The Directorate General of Foreign Trade portal requires a Class 3 organisation certificate that has been configured for foreign-trade services and mapped to your Importer-Exporter Code. A general-purpose Class 3 combo will not work.
What it is used for
You need it to apply for or amend an IEC, to file licence applications such as Advance Authorisation and EPCG, to claim export incentives, and to submit foreign-trade documentation online. In practice, almost every interaction with the DGFT portal now expects a digital signature.
Issued in the organisation name
The certificate carries both the authorised signatoryu2019s name and the organisationu2019s name, and it is tied to your IEC. That linkage is what lets the portal accept your filings on the entityu2019s behalf.
Documents required
The authorised signatoryu2019s PAN and photograph, the organisation PAN card, your IEC certificate if already issued, registration or incorporation proof, and an authorisation letter naming the signatory.
Mapping it to your DGFT account
Issuance is only half the job. The certificate then has to be registered against your DGFT login before it will work. This is the step that trips most people up, and it is the part we walk clients through on call.
Timing matters
Shipment cycles do not wait. If your certificate expires mid-cycle, filings stall. We track expiry dates for trade clients and flag them ahead of time for exactly this reason.