MPEDA Registration — Mandatory Licence for Marine Products Exporters

MPEDA registration is mandatory for every entity involved in the export of marine products from India. This includes:

Manufacturer Exporters (MT) — Owners or tenants of MPEDA-approved processing plants and handling facilities who manufacture and export marine products directly

Merchant Exporters (ME) — Exporters who utilise the surplus processing capacity of approved plants (limited to one plant per merchant exporter) without owning their own facility

Route-Through Merchant Exporters — Exporters approved by the DGFT to trade marine products through Manufacturer Exporters or Merchant Exporters; includes Trading Houses, Export Houses, Star Trading Houses, and Premier Trading Houses

Ornamental Fish Exporters (OF) — Exporters dealing in aquarium fish, ornamental marine species, and aquatic plants for decorative purposes

Processing Plants and Handling Facilities — Units that process, pack, or handle marine products meant for export must also register their facility with MPEDA

Cold Storage and Storage Premises — Storage facilities holding marine products for export require separate MPEDA registration

Fishing Vessels — Vessels engaged in catching or processing marine products for export require vessel-specific registration

If your business is anywhere in the marine product export supply chain — you need MPEDA registration.

A single MPEDA registration certificate can cover multiple product categories. The following products are regulated under the MPEDA Act:

• Frozen Seafood — Shrimp, prawns, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, crab, lobster, fish fillets, and all frozen marine products
• Fresh and Chilled Seafood — Chilled whole fish, fresh seafood for air freight
• Dried Marine Products — Sun-dried fish, dried shrimp, and dehydrated marine products
• Canned Marine Products — Canned tuna, sardines, and other canned seafood
• Freeze-Dried Marine Products — Value-added processed forms
• Live Marine Products — Live shellfish, live crustaceans (excluding ornamental fish, which require separate registration)
• Ornamental Fish — Aquarium fish and aquatic plants (separate category)
• Other Edible and Non-Edible Marine Products — Any product classified as a marine product under the MPEDA Act

India’s top seafood exports include frozen shrimp (the single largest category), followed by frozen fish, cuttlefish, squid, and crab.

Mandatory for All Applicant Categories:

• IEC Certificate — Valid Import Export Code from DGFT (mandatory prerequisite — MPEDA registration cannot begin without IEC)
• PAN Card of the entity
• Address Proof — Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, or Passport of the proprietor / partner / director
• Passport-size photograph of the authorised signatory
• Bank Certificate — from a scheduled bank confirming financial soundness of the entity
• Last 2 years’ Balance Sheet — for establishing financial track record
• GST Registration Certificate — self-attested

For Manufacturer Exporters (additionally):

• Registration certificate of the processing plant and handling facility
• Registration certificate of storage premises (for endorsement)
• Written agreement for utilisation of surplus capacity (if applicable)
• Joint Undertaking by both processing plant owner and handling facility owner
• EIA Code of the processing plant (if already obtained)
• Brand name of the product being exported (if applicable)
• SSI or MSME registration (if applicable)

For Merchant Exporters (additionally):

• Written agreement for utilisation of the surplus capacity of the processing plant
• Registration certificate of the processing plant used

For Route-Through Merchant Exporters:

• Approval letter issued by DGFT
• Copy of Purchase Order

General Declarations Required:

• Type of entity (proprietorship / partnership / LLP / private limited company)
• Total capital employed
• Details of any foreign holding
• Expected turnover for the next 3 years
• Whether the applicant has previously registered with MPEDA

All documents are submitted online through the e-MPEDA portal. No physical documents need to be sent.

Step 1 — IEC Verification We confirm that your IEC is valid and updated on the DGFT portal. IEC is the mandatory prerequisite for MPEDA registration — no IEC means no MPEDA application.

Step 2 — e-MPEDA Portal Application We access the e-MPEDA portal (e-mpeda.nic.in), select the appropriate exporter category (Manufacturer, Merchant, Route-Through, or Ornamental Fish), and complete the application form with accurate business and facility details.

Step 3 — Declaration and Financial Details We complete the declarations section — entity type, capital employed, foreign holding details, expected export turnover, product categories, and brand names. Accuracy here is critical to avoid processing delays.

Step 4 — Document Upload All required documents are uploaded on the portal in the prescribed format — IEC copy, bank certificate, balance sheet, address proof, processing plant certificates (for manufacturer-exporters), and other supporting documents.

Step 5 — Application Signing and Fee Payment The application is signed by the authorised signatory (proprietor, partner, or director). The government registration fee of ₹5,000 is paid online. We guide you through this payment process.

Step 6 — MPEDA Scrutiny and Certificate Issuance MPEDA officials scrutinise the submitted application and documents. On approval, the MPEDA Registration Certificate is issued and sent to your registered email address. This is typically completed within 7 to 15 working days.

Step 7 — EIA Approval (Post-Registration) After receiving your MPEDA certificate, manufacturer-exporters must obtain EIA (Export Inspection Agency) approval for their processing facility. This involves submitting the MPEDA certificate copy and the applicable EIA fee to the relevant regional EIA office. EIA approval is required for your processing plant to be authorised to produce seafood for export. We guide you through this process.

Step 1 — IEC Verification We confirm that your IEC is valid and updated on the DGFT portal. IEC is the mandatory prerequisite for MPEDA registration — no IEC means no MPEDA application.

Step 2 — e-MPEDA Portal Application We access the e-MPEDA portal (e-mpeda.nic.in), select the appropriate exporter category (Manufacturer, Merchant, Route-Through, or Ornamental Fish), and complete the application form with accurate business and facility details.

Step 3 — Declaration and Financial Details We complete the declarations section — entity type, capital employed, foreign holding details, expected export turnover, product categories, and brand names. Accuracy here is critical to avoid processing delays.

Step 4 — Document Upload All required documents are uploaded on the portal in the prescribed format — IEC copy, bank certificate, balance sheet, address proof, processing plant certificates (for manufacturer-exporters), and other supporting documents.

Step 5 — Application Signing and Fee Payment The application is signed by the authorised signatory (proprietor, partner, or director). The government registration fee of ₹5,000 is paid online. We guide you through this payment process.

Step 6 — MPEDA Scrutiny and Certificate Issuance MPEDA officials scrutinise the submitted application and documents. On approval, the MPEDA Registration Certificate is issued and sent to your registered email address. This is typically completed within 7 to 15 working days.

Step 7 — EIA Approval (Post-Registration) After receiving your MPEDA certificate, manufacturer-exporters must obtain EIA (Export Inspection Agency) approval for their processing facility. This involves submitting the MPEDA certificate copy and the applicable EIA fee to the relevant regional EIA office. EIA approval is required for your processing plant to be authorised to produce seafood for export. We guide you through this process.

Validity: MPEDA registration is valid for 3 years from the date of issue and must be renewed before expiry. Renewal must be initiated at least 2 months before the certificate expires to ensure uninterrupted export operations.

Legal Authorisation to Export MPEDA registration is your legal permit to export marine products from India. Without it, customs will not process your shipping documents and your consignment will be stopped at the port.

Access to Financial Assistance Schemes MPEDA-registered exporters are eligible for a wide range of government financial assistance programmes including:

• Cold chain infrastructure subsidies — assistance for cold storage construction or renovation, refrigerated vehicles, ice plants, and insulated fish holds
• Processing infrastructure support — subsidies for setting up or upgrading seafood processing plants and handling facilities
• Quality certification assistance — financial support for obtaining international certifications including HACCP, BRC, IFS, ISO, and FDA compliance — all required for exporting to the EU, USA, Japan, and other high-value markets
• Aquaculture development support — assistance for sustainable farming techniques, disease management systems, and traceability infrastructure
• Pre-harvest testing programme — MPEDA’s antibiotic and residue testing support, which significantly reduces the risk of consignment rejection in the EU and US markets

Market Promotion and International Trade Access MPEDA organises participation in international seafood trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, reverse buyer-seller meets, road shows, and trade delegations — exclusively available to registered exporters. MPEDA also maintains trade promotion offices in Tokyo and New York for market development support in these key markets.

Credibility with International Buyers Major importers in the EU, USA, Japan, and China specifically check MPEDA registration before entering into supply agreements with Indian seafood exporters. Your MPEDA registration is the single most important trust signal in the international seafood trade.

Quality Control and HACCP Support MPEDA supports the implementation of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) systems in processing facilities — the internationally recognised food safety management standard that is mandatory for exporting to the EU and USA. MPEDA-affiliated laboratories across India also provide testing and quality verification services.

RCMC Certificate MPEDA registration simultaneously serves as your RCMC (Registration-cum-Membership Certificate) — making you eligible for all export benefits under India’s Foreign Trade Policy, including Duty Drawback, RoDTEP, EPCG, and Advance Authorisation.

Market Intelligence and Trade Data Access to MPEDA’s international trade data, market trend analysis, pricing reports, and information on regulatory requirements in importing countries — helping you identify new markets and price your products competitively.

Dispute Resolution MPEDA represents registered exporters in quality disputes, trade issues, and regulatory challenges with importing countries’ authorities — providing institutional backing that individual exporters cannot access on their own.

After obtaining your MPEDA registration certificate, manufacturer-exporters must obtain EIA (Export Inspection Agency) approval for their processing facility.

The Export Inspection Agency (EIA) — operating under the Export Inspection Council of India (EIC) — approves seafood processing plants for export. There are two categories of approval:

• EU-approved units — facilities approved to export to the European Union (the most stringent certification, requiring full HACCP compliance and EU-standard infrastructure)
• Non-EU approved units — facilities approved to export to all other countries

EIA approval requires HACCP implementation, regular inspections by EIA officials, antibiotic residue testing for shrimp exports to the EU, and ongoing compliance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). Our team guides you through the EIA documentation and process as part of our registration service.

✓ Marine export compliance specialists — We understand the full seafood export compliance chain: IEC → MPEDA registration → EIA approval → AD Code → Shipping Bill. We don’t handle MPEDA in isolation

✓ All exporter categories covered — Whether you are a Manufacturer Exporter, Merchant Exporter, Route-Through, or Ornamental Fish Exporter, we handle the category-specific documentation for each

✓ e-MPEDA portal expertise — We file accurately on the online portal, ensuring declarations, financial details, and product categories are correctly entered — avoiding the processing delays that come from errors

✓ EIA process guidance — We explain the next steps after MPEDA certificate issuance, including EIA approval requirements for your specific facility and target markets

✓ Completely online — No visit to MPEDA offices or our office required. Everything is managed digitally

✓ 25+ years of experience — Trusted by 500+ businesses across India for registration and compliance services