CA Certificates for Exporters — the Certificate of Authenticity Buyers and Authorities Ask For, Turnover and Net-Worth Certificates for RCMC and Export Promotion Councils, Status-Holder and Export-Performance Certificates, EPCG and Advance Authorisation Redemption Certificates, Interest Equalisation and MAI/MDA Claim Certificates, e-BRC Reconciliations, What the CA Verifies, the UDIN Format and Fees
UDIN
Mandatory unique number on every CA certificate — verifiable by the buyer, bank, DGFT or council on the ICAI portal
3 years
Export turnover usually certified for the current and preceding years for RCMC and status-holder applications
Appendix formats
DGFT prescribes CA certificate formats for EPCG/AA redemption, status holder and scheme claims — the wording cannot be changed
24–72 hours
Typical turnaround for a certificate whose supporting documents are complete
Guide by BookMyCA's Chartered Accountants · pan-India serviceLast verified against official guidelines on 7 September 2026.
Video Explanation & Insights
How to make a CA certificate for export-import and RCMC — the certificate of authenticity
4 videos on this topic
The certificates exporters are asked for
| Certificate | Who asks | What it certifies |
|---|---|---|
| Export certificate of authenticity (the video's format) | Foreign buyer, importing-country regulator, sometimes the courier/forwarder | That the goods described (name, HSN, quantity, weight, batch, manufacturing/expiry dates) are being exported by the named exporter and comply with the trade and quality standards stated — ISO, BIS, Halal, FDA registration, CE, REX, APEDA/FSSAI — as evidenced by the certificates verified |
| Export turnover certificate | Export promotion councils (RCMC), FIEO, banks, DGFT | FOB value of exports for the last 3 years from shipping bills, e-BRCs and GSTR-1 Table 6A, product-wise/country-wise if asked |
| Net worth certificate | Councils for membership category, DGFT for status holder, banks, foreign buyers | Net worth of the firm/company from audited financials on a date |
| Status-holder certificate (Appendix 3B/ANF 3C) | DGFT | Export performance in the current and preceding 3 years for One/Two/Three/Four/Five Star recognition |
| EPCG redemption certificate (Appendix 5C) and AA redemption (Appendix 4H) | DGFT regional authority | Export obligation fulfilled — shipping bills, e-BRCs, average export obligation maintained, imports under the authorisation |
| Interest Equalisation Scheme certificate | Bank, DGFT (UIN) | Eligibility and the interest benefit passed on, for the annual claim under the scheme (while in force) |
| MAI / MDA / TMA claim certificates | Council, Department of Commerce | Expenditure on fairs, travel, marketing, freight actually incurred and paid |
| e-BRC / EDPMS reconciliation | Bank, DGFT for scheme claims | Export bills realised vs outstanding; write-offs within RBI limits |
| Export receivables / stock certificate | Bank for packing credit and post-shipment finance | Ageing of export receivables, orders on hand, stock against PCFC |
| Foreign-buyer financial standing / capacity certificate | Buyers, tender authorities abroad | Production capacity, financial standing, ownership from records |
The export certificate of authenticity — contents and the CA's checks
- 1Exporter block: legal name, address, IEC, GSTIN, phone, e-mail and website; the importer's name and country; the invoice and shipping-bill numbers and date — the certificate date decides which shipment it covers.
- 2Product block: description as on the invoice, HSN code, quantity and weight, batch/lot numbers, manufacturing and expiry dates where relevant (food, pharma, cosmetics), packaging.
- 3Standards block: the standards and licences the goods meet — ISO 9001/22000, BIS, FSSAI, APEDA registration, Halal, US FDA facility registration, CE marking, REX/GSP origin, phytosanitary/health certificates — each with the certificate number, issuing body and validity.
- 4Certification language: 'Certified that the goods described below, being exported from India by … are in conformity with the relevant trade and quality standards set forth by … as evidenced by the documents verified by us' — the CA certifies the existence and validity of the compliance documents, not the laboratory quality of the goods.
- 5Verification: the CA obtains copies of each licence/standard certificate, checks them on the issuer's portal where possible, ties the product to the invoice and shipping bill, and keeps a working file; the fee depends on the length of this verification.
- 6Sign-off: CA's name, membership number, firm registration, seal, place, date and UDIN; the document is issued on the firm's letterhead.
The video's warning stands: the format is a template — change the language to what the buyer or the regulator actually asks for, and never certify a standard for which you have not seen the certificate. A CA who signs 'FDA approved' for a firm that only has a facility registration exposes both parties.
Getting a certificate issued — documents, time and fees
- •Documents: IEC, GST registration, the invoice/packing list/shipping bill for the consignment, the licences and standard certificates, audited financials and ITRs for turnover/net-worth certificates, shipping-bill and e-BRC lists (downloadable from ICEGATE/DGFT) for performance certificates, and the authorisation and import documents for EPCG/AA redemption.
- •Time: 1–3 working days for authenticity, turnover and net-worth certificates; a week or more for EPCG/AA redemption and status-holder certificates, which need reconciliation of every shipping bill and realisation.
- •Fees: proportionate to verification — a single-consignment authenticity certificate is inexpensive; a five-year status-holder or EPCG redemption reconciliation is professional work priced on volume.
- •Format discipline: DGFT appendices and council formats must be used verbatim; buyers' formats can be adapted; every certificate must be on letterhead with UDIN — councils and DGFT reject certificates without it.
- •Verification by the recipient: the UDIN can be checked at udin.icai.org; keep the working file for 7 years.
CA certificates for exporters: questions we are asked
No — it is a buyer's or regulator's comfort document; the legal export documents remain the invoice, shipping bill, certificate of origin and the sector licences.
Most councils ask for an export turnover certificate for the last three years (or a declaration for new exporters) and, for some categories, a net-worth certificate.
Yes, a practising CA (or cost accountant/company secretary where the appendix allows) — with UDIN and the reconciliation of shipping bills and e-BRCs behind it.
The CA cannot certify compliance with an expired standard; renew it first or exclude it from the certificate.
Yes — net worth, capacity and authenticity certificates do not depend on past exports; turnover certificates state NIL or the declaration the council prescribes.
Yes — authenticity, turnover, net worth, status holder, EPCG/AA redemption, IES, MAI/MDA/TMA and bank certificates, with UDIN and the working file.