APEDA Registration: How to Get Your RCMC for Agri and Food Exports
APEDA registration is the Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) that an exporter of scheduled agricultural and processed food products must hold before shipping from India. You apply online through the DGFT e-RCMC module, pay ₹5,000 plus 18% GST, upload your business documents, and receive a certificate valid for five years.
Govt Fee (incl. GST)
₹5,900
Key Takeaways
Check your product against APEDA's scheduled list first. Registration only applies if it appears there.
The government fee is ₹5,000 + GST (₹5,900 in total). Consultant fees are separate.
You need an active IEC before you can apply.
Name and address mismatches across documents are the most common reason for queries and delays.
Renewal is due before the five-year validity ends.
What APEDA Registration Actually Is
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is the body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry that promotes and regulates exports of a defined list of farm and food products. That list includes fresh fruits and vegetables, basmati and other rice, meat and dairy products, processed foods, honey, cereals, and more.
If your product is on the list, APEDA registration (the RCMC) is your proof of membership with the export promotion authority for those goods. It is a separate document from your Import Export Code. The IEC lets you trade internationally. The RCMC shows which export body you belong to for this specific product line.
The authority's own site,
apeda.gov.in, carries the current scheduled product list. Start there before spending money on anything.
Who Needs to Apply
Three kinds of businesses usually apply:
Manufacturers
Who process or pack scheduled products and export directly.
Merchant exporters
Who buy from farmers, mandis, or factories and ship under their own IEC.
Food business operators
Adding export to an existing domestic business.
A merchant exporter does not need a factory. A manufacturer, though, will be asked for proof of the unit, usually FSSAI and Udyam details.
One caution on small consignments. DGFT has issued and floated notices about exempting low-value export shipments from the RCMC requirement, and some of these were still at consultation stage when this page was written. Read the exact notice text on
dgft.gov.in before assuming a shipment of yours is exempt. For scheduled APEDA goods, most exporters simply register before the first shipment and avoid the question.
APEDA Online Registration Process, Step by Step
The application runs through DGFT's e-RCMC module using Form ANF 2C. The sequence is straightforward once your papers are ready.
1
Confirm Your Products and HS Codes
Match each product to the APEDA scheduled list and note its HS code.
2
Hold an Active IEC
Without it, the portal will not let you proceed. If you do not have one, our IEC registration service covers that first.
3
Log In to the DGFT Portal
Open the e-RCMC option. Select APEDA as the issuing authority.
4
Fill the Application
Enter your entity details, product list, and bank information.
5
Upload Documents
Upload in the prescribed format and size.
6
Sign the Application
Sign with a Digital Signature Certificate or Aadhaar-based e-sign.
7
Pay the Fee Online
Pay through the portal.
8
Wait for Scrutiny
APEDA may raise a clarification. Reply through the same login.
9
Download the RCMC
Download it once it is issued.
Timelines differ between sources and between cases. A clean application with consistent documents tends to move in a couple of weeks. One with mismatched names can sit in query for much longer.
APEDA Registration Fees and Documents
Fee
The government fee is ₹5,000 plus 18% GST, which comes to ₹5,900. Renewal is charged at the same level according to the sources I checked, though APEDA can revise fee schedules. Confirm the figure on the payment page before you pay.
Any fee charged by a consultant for preparing and filing the application is a separate professional charge and is not set by APEDA.
Documents
| Document |
Who Provides It |
Why It Is Asked For |
| Import Export Code (IEC) |
All applicants |
Basic eligibility to export |
| PAN of the business |
All applicants |
Identity and tax linkage |
| GST registration certificate |
All applicants |
Address and entity verification |
| Incorporation certificate, partnership deed, or proprietor ID |
Depends on structure |
Proof of legal constitution |
| Cancelled cheque or bank certificate |
All applicants |
Confirms the account in the business name |
| Address proof of premises |
All applicants |
Verifies the registered location |
| List of products with HS codes |
All applicants |
Defines what the RCMC covers |
| FSSAI licence, Udyam registration, or factory proof |
Manufacturers |
Shows the production unit exists |
If you need the food licence first, see our FSSAI registration guide. The licensing authority's own portal is fssai.gov.in.
The Mistakes That Slow Approvals Down
Most delays trace back to small, avoidable errors rather than any difficult rule.
Names that do not match
"Sharma Agro Pvt. Ltd." on the GST certificate and "Sharma Agro Private Limited" on the bank record is enough to trigger a clarification. Pick one form and use it everywhere.
Wrong or incomplete HS codes
If your RCMC lists only dried fruit and you later ship processed pulses, you have a coverage problem. List every product you plan to export in the next five years, not just the first consignment.
An inactive or incorrectly updated IEC
The IEC needs to be live and its profile current before you begin.
Blurry or oversized uploads
Scan at readable resolution and respect the file limits the portal shows.
What Changes After You Hold the RCMC
Registration is the start of compliance, not the end. Three things stay with you.
Validity
The certificate runs for five years. Put the renewal date in a calendar the day it arrives.
Amendments
If your address, constitution, or product list changes, update the registration instead of waiting for renewal.
Shipment-level requirements
The RCMC does not replace product-specific rules such as phytosanitary certification, residue testing for the destination market, or packaging and labelling norms. Those depend on what you ship and where it goes.
The RCMC also opens the door to APEDA's financial assistance and promotion schemes. Membership alone does not guarantee a grant. Each scheme has its own eligibility conditions and application window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions? Find clear answers from our team:
For scheduled products, yes. Consignments of these goods move against your APEDA registration, so take it before your first shipment.
₹5,000 plus GST, so ₹5,900 in total at the rate quoted by the sources reviewed. Always check the live payment page.
No. The IEC is a prerequisite for the e-RCMC application.
Yes. A merchant exporter applies on the strength of the IEC. Manufacturers add proof of their production unit.
Five years, after which it needs renewal.
Once the certificate is issued, log in to the portal you applied through and open the certificate or RCMC view option to download the PDF.
No. They are separate. The IEC permits you to import and export. The RCMC shows your registration with the relevant export promotion body for your product category.
Then APEDA is probably not your authority. Another export promotion council or commodity board may apply, depending on the product.
Yes. Address, constitution, and product changes can be updated through the registration, so do not wait for the five-year renewal.
You can file it yourself. A consultant helps most when your documents are inconsistent, your product list is complex, or you want one point of contact for replies to scrutiny queries.