AD code registration links your bank's Authorised Dealer code, and the account behind it, to your IEC in the Customs system through the Bank Account Management module on ICEGATE. An exporter needs it before filing shipping bills, registers it once at a single port for use at every customs location, and pays Customs no fee. Under ICEGATE's advisory of 1 October 2026, banks integrated with ICEGATE verify the details online, with no document upload.
AD code vs IFSC registration: what Customs records
ICEGATE's Bank Account Management module holds two separate registrations. The AD code account declares the bank used for foreign remittances from your exports; the refund and incentive account, identified by IFSC, is where Customs pays money owed to you, such as drawback and IGST refunds.
| AD code account | Refund and incentive account | |
|---|---|---|
| Called on ICEGATE | Foreign Remittance Account (Authorized Dealer Code) | Refund/Incentive Account |
| Purpose | Bank used for foreign remittances | Collection of export incentives, drawback and IGST refunds |
| Identified by | AD code issued by your bank | IFSC of the branch |
| Customs locations | One location chosen per AD code | One, several or all locations |
| What the bank verifies | PAN, AD code, IEC and the account linked to the AD code | PAN, IFSC and account number |
Most exporters need both. For the incentive account, ICEGATE shows its status at PFMS, the Public Financial Management System, alongside its status at Customs.
Who needs AD code registration on ICEGATE?
Any IEC holder that files shipping bills for exports of goods at a customs EDI location. Under JNCH Public Notice 33/2022-23, registering an AD code with its bank account is the step that lets an IEC file shipping bills at Customs ports.
Two registrations come first:
- An IEC from DGFT, with bank details that match your bank's records. See IEC registration.
- An ICEGATE login for the IEC holder, which needs the IEC, GSTIN and an authorised person's DSC. See ICEGATE registration.
A service exporter files no shipping bill, so it has no AD code to register with Customs.
Bank AD code letter for export: what it must say
If your bank is not integrated with ICEGATE, you upload two documents: a bank authorisation letter and a cancelled cheque or the latest bank statement endorsed by the bank. ICEGATE's Bank Account Management manual (version 1.02, October 2026) lists what the letter must contain, following CBIC Instruction 25/2023 of 28 July 2023.
- Name and address of the exporter.
- IEC number issued by DGFT.
- PAN associated with the IEC.
- Bank account number associated with the IEC.
- Name of the account holder.
- The bank's confirmation that the PAN linked with the account is the same as the PAN linked with the IEC.
- The bank's AD code or IFSC, as the case may be.
- Name, address, contact details and official email ID of the branch holding the account.
Ask the branch that maintains the account for this letter. If your bank deals in foreign exchange through a different authorised branch, the AD code must be that branch's, as ICEGATE's advisory of 1 October 2026 points out.
How to register an AD code on ICEGATE, step by step
Registration is an online request from the exporter's own ICEGATE login, approved for the customs location you choose. These are the steps in ICEGATE's October 2026 manual.
- Log in as an ICEGATE User with your ICEGATE ID, password and OTP.
- Open the Profile status widget, then the Bank Account tab, then Foreign Remittance Account (Authorized Dealer Code).
- Click Add New Bank Account, enter the AD code and click Get Details. The bank and branch fill in automatically, with a drop-down where several branches share one AD code.
- If the bank is integrated with ICEGATE, enter the account number, choose one customs location and click Verify. The bank's systems confirm the details.
- If it is not, choose the bank and branch, enter the account number, location and document type, upload the letter and cheque, and click Verify. ICEGATE fills in the IRN itself.
- Click Submit. The request appears with its Status at Customs.
- Repeat under Refund/Incentive Account with your IFSC, where you can select all customs locations in one go.
One port of registration, every customs location
Since ICEGATE Advisory 10/2022 of 14 June 2022, an AD code is registered at only one port and is then available at all customs locations. Before that, exporters registered the same code at every port they filed shipping bills from.
JNCH Public Notice 33/2022-23 sets out the rules that followed:
- The port you choose when applying becomes the code's port of registration.
- Any later change to that AD code's account details is made at that port only.
- An IEC can register several AD codes, each with its own port of registration.
- For codes registered before the change, the port of the last shipping bill filed with that code was treated as the port of registration, shown under Bank Account Management.
Example. Ridgeway Engineering Private Limited (a made-up company) in Pune banks with a bank integrated with ICEGATE. It registers its AD code at the port it expects to use first and ships from a second port months later without registering again. Its refund and incentive account is registered once, with all customs locations selected.
Time and cost of AD code registration
There is no Customs fee: neither ICEGATE's manual nor the customs notices on AD code registration contain a payment step. For integrated banks, ICEGATE describes the check as real-time verification with the bank, though it depends on the bank's systems being available.
For document-based requests, customs houses have set short timelines. JNCH Nhava Sheva told its EDI officers in Public Notice 79/2020 to complete approval within the same working day when all requirements are met, and Chennai Custom House's Public Notice 63/2024 promises same-day approval for requests made before 2 PM. Ofin's professional fee starts at ₹7,499.
Why AD code verification fails
ICEGATE does not change the result its bank partner returns, so most failures are fixed at the bank, not on the portal. The advisory of 1 October 2026 asks you to update and validate your records with the bank before applying.
- The account number, IFSC or branch does not match the bank's books, or the AD code is not mapped to that account.
- The bank holds your PAN and your IEC under different customer IDs, or has no IEC on record at all.
- The firm's name, PAN or IEC differs between ICEGATE, DGFT and the bank.
- KYC is out of date, or the account is dormant, frozen, restricted or closed.
- The bank's system is down. Retry later, and check the status of the first request before submitting a fresh one.
Changing banks or adding a second AD code
A new bank or a new account needs a fresh request, not just a call to your bank. On ICEGATE, only an AD code account with Status at Customs "Approved" can be modified, and the change is made at that code's port of registration.
Record the new bank on DGFT within 30 days as well, under Handbook of Procedures para 2.14(b); DGFT checks it with NPCI. Ofin's IEC renewal service covers that update. The Export Registration Finder lists the other registrations your product needs. Exporters shipping through Nhava Sheva or the air cargo terminal can read our guide to AD code registration in Mumbai.
How Ofin handles AD code registration
Ofin's CAs, CSs and legal professionals help you get the bank letter in the required form, set up your ICEGATE login and file the AD code request, from ₹7,499.
Higher packages add IFSC registration for the incentive account and an ICEGATE-compatible digital signature, and we follow each request until Customs decides it. Everything is 100% online and we reply within 24 hours. Tell us your bank and ports to get a fixed-price proposal.
