AD code registration in Mumbai is done online on ICEGATE, not at a custom house counter: CBIC enabled online requests from 6 July 2020, as Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH) at Nhava Sheva recorded at the time, and since June 2022 an AD code registered at one port can be used at every customs location, including the Mumbai Air Cargo Complex. What a Mumbai exporter still has to decide is which port to register at, which branch's AD code to use, and how to keep bank, DGFT and ICEGATE records in line.
Mumbai's customs locations and where your AD code works
For sea and air cargo, this guide looks at two Mumbai customs formations: JNCH at Nhava Sheva, which belongs to Mumbai Customs Zone-II, and the Air Cargo Complex, which belongs to Mumbai Customs Zone-III. Under JNCH Public Notice 33/2022-23, one registration covers both.
| Location | Customs formation | What it clears |
|---|---|---|
| Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House, Nhava Sheva, Uran, Raigad | Mumbai Customs Zone-II | Sea cargo through Nhava Sheva |
| Air Cargo Complex | Mumbai Customs Zone-III, Import and Export Commissionerates | Cargo imported and exported by air |
| Airport Special Cargo Commissionerate | Mumbai Customs Zone-III | Courier, postal shipments, and diamonds and precious metals through the Precious Cargo Customs Clearance Centre |
The Zone-III details come from its jurisdiction page. Public Notice 33/2022-23, issued by JNCH on 21 June 2022 under ICEGATE Advisory 10/2022, says an AD code registered at any one port is then available at all customs locations, with no separate registration elsewhere.
Choosing a port of registration as a Mumbai exporter
You pick one customs location when you add an AD code on ICEGATE, and it becomes that code's port of registration. Since any later change to the code's account details can be made only at that port, register at the Mumbai location you deal with most.
- A code registered before June 2022 already has a port: the one where the last shipping bill using it was filed. ICEGATE shows it under Bank Account Management.
- An IEC can hold several AD codes, each with its own port of registration, so a firm banking with two banks can register one code at JNCH and another at the Air Cargo Complex.
- The refund and incentive account works differently: you can select all customs locations at once.
Example. Seaview Garments LLP (a made-up firm) in Byculla ships bulk orders by sea from Nhava Sheva and urgent samples by air. It registers its AD code once, choosing JNCH as the port, and files air shipping bills at the Air Cargo Complex without a second registration. It registers its incentive account with all locations selected.
How JNCH moved AD code registration online
Until July 2020, exporters registered their AD code and bank accounts at every customs station, in person and on paper. JNCH Public Notice 79/2020 records that DG Systems enabled online requests through ICEGATE from 6 July 2020, under CBIC Circular 32/2020, and that the old procedure was done away with.
JNCH then issued a series of notices that still explain how Mumbai's largest custom house handles these requests:
- Public Notice 79/2020 told JNCH's EDI section to complete approvals within the same working day when every requirement is submitted on ICEGATE.
- Public Notice 93/2020 set out a bank authorisation letter format and advised exporters to have their bank email the letter directly to JNCH's EDI section.
- Public Notice 130/2020 explained the steps after exporters sent documents by email instead of applying online: register on ICEGATE, generate one IRN on e-Sanchit, then submit the AD code and IFSC separately in Bank Account Management.
- Public Notice 33/2022-23 brought the single port of registration to JNCH.
ICEGATE's advisory of 1 October 2026 adds the newest layer: for banks integrated with ICEGATE, no document or IRN is uploaded, and the bank confirms the details itself.
Getting the bank AD code letter from a Mumbai branch
If your bank is not integrated with ICEGATE, the request still needs a bank authorisation letter and a cancelled cheque or a bank-endorsed statement. The letter must confirm that the PAN on your account is the PAN on your IEC, and give the AD code and the branch's contact details, as CBIC Instruction 25/2023 requires.
- Ask the branch where the account is held. If your account sits in Mulund or Ghatkopar but the bank deals in foreign exchange through a different authorised branch, ICEGATE's advisory says to use that branch's AD code.
- Give the branch your IEC so that it sits on the same customer profile as your PAN and account. A PAN and an IEC under different customer IDs is one of the advisory's listed reasons for failure.
- JNCH's 2020 format also had the bank certify the type of account, since when it has been held, and that the holder's name, address and directors or partners match the IEC. The documents ICEGATE lists today follow CBIC Instruction 25/2023 instead.
The full list of letter contents is in the national guide to AD code registration.
Mumbai GST, IEC and bank records that must match
ICEGATE checks your details against three sets of records, and a Mumbai exporter's verification fails if any of them disagree. The 1 October 2026 advisory requires the entity name, PAN, IEC, account number, IFSC and AD code to be consistent across ICEGATE, DGFT and the bank.
- GSTIN. ICEGATE registration validates the IEC together with the GSTIN, and every Maharashtra GSTIN starts with 27. A Mumbai exporter without one can start with GST registration in Mumbai.
- IEC. The bank details on DGFT must be current. A Mumbai firm that changed banks needs an IEC update within 30 days, which our IEC renewal in Mumbai service covers.
- Bank. Keep KYC current at your Mumbai branch, and make sure the account is not dormant, frozen or restricted.
New exporters who have not yet got their code can begin with IEC registration in Mumbai.
Cost and timeline for AD code registration in Mumbai
Customs charges no fee for registering an AD code at JNCH or the Air Cargo Complex: the ICEGATE manual and the JNCH notices contain no payment step. For banks integrated with ICEGATE, the verification runs in real time, subject to the bank's systems being available.
For a document-based request, JNCH's 2020 standing order (Public Notice 79/2020) asks its EDI section to approve within the same working day once everything is submitted on ICEGATE. Ofin's fee for AD code registration in Mumbai starts at ₹7,499, and the Export Registration Finder lists the other registrations a Mumbai exporter needs.
How Ofin's Mumbai team handles AD code registration
Ofin's team at Shanti Bhuvan, Mulund West, Mumbai handles AD code registration 100% online, from ₹7,499.
Our CAs, CSs and legal professionals help you get the bank letter from your Mumbai branch, set up ICEGATE, file the request at the right port and follow it until Customs decides it. We reply within 24 hours, and you can visit the office if you prefer. Tell us your bank and ports to get a fixed-price proposal.
