All Importers and Exporters, Customs Brokers to Register with ICEGATE for Access to eSANCHIT (Mother of All Paperless Customs Clearance)

[CBIC Circular No 35/2018-Customs dated 1 October 2018]

Subject: Advisory circular for registration of beneficiaries on ICEGATE.

1. Customs has introduced Single Window Interface for facilitating Trade (SWIFT) as part of ease of doing business initiative to integrate Customs and other Participating Government Agencies (PGAs) for seamless processing of import and export clearances. One of the component of SWIFT is e-SANCHIT. Under eSANCHIT, the system allows a trader to submit all supporting documents for clearance of consignments electronically with digital signatures. This obviates the need for the trader to approach different regulatory agencies with hardcopies of the documents, thereby making the entire process of consignment clearance faceless and paperless. It has been made mandatory that all the importers are required to upload the documents relating to regulatory compliances electronically from 01st April, 2018 onwards. Shortly eSANCHIT facility will be extended to exports also, for which a pilot is underway.

2. Further, CBIC is embarking on a project under SWIFT to bring all the Participating Government Agencies (PGAs) under eSANCHIT wherein instead of importer/exporter the PGAs who issue Licences, Permits, Certificates and Other Authorizations (LPCOs), will upload the documents themselves.

3. Once the LPCO is uploaded by a PGA, a unique IRN (Image reference number) will be generated by the system and the same will be communicated to the beneficiary. For availing this facility, the email id of the beneficiaries registered with ICEGATE will be used. In future, a view facility will also be available, wherein a beneficiary will be able to view the documents uploaded by the PGAs during a given period.

4. A pilot is expected to be launched shortly for testing the eSANCHIT facility for PGAs with three PGAs. Thereafter on successful testing, the facility will be extended to all the PGAs. Once the facility of uploading the document on eSANCHIT by PGAs is implemented, the beneficiaries (importer/exporter) will not be allowed to upload such documents themselves.

5. Therefore, all the importers/exporters, Customs brokers or any other beneficiary transacting with Customs are requested to come forward and register on ICEGATE. A detailed procedure on registration is available at ICEGATE website under the path www.icegate.gov.in Downloads Registration Demo.

F. No. 450/148/2015-Cus-IV