APEDA registration is the Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) that the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority issues to exporters of its scheduled products, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, poultry, honey, cereals and processed foods. Since July 2023 APEDA issues the RCMC through DGFT's e-RCMC platform. This page covers who needs it, the IEC prerequisite, the manufacturer proof documents APEDA lists, the fee and validity, and the steps and checks that decide a smooth application.
What is APEDA registration?
APEDA was set up under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985 to develop and promote the export of scheduled agricultural and processed food products. Exporters of these products take membership of APEDA by obtaining a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC). The certificate identifies you as an APEDA-registered exporter and is the document many procedures, including export benefits and authorisations under the Foreign Trade Policy, ask for.
Until recently, each export council issued RCMCs in its own way. DGFT introduced a common digital platform, the e-RCMC, and mandated it for all issue, renewal and amendment applications from 1 April 2022. APEDA began issuing RCMCs on the DGFT platform from 17 July 2023, according to its circular. As a result the applicant now logs in to the DGFT portal, chooses APEDA as the registering authority, uploads the documents and pays the fee through the gateway.
APEDA's scheduled product groups listed in its circular include floriculture and seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, groundnut, pulses and guar gum, processed fruits and vegetables and other processed foods, meat and meat products, dairy, poultry and honey, cereals and cereal products, cereal and miscellaneous preparations, and alcoholic beverages. The proof you must give depends on whether you are a merchant exporter or a manufacturer or manufacturer-cum-merchant exporter.
APEDA registration is not the same as a food licence. You still need an IEC from DGFT, an FSSAI licence for food products as applicable, GST registration, and compliance with product-specific rules such as packhouse approval, residue monitoring or traceability systems that APEDA or the importing country require for particular products.
Who needs APEDA registration?
Exporters and new entrepreneurs dealing in APEDA's scheduled products need the RCMC, after getting an IEC. Typical cases are:
- Exporters of fresh fruits and vegetables such as mango, grapes, pomegranate, onion and banana
- Exporters of rice, wheat, millets and other cereals and cereal products
- Processed food exporters, including pickles, sauces, snacks, jaggery, honey and packaged products
- Exporters of meat, dairy and poultry products
- Exporters of groundnut, pulses and guar gum
- Floriculture and seed exporters
- Exporters of alcoholic beverages who deal in APEDA-scheduled products
Benefits of APEDA Registration (RCMC) for Agri and Food Exporters
Recognition as an APEDA exporter
The RCMC shows buyers, banks and agencies that you are registered with the export development authority for your product category.
Prerequisite for trade benefits
The RCMC is commonly required to apply for authorisations and benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy, so having it avoids delay later.
Access to APEDA services
Registered exporters can access APEDA's schemes, buyer-seller meets, product-specific support and market information, depending on schemes in force.
Single online platform
Application, renewal and amendment on DGFT's e-RCMC platform means one login and a trackable status.
Free amendments
APEDA's circular states that amendments or modifications after issue carry no fee, which keeps the certificate accurate as your business changes.
Eligibility and applicability
APEDA's circular sets the eligibility conditions and the supporting documents. The main points are:
- A valid IEC from DGFT in the name of the applicant
- Export of products that fall in APEDA's scheduled product list
- Merchant exporter: a signed and sealed copy of the IEC
- Manufacturer or manufacturer-cum-merchant exporter: signed and sealed IEC plus proof of manufacturing for the relevant products, certified by the agency listed for that product group
- Accurate main line of business and product details so that the RCMC is issued for the right products
- A business that has the PAN, bank account and registered address consistent across IEC and other records
Documents required
Core documents for all exporters
- Signed and sealed copy of the IEC
- PAN, GST registration and constitution documents of the entity
- Authorised signatory details and digital signature for the DGFT e-RCMC application
- Details of products and the HS codes you propose to export, and the countries you export to
Proof of manufacturing for manufacturers
- Fresh fruits and vegetables: FSSAI, Udyam Registration, Department of Horticulture or MSME certificate, as APEDA lists
- Groundnut, pulses and guar gum, processed foods, meat products, cereals, dairy, poultry and honey: FSSAI or Udyam or MSME certificate, as APEDA lists
- Floriculture and seeds: certificate from the Department of Horticulture
- Alcoholic beverages: certificate from the Excise Commissioner's department
- Signed and sealed copy of the proof, relevant to each product you will manufacture and export
Step-by-step process
APEDA directs applicants to the e-RCMC link on DGFT's portal. The steps below follow DGFT's user guide for e-RCMC.
Get the IEC
Obtain the Importer Exporter Code on DGFT's portal, or check that the existing one is active. See our import export code registration page.
Decide your category and product list
Decide whether you apply as a merchant exporter or a manufacturer or manufacturer-cum-merchant exporter, and list the scheduled products with their HS codes.
Collect the proof documents
For manufacturers, obtain the proof of manufacturing certified by the agency listed for the product. Have the IEC copy signed and sealed.
Log in to the DGFT portal
Go to Services, then e-RCMC, then Apply for e-RCMC, and start a fresh application. Confirm that your DGFT profile is up to date.
Complete RCMC details
Choose APEDA as the registering authority, select the fee, add products, authorised representatives and the countries you export to.
Upload attachments and sign
Upload the documents, accept the declaration, review the summary and sign using the digital signature or Aadhaar-based sign option available on the portal.
Pay the fee and track
Pay through the gateway, download the receipt and track the application on the DGFT dashboard. Answer APEDA's queries promptly.
Download the RCMC
After approval the RCMC is available in your DGFT profile. Check the products and validity printed on it.
Government fees
APEDA's circular on the e-RCMC lists the following fee. Check the circular and the DGFT payment screen on the day you apply, as fees can be revised.
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| RCMC registration | ₹5,900 | ₹5,000 plus ₹900 GST at 18%, as in APEDA's circular dated 21 July 2023. |
| RCMC renewal | ₹5,900 | Filed online on the e-RCMC platform, same breakdown. |
| Amendment or modification after issue | No fee | As stated in APEDA's circular. |
Professional charges are quoted separately after reviewing your case. Government fees are paid directly to the authority.
How long does it take?
The time depends on APEDA's verification of your documents and any query rounds. Cases where the IEC details, proof of manufacturing and product list are consistent usually need fewer queries. We do not promise a fixed government timeline.
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| IEC and manufacturing proof preparation | Depends on what you already hold |
| Online application and payment | Same day once documents are ready |
| APEDA verification and queries | Varies |
| Issue of RCMC on the DGFT platform | After approval |
Validity and renewal
The APEDA RCMC is valid for five years. DGFT's e-RCMC guide states that the certificate runs from 1 April of the licensing year of issue to 31 March of the fifth year unless otherwise specified, and renewal on the platform is available only for expired certificates. Plan the renewal around that date. Amendments, such as changes in address, products or authorised persons, are filed on the same platform, and APEDA's circular says they carry no fee.
Compliance after approval
- Keep the RCMC, IEC, GST and FSSAI details consistent and update them on DGFT and APEDA when your details change
- Apply for amendments when you add products or change the registered address or authorised persons
- Renew the RCMC when it expires, and not before the platform allows renewal
- Meet product-specific requirements such as packhouse registration, residue monitoring and traceability where APEDA or the importing country requires them
- File export documents accurately and keep proof of export for banks, customs and benefit claims
- Follow food safety standards of FSSAI and the importing country for each consignment
Merchant exporter vs manufacturer exporter
| Merchant exporter | Manufacturer or manufacturer-cum-merchant exporter |
|---|---|
| Needs a signed and sealed IEC copy | Needs a signed and sealed IEC copy |
| No proof of manufacturing | Proof of manufacturing for each product, certified by the listed agency |
| Buys and exports products | Makes the products, with or without trading |
| Same RCMC fee and validity per APEDA | Same RCMC fee and validity per APEDA |
Common mistakes and rejection reasons
Manufacturing proof from the wrong agency
APEDA lists a different certifying agency by product group. A certificate that is not the listed one for your product is returned.
IEC copy not signed and sealed
The circular asks for a signed and sealed copy. An unsigned scan leads to queries.
Wrong product or HS code mapping
Products listed with the wrong HS code or products outside APEDA's schedule can result in the wrong council or a rejected file.
Inconsistent entity details
Name, PAN and address differ between IEC, GST and the application, causing mismatch queries.
Applying to APEDA for non-scheduled products
Spices, tea, coffee, marine products and some others fall under other commodity boards. Confirm the right authority before you pay the fee.
Waiting until a shipment is ready
Exporters who begin the RCMC process only after a buyer order often lose time because they also have to complete IEC and manufacturing proof.
Penalties for non-compliance
We have not verified specific penalty amounts for exporting scheduled products without registration. Operating without a required RCMC can block applications for Foreign Trade Policy benefits and authorisations, and non-compliant consignments can face rejection by customs or the importing country. Contraventions of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 and customs law carry their own consequences. Check the current provisions before advising on a specific case.
Practitioner tips
- Decide category before you collect documents. A manufacturer-cum-merchant exporter needs manufacturing proof for each product, so the list of products you declare should match what your unit actually makes.
- Ask the proof-issuing agency for a certificate that names your unit and product explicitly. A generic certificate is a common cause of queries.
- Use one authorised signatory and one digital signature across IEC, e-RCMC and later DGFT applications, so that the profile does not need correction.
- If you export both scheduled and non-scheduled products, consider the other RCMC requirements at the start, such as a Spices Board registration for spices.
- Read the importing country's requirements for your product, as APEDA registration is only the first step in a compliant export.
How Lawgical Guru helps
Category and product review
We check whether your products fall under APEDA or another commodity board, and which exporter category applies.
Prerequisite registrations
We support import export code registration, FSSAI licence, GST registration and Udyam registration.
e-RCMC filing
We prepare the application and documents and file them on the DGFT e-RCMC platform, then follow up on queries.
Renewal and amendment
We track the validity date and file renewals and amendments when your products or details change.
Related export registrations
We guide you on RCMC registration generally and on ICEGATE registration for customs filing.
APEDA Registration (RCMC) for Agri and Food Exporters: frequently asked questions
Is APEDA registration mandatory for exporters?
Exporters of APEDA's scheduled products take the APEDA RCMC, and it is required in many trade procedures under the Foreign Trade Policy, including applying for certain authorisations. Check whether your product is in the schedule and what your buyer, bank and customs expect before the first shipment.
What is the fee for APEDA registration?
APEDA's circular states ₹5,900, being ₹5,000 plus 18% GST of ₹900, for the RCMC, and the same amount for renewal. Amendments after issue are free. Confirm the amount on the DGFT payment screen when you apply, as fees can be revised.
Where do I apply for APEDA RCMC?
On the DGFT portal, under Services and then e-RCMC. APEDA began issuing RCMC through this platform from 17 July 2023. You need an IEC and a DGFT login before starting the application.
How long is the APEDA RCMC valid?
Five years. DGFT's e-RCMC guide says the certificate runs from 1 April of the licensing year of issue to 31 March of the fifth year, unless otherwise specified. Renewal is available once the certificate has expired and is filed online at the same fee.
Is an IEC required before APEDA registration?
Yes. APEDA's circular lists obtaining the IEC from DGFT as the first step, and a signed and sealed copy of the IEC is a required document for all applicants. Check that the IEC is active and matches your PAN and bank details.
What documents does a manufacturer exporter need?
A manufacturer or manufacturer-cum-merchant exporter needs the IEC copy and proof of manufacturing for each product, certified by the agency APEDA lists for that product group, such as FSSAI, Udyam, MSME, the Department of Horticulture or the Excise department. Merchant exporters need only the IEC copy.
Which products does APEDA cover?
APEDA's circular lists floriculture and seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, groundnut, pulses and guar gum, processed fruits and vegetables and processed foods, meat products, dairy, poultry and honey, cereals and cereal products, miscellaneous preparations and alcoholic beverages. Check the current schedule for your product.
Do spice exporters need APEDA registration?
Spice exporters register with the Spices Board, whose Certificate of Registration of Exporters works as the RCMC for spices. If you also export APEDA-scheduled products you need APEDA registration for those. Choose the registering authority according to each product.
Can I change products or address after getting the RCMC?
Yes. After issue, you can apply for an amendment or modification on the e-RCMC platform, and APEDA's circular states that no fee is charged for it. Keep the RCMC updated so that it matches your IEC, GST and export documents.
Is APEDA registration the same as an FSSAI licence?
No. The RCMC is an export membership certificate, while FSSAI licences or registrations authorise food business operations under the Food Safety and Standards Act. A food exporter usually needs both, along with an IEC, GST registration and any product-specific export approvals.
Reviewed by Satyam Gupta, Company Secretary (CS) & Advocate
8+ years of industry experience. This page was last reviewed on 16 October 2026 against the official sources below. Rules and fees change — confirm on the official portal before you apply.