How to Get a Certificate of Origin in India — Step by Step

A Certificate of Origin (CoO) is the document that tells your buyer's customs authority where your goods were actually made. It sounds like a formality. It isn't. Under a Free Trade Agreement, that single certificate can be the difference between your buyer paying zero duty and paying full tariff — which usually decides whether they buy from you or from a competitor in another country.

The process changed substantially in 2025 and again in April 2026. Manual certificates are gone, everything runs through one national platform, and there are new compliance requirements that can invalidate a certificate if you get them wrong.

This is the current process, step by step.

Two Types — Know Which One You Need

Getting this wrong wastes days, so settle it before you apply.

Non-Preferential CoO

Simply certifies that goods originate in India. It does not secure any duty reduction. Your buyer needs it for general customs clearance, to satisfy import regulations, for anti-dumping or quota purposes, or because their letter of credit demands it.

Preferential CoO

Certifies Indian origin and claims tariff concessions under a specific trade agreement — an FTA, PTA, CECA or CEPA. This is the one with commercial value: it lets your buyer clear goods at a reduced or zero duty rate.

The catch is that a Preferential CoO must satisfy that specific agreement's rules of origin. Meeting them requires genuine substantial transformation or a minimum domestic value addition — usually evidenced by a cost sheet. Simply repackaging imported goods will not qualify.

Third option — Back-to-Back CoO. For goods not of Indian origin that you are re-exporting, trans-shipping or handling as merchanting trade, DGFT provides an online Back-to-Back (Non-Preferential) CoO. It is issued on the basis of documentary evidence from the foreign country of origin and explicitly records those origin details and supporting documents.

Everything Is Digital Now — and Manual Certificates Are Invalid

This is the single most important change for exporters who last applied a few years ago.

Electronic filing of Non-Preferential CoOs became mandatory from 1 January 2025, and Preferential CoOs from 17 January 2025, both through the eCoO 2.0 platform at trade.gov.in.

DGFT then closed the loop entirely. Through Public Notice No. 01/2026-27 dated 7 April 2026, Para 2.90 of the Handbook of Procedures was amended so that all authorised agencies must accept applications and issue certificates only through the designated online platform. Manual issuance outside the electronic platform is no longer permissible.

⚠️ Do not accept a manually issued CoO. Certificates issued outside the platform after the mandatory dates are treated as invalid. If an agency offers you a paper certificate, that is a red flag.

The platform is substantial infrastructure: it processes over 7,000 eCoOs a day across preferential and non-preferential certificates, connecting 125 issuing agencies — including 110 national and regional chambers of commerce and industry — and over 650 issuing officers.

The April 2026 Rule Changes You Must Know

DGFT Notification No. 05/2026-27 dated 7 April 2026 amended Para 2.62 of FTP 2023, with immediate effect. Two changes matter operationally:

1. Only DGFT-authorised agencies can issue CoOs. Certificates from any non-authorised body are not valid. Authorised agencies are notified in Appendices 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E of the Handbook of Procedures.

2. Invoice numbers must match across documents. Every IEC holder must use the identical invoice number on both the Certificate of Origin and the corresponding Shipping Bill. This enables automated cross-verification by customs systems.

⚠️ This is the new failure point. A mismatched invoice number between your CoO and Shipping Bill can now trigger an automated verification failure. Under the old manual system a discrepancy might have passed unnoticed; under automated matching it will not. Align your invoice numbering before you file.

Step-by-Step: Applying for a Certificate of Origin

Step 1 — Confirm your prerequisites

You need:

A valid IEC (Importer Exporter Code) with an updated profile on the DGFT portal
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) token or Aadhaar-based e-signature
RCMC from your relevant Export Promotion Council (needed for many, though not all, applications)
Your commercial invoice and packing list finalised — including the invoice number you will also use on the Shipping Bill

Step 2 — Register on trade.gov.in

Useful feature: multi-user access lets you authorise several team members under a single IEC, so your documentation staff can file without sharing one login.

Step 3 — Choose certificate type and agreement

Select preferential or non-preferential. If preferential, select the specific trade agreement you are claiming under — India–UAE CEPA, India–Australia ECTA, ASEAN-India FTA, India–UK CETA, India–Oman CEPA, and so on. Each has its own rules of origin and its own certificate format.

Step 4 — Enter shipment and product details

Fill in exporter and consignee details, product description, HS code, quantity, value, and the invoice number (matching your Shipping Bill).

Accuracy on the HS code matters: your buyer's preferential duty rate is determined by the HS classification, and a wrong code can void the concession.

Step 5 — Upload supporting documents

Typically:

Commercial invoice
Packing list
For preferential certificates: a cost sheet demonstrating domestic value addition, plus any manufacturing or process declarations the agreement requires
For Back-to-Back certificates: documentary evidence of origin from the foreign country

Step 6 — Pay the fee and e-sign

Pay through the platform's e-Wallet facility, then sign the application using your DSC token or Aadhaar e-signature.

Step 7 — Agency review and issuance

The application routes to your chosen authorised issuing agency. An issuing officer reviews it and, if satisfied, issues a digitally signed electronic certificate you can download.

Turnaround is typically same-day to a few working days, depending on the agency and whether your documentation is complete.

Step 8 — Match it to your Shipping Bill

Confirm the invoice number on the issued CoO matches your Shipping Bill exactly, then transmit the certificate to your buyer for their customs clearance.

Made a Mistake? Use the In-Lieu CoO

The platform includes an in-lieu Certificate of Origin feature, which lets you apply online for a correction to a previously issued certificate. This replaced the old process of cancelling and reapplying from scratch.

Apply as soon as you spot the error — ideally before goods reach the destination customs.

The Approved Exporter Scheme: Self-Certification

For high-volume exporters, there is a way to skip per-shipment agency approval.

The Approved Exporter Scheme lets qualifying manufacturers self-certify the preferential origin of their goods, declaring origin directly on the commercial invoice rather than obtaining a certificate for each shipment. The April 2026 amendment retained the scheme without regulatory change.

How approval works: Status Holder manufacturers are assessed on infrastructure, production capacity, and availability of adequately trained personnel capable of ensuring compliance with rules of origin.

Important limitation: The scheme only operates where it has been incorporated into the specific trade agreement and formally notified by DGFT, subject to that treaty's conditions. It is not available across all FTAs — check the agreement you actually export under.

Common Reasons Certificates Get Rejected

Invoice number mismatch between the CoO and Shipping Bill — now caught automatically
Insufficient value addition for the claimed FTA's rules of origin, or a cost sheet that doesn't support the claim
Wrong HS code, which can invalidate the preferential rate
Applying under the wrong agreement for the destination country
Accepting a manually issued certificate, which is invalid after the mandatory e-filing dates
Expired RCMC or IEC profile not updated on the DGFT portal

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a Certificate of Origin take in India? Usually same-day to a few working days on eCoO 2.0, depending on the issuing agency and completeness of your documents. Incomplete cost sheets are the most common cause of delay on preferential applications.

Can I still get a manual or paper Certificate of Origin? No. Electronic filing has been mandatory since January 2025, and the April 2026 amendment to Para 2.90 of the HBP confirms authorised agencies may issue only through the designated platform. Manually issued certificates are not valid.

What is the difference between preferential and non-preferential? Non-preferential simply certifies Indian origin. Preferential additionally claims reduced or zero duty under a specific trade agreement, and requires meeting that agreement's rules of origin.

Who issues Certificates of Origin in India? Only DGFT-authorised agencies — around 125 of them, largely chambers of commerce and industry, plus Export Promotion Councils — notified in Appendices 2B to 2E of the Handbook of Procedures.

Do I need a Certificate of Origin for every export? Not legally for every shipment, but your buyer will usually require one for customs clearance, and you always need one if they intend to claim FTA duty concessions.

Can I get a CoO for goods not made in India? Yes, through a Back-to-Back (Non-Preferential) CoO for re-export, trans-shipment or merchanting trade, supported by origin evidence from the foreign country of origin.

What happens if my invoice numbers don't match? Automated verification may flag the discrepancy, which can delay or jeopardise your buyer's preferential claim. Correct it via the in-lieu CoO facility.

The Bottom Line

The Certificate of Origin process is now fully digital, centralised on trade.gov.in, and more tightly verified than it has ever been. The practical implications: file electronically, use only DGFT-authorised agencies, and make sure your invoice numbers align across the CoO and Shipping Bill before you file.

For preferential certificates, the real work happens before the application — establishing that your goods genuinely meet the rules of origin under the agreement you're claiming, with a cost sheet that stands up to scrutiny. That is what converts a routine document into a tariff advantage for your buyer.

Because CoO procedures, authorised agency lists and FTA rules of origin are revised frequently, verify current requirements on the DGFT portal or with your Export Promotion Council before filing.

This article is for general guidance and reflects the position as of July 2026. Confirm current procedures on the official DGFT portal at trade.gov.in before applying.