AD Code Registration at Port or ICEGATE Stuck? Exporter Checklist

Who this guide is for

This guide is for Indian exporters — small manufacturers, traders, first-time exporters and e-commerce sellers shipping abroad — who have hit a wall because their AD code is not registered, is pending, or has been rejected at the port of export. It is most useful if:

• Your customs broker says the shipping bill cannot be filed because the AD code is not registered for that port.
• Your bank has issued the AD code letter, but ICEGATE still shows the registration as pending or under process.
• You are exporting from a new port and need to register an AD code there even though it is already registered elsewhere.
• Your registration was rejected and you are not sure whether the problem is the bank letter, a details mismatch, or a customs-side hold.

This is a practical operations guide, not legal or financial advice. Exact screen names, timelines and the split of work between you, your bank and your customs broker can vary by port and by bank. Always confirm the current position on the official portal and with your bank's trade desk.

If your underlying IEC is itself suspended or risk-flagged — a different problem that can also block exports — see the companion guide on IEC suspended or DGFT risk-flagged exports before working through this one.

What you can do this weekend

Friday evening

Pin down exactly where the registration is stuck. Log in to ICEGATE and look up the status of your AD code or bank-account registration for the port you are shipping from. There are usually three possibilities: not submitted at all, submitted and pending customs approval, or rejected with a stated reason. Write down which one applies and save a screenshot with the date visible.

While you are logged in, confirm that your IEC shows as valid and active and that your firm's legal name, PAN and GSTIN are correctly mapped. A problem at this layer will block the AD code no matter how good your bank letter is.

Message your customs broker (CHA) and ask one direct question: who is responsible for submitting the AD code registration on ICEGATE for this port — you or them? Knowing this avoids the classic situation where each side assumes the other has done it.

Saturday

Get a clean AD code letter from your bank. Contact your bank's trade finance or forex desk (not the regular branch counter) and request the AD code authorisation letter addressed to the Commissioner of Customs at your port. Check that it carries the bank's official letterhead, your IEC, the AD code, the branch details, the specific port, and an authorised signatory. A letter naming the wrong port is a common reason a registration is rejected.

Lay out your IEC certificate, GST registration certificate and the bank letter side by side. Confirm that your legal name, PAN, GSTIN and bank account number match exactly across all three. Even a small spelling difference or an extra space can cause a rejection. If you spot a mismatch, fixing the underlying record (with DGFT, GST or the bank) usually has to come first.

If the registration was rejected, read the rejection reason carefully and map it to one of three buckets: a document problem (wrong letter or port), a details mismatch (name or account number), or a customs-side query. The bucket decides who you talk to on Monday.

Sunday

Prepare your resubmission pack and your follow-up note. Scan the corrected AD code letter, IEC and GST certificate into clean PDFs, named clearly. If your broker is submitting, send them the full pack so they can act first thing Monday.

Draft a short, factual follow-up letter to the customs facilitation centre at the port using the template in this guide. Keep it to the facts: your IEC, the AD code, the port, the date you submitted, and the reference number. Avoid arguing the merits — at this stage you simply want the registration processed.

Note the dates. If the registration has been pending for an unusually long time with no query raised, mark a calendar reminder to escalate in writing on Monday and, if needed, to file an RTI for the status on record.

Documents and evidence checklist

Step-by-step action plan

Step 1 — Confirm where the registration is actually stuck

Log in to ICEGATE and check the status of your AD code or bank-account registration for the relevant port. There are three common states: not submitted, submitted and pending customs approval, or rejected with a reason. Identifying the state is the most important first step, because it tells you whether the bottleneck is your bank, your own submission, or customs. Save a dated screenshot of whatever the portal shows.

Step 2 — Understand how the AD code, IEC and port fit together

An AD code (Authorised Dealer code) is tied to the bank branch through which you receive export payments. Customs needs it registered against the specific port of export so your shipping bill can be processed and your export proceeds and any IGST or duty drawback refund can flow to the right bank account. AD code registration is generally port-specific: if you start exporting from a new port, you usually have to register the same AD code there too.

Your IEC from DGFT identifies you as an exporter, and your GST registration handles tax. These three — IEC, GST and the AD code — are separate but must line up. A mismatch in legal name, PAN, GSTIN or bank account number across them is one of the most frequent reasons an AD code or shipping bill gets stuck.

Step 3 — Get a clean AD code letter from your bank

Approach your bank's trade finance or forex desk and request the AD code authorisation letter on official letterhead, addressed to the Commissioner of Customs at your port. Verify it quotes your IEC, the AD code, the branch, the correct port, and an authorised signatory. A letter that names the wrong port, or that is missing the IEC, will usually be rejected. If your bank uses a standard format, ask whether it needs to be uploaded by the bank itself or handed to you for submission.

Step 4 — Check that IEC, GST and bank details match exactly

Place your IEC, GST certificate and bank letter together and confirm the legal name, PAN, GSTIN and bank account number are identical, character for character. If your firm name reads slightly differently on the bank letter than on your IEC, get the bank to reissue the letter to match. Where the underlying record itself is wrong, you may need to correct it at source — with DGFT for the IEC, on the GST portal for GST, or with the bank — before the registration will clear.

Step 5 — Submit or resubmit on ICEGATE

Register the AD code and bank details through the ICEGATE bank-account or AD code registration module for the port. Depending on your setup, this is done by you or by your customs broker. Upload the AD code letter and supporting documents, complete the verification step the portal requires, and save the acknowledgement and any reference number. Confirm afterwards that the status shows as submitted/pending rather than failed.

Step 6 — Wait for customs approval and confirm it is active

After submission, the registration typically needs customs approval at the port before it is active. Check the status again on ICEGATE after a reasonable interval. Do not file the shipping bill until the AD code shows as active for that port — filing before that point is a common reason a shipping bill is rejected.

Step 7 — Follow up with the customs facilitation centre and ICEGATE helpdesk

If the registration stays pending well beyond a reasonable time with no query raised, contact the customs facilitation or service centre at the port of export and raise a ticket with the ICEGATE helpdesk. Quote your IEC, the AD code and the submission reference each time. Keep a short log of who you spoke to and when. For broader refund and reconciliation issues that often surface right after this stage, see our guide on ICEGATE shipping bill scroll and IGST export refund not credited.

Step 8 — Escalate in writing and engage professional help if needed

If there is still no movement, send a written representation to the jurisdictional Commissioner of Customs and raise a grievance on CPGRAMS. If the export is time-sensitive or large, ask your customs broker or a customs consultant to take it up directly at the port. To obtain the status or reasons on record, you can also file an RTI — see the RTI section below.

Escalation ladder

Copy-paste complaint template

Replace the text in square brackets with your own details before sending.

When RTI can help

The Right to Information Act, 2005 applies to public authorities, and customs formations under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) are public authorities. RTI can be a useful supporting tool in an AD code or ICEGATE hold in these specific situations:

• Getting the status and reasons on record: If your registration has been pending for a long time or was rejected without a clear reason, file an RTI with the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of your jurisdictional Customs Commissionerate. Ask for the current status of the AD code registration for your IEC at the named port, and the reasons recorded for any pending or rejected status.
• Tracking file movement: If you have submitted documents and heard nothing, RTI can help you find out whether the file moved internally, when, and what was noted. Frame the question around the dates and the reference number you already hold.
• Confirming the procedure followed: You can ask for the procedure or checklist the formation applies for AD code registration at that port, which helps you see whether anything is genuinely missing from your submission.

To file an RTI online, see our step-by-step RTI filing guide. If the CPIO does not respond in time or the reply is inadequate, our guide on filing a first appeal under RTI Section 19 explains the next step. For deeper strategy on using RTI in regulatory and trade matters, The RTI Playbook is a useful companion.

When RTI will not help

RTI has clear limits in an AD code situation, and it is important to be realistic:

• RTI cannot register your AD code: RTI gets you information, not action. Only your bank's authorisation letter plus the ICEGATE submission and customs approval can actually register the code. RTI supports your follow-up; it does not replace it.
• RTI does not reach your private bank's internal files: A private bank is generally not a public authority for RTI. If the delay is at the bank's trade desk, you must pursue it through the bank's own service channels, not RTI. (Records held by a public-sector bank may be a different matter.)
• RTI is not an emergency remedy: If your consignment is time-sensitive, the RTI response window is too slow to rely on for the actual clearance. Use the customs facilitation centre, the ICEGATE helpdesk and a written representation for speed, and use RTI in parallel for the record.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Filing the shipping bill before the AD code is active: The system links the shipping bill to a registered AD code at the port. File only after the registration shows as active, or the bill will be rejected.
• Assuming the bank letter alone completes registration: The letter is one half. Registration is only complete once it is submitted on ICEGATE for the port and approved by customs. Confirm the portal status; do not assume.
• Ignoring details mismatches: A name spelt differently, an extra space, or a wrong account number between your IEC, GST and bank letter is a leading cause of rejection. Reconcile them character for character before submitting.
• Wrong port on the bank letter: AD code registration is port-specific. A letter naming the wrong port — or trying to ship from a port where the code is not registered — will not work. Match the letter to the actual port of export.
• Each side assuming the other submitted it: Exporters and customs brokers often each think the other lodged the ICEGATE registration. Confirm in writing who is doing what.
• Not saving the acknowledgement: Without the submission reference and a dated screenshot, follow-up and any later RTI become much harder. Save proof at every step.
• Confusing the AD code problem with an IEC or GST problem: A suspended IEC, a risk flag, or a lapsed GST registration can block exports independently. If the AD code looks fine but exports are still stuck, check those layers too.

For the wider export-compliance picture, our guides on applying for an Import Export Code (IEC) and the GST LUT or bond for exports rejected or not reflecting cover the other registrations that have to be in order before your shipping bill will move.