The basics you need first
Exporting from your own website needs a few registrations first. DGFT's e-commerce export handbook lists them. You need a PAN for your business, a GST number and an Indian bank account in the firm's name. Note your bank branch's authorised dealer, or AD, code too. Then you need an Importer-Exporter Code, or IEC. The handbook says no exports or imports may be made without mentioning an IEC.
Get your IEC from DGFT
The IEC comes from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. DGFT's handbook says the process is fully online and automated. You apply on the DGFT website, and DGFT asks you to keep your PAN, bank details and firm details ready before you apply. It also says your address may be physically checked once the IEC is issued, so use an address you can prove. Once it is issued, you can print the IEC certificate from the same portal. You can also update your IEC details there later.
File an LUT to export without paying IGST
GST gives exporters two routes. You can pay integrated tax on the export and claim it back as a refund. Or you can export without paying it at all. For the second route, the CGST Rules ask you to furnish a bond or a Letter of Undertaking in FORM GST RFD-11 before you export. An LUT keeps your cash free, because no tax sits waiting for a refund. Ask your accountant to check the details before your first shipment.
Postal or courier: choosing your route
| Route | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| India Post | Register with the Department of Posts and hand parcels in at a Dak Niryat Kendra | File a Postal Bill of Export - PBE III is for e-commerce |
| Courier | An authorised courier on the ECCS platform files the shipping bill for you | CSB-5 covers commercial shipments under ₹10,00,000 |
| Overseas warehouse | Stock goes abroad in bulk, and orders ship from there | You bear the risk of unsold stock |
Shipping through India Post
India Post suits small parcels sent one at a time. The Department of Posts runs Dak Niryat Kendras, and India Post's website links to a DakGhar Niryat Kendra portal for exporters. DGFT's handbook sets out the steps. Register with your IEC, GSTIN and AD code. Fill in the Postal Bill of Export online and upload your invoice. Print the barcode label the system creates, then hand the parcel in at the nearest Dak Niryat Kendra. Customs clears it online.
Pack for a long journey
An export parcel is handled many more times than a parcel to Pune. DGFT's handbook lists what your packing must do. It must protect the contents through repeated handling. It must show a trace if anyone tampers with it. It should survive big changes in climate and temperature, and leave room for labels and stamps. Glass, liquids, ointments and other fragile items need special packing. The handbook also asks exporters to think about the unboxing experience, since that is your brand's first touch abroad.
Paperwork for every order
Each export parcel needs an itemised invoice with the product, quantity, value and buyer details. Add the HSN code for each product. Check the buyer's country too, since some products need permits there. DGFT's handbook also covers returns, which come back under the same IEC. Keep every shipping bill, because it links to your GST return. In GSTR-1, export details go in Table 6A.
Getting paid and getting started
Collecting money from abroad is its own topic, and our guide to international payments covers it. Start small, with one or two countries where you already get enquiries. The Storemate matches shipping zones by country at checkout, so you can set a separate rate for overseas orders. Send one test parcel end to end before you promote your store abroad.