketplace for export receivables discounting. |
| DGFT Export Incentive Portal Account | DGFT (dgft.gov.in) | Required for accessing RoDTEP, drawback, and other DGFT export incentive schemes. |
| Registration | Issuing Authority | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| GI Registration (India) | Geographical Indications Registry (CGPDTM, Chennai) | Protection of Indian geographical indications. Required before claiming GI status in export markets. Certificate used as commercial differentiator with EU buyers. |
| EU Trademark (EUTM) | EUIPO (euipo.europa.eu) | For Indian companies wishing to protect their brand name in the EU market. EU-wide protection in one registration. |
| EU Design Registration | EUIPO | For Indian companies with proprietary product designs sold in the EU — protects product appearance across all EU member states. |
| Patent (European Patent) | European Patent Office (EPO) | For Indian companies with patentable inventions being commercialised in EU markets — European Patent Application covers up to 44 contracting states. |
| Registration / Compliance | Authority | Applicability |
|---|---|---|
| EU Representative for GDPR (Art. 27) | Appointed EU-based representative | Mandatory for Indian companies without an EU establishment that process EU personal data. EU representative receives regulatory correspondence on behalf of the company. |
| Data Protection Officer (DPO) | Internal appointment (or external) | Mandatory for companies processing EU personal data at large scale, or processing special category data. DPO must be registered with the national data protection authority in each relevant EU member state. |
| Only Representative (REACH) | EU-established OR (appointed by Indian manufacturer) | For Indian chemical or article manufacturers supplying substances to the EU above REACH registration thresholds — OR registers the substance with ECHA on behalf of the manufacturer. |
| EU Responsible Person (GPSR) | EU-established RP (appointed by non-EU manufacturer) | Mandatory from August 2024 for non-EU manufacturers of consumer goods. EU RP handles product safety obligations, market surveillance contact, and incident reporting. |
| EU Authorised Representative (Medical Devices) | EU-established AR (appointed by non-EU manufacturer) | Mandatory for non-EU medical device manufacturers placing products on EU market — AR is named on the device label and holds the EU Declaration of Conformity. |