---
title: "Export and import document checklist builder · SSL"
description: "Build the document checklist for your export or import from India: IEC, invoice, shipping bill, bill of entry, bill of lading, e-way bill, origin, FSSAI."
url: https://safeandsecure.in/tools/export-import-document-checklist/
canonical: https://safeandsecure.in/tools/export-import-document-checklist/
updated: 2026-11-11
lang: en-IN
publisher: Safe & Secure Logistics Private Limited
---

Free tool

# Export and import document checklist

Choose export or import, the mode and what you are shipping. Get the documents, who issues each one, and why it matters.

Choose export or import, the mode and what you ship, and this free Safe & Secure Logistics checklist lists the documents you need. It covers the IEC, invoice, shipping bill, bill of entry, bill of lading, e-way bill, certificate of origin, FSSAI, plant quarantine and safety data sheets, with who issues each.

28 documents. Without JavaScript, the full list shows when each applies.

1. Importer Exporter Code (IEC) The ten character code every business needs to export or import. Customs will not file without it. Export and import When: every shipment From: You, once, on the DGFT portal
2. Commercial invoice Value, terms of sale (the Incoterm), buyer, seller and the 8 digit HS code of each item. Export and import When: every shipment From: Exporter
3. Packing list Package count, marks, net and gross weights and dimensions. Customs and the carrier check it against the cargo. Export and import When: every shipment From: Exporter
4. E-way bill for the road leg Goods moving by road to the port, airport or border, or from it to your warehouse, need one when the consignment value is over ₹50,000. Export and import When: every shipment From: Shipper or transporter, on the GST portal
5. Letter of undertaking (LUT) or IGST payment Exports are zero rated under GST. File an LUT to export without paying IGST, or pay it and claim a refund. Export When: every shipment From: Exporter, on the GST portal, each financial year
6. AD code registered at the port Your bank’s authorised dealer code must be registered on ICEGATE for each port you export from, so export proceeds can be matched. Export When: by sea or by air From: Exporter, with your bank
7. Shipping bill The export declaration to customs. Filed electronically; the let export order is given on it. Export When: by sea or by air From: Customs broker, on ICEGATE
8. Bill of export at the land customs station The export declaration for goods leaving India by road, filed at the land customs station on the border. Export When: by road (Nepal, Bhutan) From: Customs broker at the border
9. Bill of entry The import declaration. Duty is assessed and paid on it before the goods are released. Import When: every shipment From: Customs broker, on ICEGATE
10. Bill of lading The ocean carrier’s receipt and contract of carriage. An original or a telex release is needed to take delivery. Export and import When: by sea From: Shipping line or forwarder
11. Verified gross mass (VGM) SOLAS requires the verified weight of every packed container before it is loaded on a ship. Export When: by sea From: Shipper, before the cut off
12. Delivery order Issued by the shipping line or its agent against the bill of lading so the container can leave the port. Import When: by sea From: Shipping line
13. Air waybill The airline’s receipt and contract of carriage. It is not a document of title. Export and import When: by air From: Airline or forwarder
14. Lorry receipt (LR or GR) The road carrier’s consignment note for the truck journey across the border. Export and import When: by road (Nepal, Bhutan) From: Transporter
15. Insurance certificate Needed when you sell on CIF or CIP terms, and wise on every shipment. Export and import When: every shipment From: Your insurer
16. Certificate of origin Proves where the goods were made. Needed to claim a lower duty under a trade agreement, and often asked for by banks and buyers. Export and import When: claiming a trade agreement duty From: Exporter, from the issuing agency (DGFT e-CoO)
17. Origin information for a trade agreement claim An importer claiming a preferential duty must hold the origin information that supports it (CAROTAR 2020). Import When: claiming a trade agreement duty From: Importer, from the supplier
18. Letter of credit and the documents it names The bank pays only if the documents match the credit exactly. Read the credit before you ship. Export and import When: paid by letter of credit From: Exporter and the banks
19. Phytosanitary certificate Plants, seeds, fresh produce, grains and some wooden goods need a plant health certificate. Export When: plants, seeds, grain or fresh produce From: Plant Quarantine (PQIS portal)
20. Plant quarantine import permit and release Plant material and many agricultural goods need a permit before shipment and a release at arrival. Import When: plants, seeds, grain or fresh produce From: Importer, Plant Quarantine (PQIS portal)
21. Export Inspection Council certificate Notified foods such as fish, dairy, honey and egg products need a health certificate for many markets. Export When: food or drink From: Export Inspection Council
22. FSSAI import clearance Imported food is sampled and cleared by FSSAI before customs releases it. The label must meet Indian rules. Import When: food or drink From: Importer, on the FSSAI FICS portal
23. Drug licence and product registration papers Medicines and medical devices need the right CDSCO licence or registration to import. Buyers abroad often ask for a certificate of pharmaceutical product. Export and import When: medicines or medical devices From: Importer or exporter, CDSCO (SUGAM portal)
24. BIS registration for notified products Electronics and other items under a BIS compulsory order cannot be imported without the registration or licence. Import When: electronics (bis notified) From: Manufacturer, on the BIS portal
25. Safety data sheet (SDS) Chemicals and other hazardous goods travel with an SDS so the carrier can handle them safely. Export and import When: chemicals or hazardous goods From: Manufacturer
26. Dangerous goods declaration Hazardous cargo must be declared: IMDG Code by sea, IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations by air. Carriers refuse undeclared cargo. Export and import When: by sea or by air, chemicals or hazardous goods From: Shipper, signed by trained staff
27. Temperature instruction The set point, ventilation and humidity for a reefer are given in writing at booking and match the goods. Export and import When: needs a temperature From: Shipper, on the booking
28. Import licence or authorisation Goods marked restricted in the DGFT ITC (HS) schedule need an authorisation before they are shipped. Import When: restricted in itc (hs) From: Importer, DGFT

▪ NEXT STEP

Send us the goods, the country and your Incoterm. We plan the movement door to door, and a licensed customs broker files the declaration.

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How it works

## The method, and its limits

The checklist starts from the documents every shipment of that direction and mode needs, then adds the ones your goods trigger: food, plants, medicines, hazardous cargo, temperature, BIS notified electronics, restricted items, a trade agreement claim or a letter of credit. Tick each document as you collect it; the ticks stay on this page only.

It is general guidance for ordinary commercial trade, written from the official portals linked below. Duty rates, special schemes, SEZ and excise goods, samples and personal shipments are outside it. The exporter or importer is responsible for the declaration; a licensed customs broker files it and confirms the final list for your goods.

Sources

## Where the figures come from

1. [DGFT: Importer Exporter Code and ITC (HS) policy](https://www.dgft.gov.in/)
2. [CBIC ICEGATE: shipping bill, bill of entry and AD code registration](https://www.icegate.gov.in/)
3. [GST e-way bill system](https://ewaybillgst.gov.in/)
4. [IMO: SOLAS verified gross mass of containers](https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Pages/Verification-of-the-gross-mass.aspx)
5. [FSSAI: food import clearance](https://www.fssai.gov.in/)
6. [Plant Quarantine Information System](https://pqms.cgg.gov.in/)

Figures are general information, checked on 29 Sep 2026. Rules change; follow the source before acting.

## Frequently asked questions

**What documents are needed to export from India?**

Every export needs an IEC, a commercial invoice, a packing list and the export declaration (a shipping bill at a port or airport, a bill of export at a land border), plus the transport document: bill of lading, air waybill or lorry receipt. GST exporters also file an LUT or pay IGST. The goods may add more, such as a phytosanitary or health certificate.

**What documents are needed to import into India?**

An IEC, the supplier’s commercial invoice and packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, and the bill of entry filed by your customs broker. Food, plants, medicines, electronics under BIS orders and restricted items each need their own clearance or licence.

**Is a certificate of origin always needed?**

No. It is needed when the importer claims a lower duty under a trade agreement, and when a buyer, bank or the destination country asks for it. Indian exporters apply for it online through the DGFT e-CoO platform.

**Do I need an e-way bill for goods going to the port?**

Yes, when the value of the consignment is over ₹50,000, the road movement from your premises to the port, airport or land customs station needs an e-way bill, like any other movement of goods.

**Who files the shipping bill or bill of entry?**

Usually a licensed customs broker on the ICEGATE system, on your behalf and with your documents. You remain responsible for what is declared.

**Does this checklist cover every case?**

No. It covers the common documents for general trade. Special schemes, excise goods, SEZ units, samples and personal shipments have their own rules. Your customs broker confirms the final list.

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Source: https://safeandsecure.in/tools/export-import-document-checklist/ (the HTML page is the record; this markdown twin was generated from it on 2026-11-11). Publisher: Safe & Secure Logistics Private Limited, https://safeandsecure.in/. Figures and their periods: https://safeandsecure.in/facts/