24/2025 : Auto-approval of Incentive Bank Account and IFSC Code Registration requests across all customs location

Circular No 24/2025-Customs

F.No.450/145/2023-Cus IV
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
(Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs)
*******

Room No. 229-A, North Block,
New Delhi, 7^th October, 2025

To,

All Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners of Customs/ Customs (Preventive)/ Customs & Central tax,
All Principal Commissioners/ Commissioners of Customs/ Customs (Preventive)/ Customs & Central tax,
All Principal Director Generals/Director Generals under CBIC.

Subject : Auto-approval of Incentive Bank Account and IFSC Code Registration requests across all customs locations – reg.

Madam/Sir,

Reference is invited to instruction No 25/2023-Customs dated 28.07.2023 which stipulates list of documentary requirement and timeline for approval of AD code and IFSC registration for incentive bank account at the port. It is stated that, with respect to bank account registration for IGST refund /drawback purpose option is available in ICEGATE portal for applying registration of incentive bank account for every port, where exporter intends to transact. Vide the said instruction it directed to put in place a suitable mechanism the application for AD Code/bank account registration dealt on same day when made before 2 PM. In other cases, the application should be disposed before 2PM on next working day.

2. The Board has examined the IFSC code approval requests at different ports in consultation with the Directorate General of Systems. In order to further streamline the process, it has been decided that the system will automatically approve requests for registration of the same incentive bank account and IFSC code for an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) at different customs locations, provided that the same combination has already been approved at any one customs location.

3. The existing workflow of submission of requests shall remain unchanged. However, in the above-mentioned cases, the approval will be granted directly by the system, and such requests will not be routed to the Port officer for manual approval. Once approved by the system, the request will continue to flow to PFMS (Public Financial Management System) for validation, as per the existing process.

4. This initiative is expected to further improve the efficiency of customs procedures and better Customs experience for the trade.

5. Any difficulties or issues faced in this regard may be brought to the notice of the Board for necessary redressal.

Hindi version follows.

Yours faithfully,

(Shaikh Salman)
OSD, Cus-IV
Customs Policy Wing