DGFT Removes Physical Duty Payment Challans for Export Obligation Discharge Certificate Applications under Advance Authorisation and Export Promotion Capital Goods Schemes

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has eliminated the need to submit physical duty payment challans for Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC) applications under the Advance Authorisation (AA) and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) schemes. From 1 August 2026, licence‑wise voluntary duty payment data received from Customs/ICEGATE will be integrated with DGFT’s online portals via an API, allowing exporters and regional authorities to verify payments digitally. This paperless mechanism is expected to speed up EODC processing, reduce transaction costs and documentation, improve data accuracy, and lessen the compliance burden, especially for MSME exporters. The change is part of the government’s broader digital‑trade‑facilitation agenda aimed at ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’.