RCMC Registration Online for Exporters

What is RCMC registration and when is it needed?

An RCMC is the certificate that tells DGFT and other agencies you are a registered member of the council for your product. Under para 2.57 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, an exporter applying for an authorisation to import or export, or for any other benefit or concession under the policy, has to hold one.

Common reasons Delhi exporters apply:

• applying for an Advance Authorisation, EPCG authorisation or other FTP scheme;
• joining council-led trade fairs, buyer-seller meets and market access programmes;
• getting buyer and bank onboarding done, where the RCMC number is often asked for;
• using council services such as trade enquiries, export data and policy help.

Sources: DGFT e-RCMC; Notification 36/2026-27 dated 15 September 2026 and Trade Notice 19/2024-25 dated 4 October 2024 as reproduced by TaxGuru, checked 10 November 2026. Read the notices on dgft.gov.in before relying on them.

What changed in September 2026: the ₹3 lakh FOB exemption

DGFT Notification 36/2026-27, dated 15 September 2026, inserted para 2.57(c) into the Foreign Trade Policy. It says the requirement of an RCMC or Certificate of Registration does not apply to an export consignment whose FOB value does not exceed ₹3,00,000.

Three points matter in practice. The limit is per consignment, not per year. Shipments above ₹3 lakh still need a valid RCMC wherever the policy asks for one. And the notice deals with the FTP rule only, so product-specific registrations such as APEDA, which flow from their own Acts, should be checked separately. If you plan to grow beyond occasional small parcels, getting the RCMC early still makes sense.

Which council should issue your RCMC?

You take the RCMC from the council or board that covers your main line of business. The DGFT form asks you to declare that main line, and the request goes to that registering authority. Handbook of Procedures guidance says that where no council covers your product, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) acts as the registering authority.

The DGFT e-RCMC page lists 26 export promotion councils and 9 commodity boards as registering authorities: dgft.gov.in, checked 10 November 2026.

Documents needed for RCMC registration

The base requirement is the same for every council: an active import export code with an updated IEC profile, plus a digital signature or Aadhaar e-sign linked on the DGFT portal. Each council then adds its own uploads, usually proof that you make or trade the products you declare.

• IEC certificate, with the yearly update done (see our IEC registration page);
• PAN and GST registration of the exporter;
• constitution papers: partnership deed, LLP agreement or company incorporation certificate;
• manufacturing proof if you register as a manufacturer exporter (for example Udyam, FSSAI or a factory licence, as the council asks);
• export invoices or shipping bills, if the council asks for past export performance;
• membership fee payment, which each council sets for itself.

Councils publish their own fee schedules. APEDA, for example, charges ₹5,000 plus GST for five years. Check your council's page before paying.

How to apply for RCMC registration online

Every council now uses the common DGFT e-RCMC module, so the steps look the same whichever body you join. The council reviews the application and raises queries on the portal.

1. 1

   Log in to dgft.gov.in

   Use the IEC holder's account and confirm the IEC profile is up to date.

2. 2

   Choose Apply for RCMC

   Open the e-RCMC service and start a new registration-cum-membership application.

3. 3

   Declare the main line of business

   Select your main product; the system routes the form to that council or board.

4. 4

   Add exporter details and uploads

   Enter exporter category, products and branches, then upload the documents the council lists.

5. 5

   Pay the council fee and sign

   Pay online and sign with DSC or Aadhaar e-sign.

6. 6

   Reply to queries and download

   Respond to any council query on the portal, then download the e-RCMC.

How long is an RCMC valid and how is it renewed?

An RCMC is valid for five financial years. DGFT treats it as valid from 1 April of the licensing year in which it was issued, ending on 31 March of the fifth year, unless the council specifies otherwise. Renewal is filed on the same e-RCMC module before expiry.

Councils may set their own yearly membership dues inside that five-year term, so read the council's terms when you join. An RCMC that lapses blocks FTP applications that need it until it is renewed.

After RCMC registration: changes, returns and de-registration

Treat the RCMC as a live registration. Handbook of Procedures guidance asks you to report changes in ownership, constitution, name or address to the registering authority within one month, which you do through the amendment option on e-RCMC.

• Amend when partners, directors, address or products change; keep the IEC, GST and RCMC details identical.
• Share export data if your council asks members for periodic export figures.
• Avoid de-registration. A council can de-register an exporter for breaking registration conditions, after a show cause notice and a hearing; an appeal lies to DGFT within 45 days.

The tax work runs alongside: LUT filing to export without IGST, GST refund claims, and clean export bookkeeping.

Common RCMC registration mistakes

Most delays come from choosing the wrong council or an inactive IEC, not from the form itself.

1. Joining a council for a side product. The RCMC should match your main line of business, or benefits claimed later can be questioned.
2. Inactive IEC. Missing the April to June IEC update stops the e-RCMC form.
3. Taking an RCMC only for drawback or RoDTEP. Those remission schemes do not need one.
4. Forgetting amendments after a change of partners or address.
5. Letting it lapse just before an authorisation application.

RCMC registration for Delhi exporters

The process is national and online, so Delhi exporters file the same way as anyone else. What differs is the mix: garment units in Okhla, handicraft and home decor exporters across West Delhi, engineering and auto part makers in Wazirpur, Mayapuri and Naraina, and software exporters in office towers such as those at Netaji Subhash Place. Each of these goes to a different council. Exporters in the Wazirpur industrial area can read our CA in Wazirpur page.

How CA in Delhi helps with RCMC registration

Send us your IEC number, GST certificate, constitution papers and a short note on what you export and to whom. We identify the right council, check whether you even need an RCMC given the ₹3 lakh rule, prepare the e-RCMC form and list what the council will ask. You get the certificate, the renewal date and a note of the amendments to file when things change. The RCMC fee we charge is fixed in a written quote before we begin.

RCMC filing is not a published service of any of the three listed firms, so CA in Delhi passes the enquiry to the listed firm or partner professional that handles export registrations, after confirming scope and a fixed quote. For your GST, LUT and books, compare the firms on our CA firms in Delhi list or see tax consultant near me. To start your RCMC, WhatsApp or call +91 99114 92897 (Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm).

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