DGFT stopped accepting paper on 1 June 2026
Scheme renewals, EPCG closures, revalidations — all of it now goes through the portal. No physical applications, no email. What to check before you need something.
From 1 June 2026 the DGFT portal no longer accepts physical applications or email submissions. Scheme renewals, EPCG closure requests, revalidations — all of it is filed digitally or not at all.
For most established importers and exporters this is an improvement. The problem is that it tends to be discovered at the worst possible moment: when something has expired and needs renewing urgently.
What to verify before you need it
- Your digital signature is valid and registered. DSCs expire. A lapsed one is a multi-day problem when you are against a deadline.
- The right person has portal access. If the only login belongs to someone who has left, that is worth fixing today rather than during a renewal window.
- Your registered details match reality. Address, authorised signatory, contact email. Mismatches between DGFT records and your GST or bank records cause rejections.
- You know which of your authorisations expire this year. Put the dates in a calendar with a month's notice rather than relying on remembering.
The change is procedural, not substantive — the same applications, filed a different way. The risk is entirely about readiness, and readiness is free to fix while nothing is urgent.
Why this is happening
This is one piece of a broader push toward paperless trade processing that also covers customs. India has been targeting substantially digital clearance and a meaningful reduction in average clearance time, and the various systems — DGFT, ICEGATE, GST — are being pulled into closer alignment.
The practical consequence for importers is that inconsistencies between systems surface faster than they used to. A name that does not match across your IEC, your GST registration and your bank records used to be tolerable. Increasingly it is not.
We cover the registrations and how they interact in the import documentation checklist.
Questions we are getting
Can I still file DGFT applications on paper?
No. From 1 June 2026 the DGFT portal no longer accepts physical applications or email submissions. Scheme renewals, EPCG closures and revalidations must all be filed digitally.
What do I need to file with DGFT online?
A valid, registered digital signature certificate, portal access held by someone currently at the company, and registered details that match your GST and bank records. Mismatches between systems are a common cause of rejection.