What are the Required Documents for APEDA Registration in India? Learn about all the documents that you need to prepare and submit when applying for APEDA registration online.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Act of 1985 established APEDA in 1985, with the primary purpose of developing and promoting the export of scheduled products. It was established to provide financial help, standards and guidelines, and other information related to the development of scheduled export products. These scheduled items are specified in the Act mentioned above and exporters of such scheduled products must register with the APEDA. 

APEDA, as its main objective, strives to encourage the export of scheduled goods. To accomplish this goal, several duties are carried out in accordance with the rules of the Central Government. The Central Government monitors the laws and regulations, as well as their execution, through the APEDA for effective administration. 

In this article, however, we shall look into the documentation that is required for APEDA registration. Besides, we shall also have a glance at some of the checklists that you should know and consider before filing the online application.

Eligible Scheduled Export Products for APEDA Registration

Below are the scheduled export products where the APEDA is responsible for their promotion and development. And, therefore, the following list of items are the eligible products on which APEDA registration in India can be made.

• Products derived from poultry
• Milk and dairy products
• Products containing honey, jaggery, or sugar
• Confectionery, cookies, and bakery items
• Cocoa and its derivatives, including several types of chocolates
• Walnuts, peanuts, and ground nuts
• Cereals and cereal-related products
• Chutneys, pickles and papers
• Guar Gum
• Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic Beverages
• Herbal and Medicinal Plants
• Floriculture and floriculture-related items

Documents Required for APEDA Registration

APEDA Registration in India requires the following documents:

• APEDA Registration Application Form that is complete and duly signed
• A copy of the Import-Export code from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (D.G.F.T)
• Bank Certificate officially signed by the respective authorities
• Firm’s bank account statement for the last two months
• Cancelled cheque

Additionally, the exporters will need to upload and submit documents only in JPEG, PDF, or PNG format.

Other related Documents

Along with the application form, the following are the documents that the exporters need to submit. It is also important to note that hard copies of any documents are not needed for the registration of the apeda RCMC application.

For Merchant Exporter:

1. Self-certified copy of Import-Export code issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (D.G.F.T.).

For Manufacturer Exporter:

1. Self-certified copy of Import-Export code issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (D.G.F.T.).
2. Bank Certificate that has been duly signed by the relevant authorities.
3. For registration as a Manufacturer Exporter, you must provide a self-attested copy of your registration of the company as well as certificates from appropriate certification authorities for the items listed below:

Products	Certification Agencies
Seeds and Floriculture	Horticulture/ Department of Agriculture/ DIC/ SIA/ FSSAI
Groundnuts, pulses, and guar gum	Department of Horticulture/ DIC/ SIA/ FSSAI
Fruits and Vegetable	FSSAI
Dairy/ Poultry/ Honey	DIC/ SIA/ FSSAI/ Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum issued by the Ministry of MSME
Processed Fruits and Vegetables/ Processed Food Products/ Meat Products/ Cereal Preparation/ Miscellaneous Preparation	DIC/ SIA/ FSSAI/ Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum issued by the Ministry of MSME
Cereals	FSSAI/ EIC/ EIA
Alcoholic Beverages	Department of Excise Commissioner

Characteristics of APEDA

1. 1. APEDA is required for all the scheduled product exporters to register mandatorily
2. Registration under APEDA is a one-time
3. All such exporters can apply for APEDA financial support initiatives
4. It allows registered members to engage in training programmes for scheduled export items in many areas of the industries.

Important APEDA Registration Points

While applying for the APEDA registration online, you must always consider and bear in mind the following key points:

1. An application for APEDA registration must be submitted to the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA) which is the Ministry of Commerce and Industry under the Government of India. The authority will provide a Registration Cum Membership Certificate (RCMC) after the applicant has correctly lodged and paid the requisite payment with the application form online. 
2. When applying for the RCMC, the applicant must indicate the principal line of business so that it may be submitted to the relevant commodities board or Export Promotion Council corresponding to that line of business.
3. The application for APEDA registration must be submitted within one month from the date when the business of exports commences. However, the authority can also extend the time restriction for requesting APEDA registration for as long as it deems necessary based on valid reasons. 
4. It is a one-time registration that will remain valid and in effect until it is terminated by the authority. The norms and restrictions established by the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act (APEDA) apply to all members registered under the said Act.
5. In addition to the confiscation and penalty provisions under the Customs Act, the central government will be the controlling authority and will make provisions for the prohibition, restriction, or otherwise, controlling import and export of the specified scheduled products. Anyone who violates any of the above provisions will be imprisoned for a term that may extend to one year, a fine, or both.
6. Financial support is offered to the APEDA registered members for brand promotion via advertisement, packaging facilities, survey data, consulting, and database up-gradation, among other things. These facilities are easily accessible to all such exporting companies that register under the APEDA Act.

Conclusion

Agriculture has a vital role to play in the growth of our Indian economy. It accounts for a significant portion of the total of India’s exports and APEDA is one of the government bodies that has been playing a significant role in the promotion of export products and their development. The authorities of APEDA establish standards and guidelines for the scheduled items in addition to improving the standards of packaging and marketing of such products. They are also engaged in providing training to industries with regard to the various aspects of the export scheduled products and collecting statistical data from factories or manufacturing owners along with its publication. To know more about the detailed process of APEDA registration in India, you can visit the Vakilsearch website and talk to the experts for the step-by-step registration guide.

Read more:

• APEDA return filing
• How do I get a RCMC number from APEDA?
• What is APEDA?