Key takeaways
eBRC stands for Electronic Bank Realisation Certificate, issued through the DGFT portal after an exporter's bank transmits the inward remittance data.
Paper BRC is no longer accepted; eBRC has been the legally recognised form since August 2012.
Since November 2023, exporters self-certify eBRC directly on the DGFT portal without a bank branch visit.
eBRC is required for RoDTEP, duty drawback, GST refunds, and FEMA compliance.
Services exporters must now select a "Mode of Export of Services" field (effective 1 May 2025) or their eBRC will not process.
Introduction
Most exporters know they need an eBRC. Far fewer know they can now generate one themselves on the DGFT portal in minutes, without visiting a bank. Since the self-certification system launched in November 2023, the bank branch visit that used to hold up incentive claims is gone. What remains is a short mapping exercise on dgft.gov.in, and a compliance document that unlocks refunds, discharges export obligations, and satisfies RBI's realization requirements.
What is eBRC and what does the full form mean?
eBRC full form is Electronic Bank Realisation Certificate. It is a digital document, generated on the DGFT portal, that certifies one specific fact: payment for a particular export was received and realised by an authorised dealer bank in India. The eBRC is linked to the exporter's Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) and covers both goods and services exports under DGFT Trade Notice 33/2023-24.
The spellings "e-BRC" and "electronic bank realization certificate" refer to the same document. "ERBC" is a typo with no official standing.
What is BRC in export, and how did it become eBRC?
BRC (Bank Realisation Certificate) was the paper predecessor to eBRC. Banks issued it manually at the branch, and exporters physically submitted it to the DGFT Regional Authority, where staff entered the transaction details by hand. The process was slow and branch-dependent.
DGFT replaced it with the electronic version on 17 August 2012, requiring all banks to transmit BRC data to the DGFT server using a digital signature. Paper BRC is no longer accepted for any DGFT purpose.
The table below compares the two formats side by side.
Attribute | BRC (legacy) | eBRC (current) |
|---|---|---|
Format | Physical paper | Digital, on DGFT portal |
Issued by | Bank counter, manually | Exporter self-certifies via DGFT portal |
Branch visit needed | Yes | No |
Introduced | Pre-2012 | 17 August 2012; self-certification from 15 November 2023 |
Accepted for DGFT incentives | No | Yes |
Sources: DGFT Trade Notice 33/2023-24; DGFT eBRC official page.
How is eBRC different from FIRC?
The two documents serve different purposes and are not interchangeable. A FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) or its electronic form, a FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advice), is a bank-level document that confirms a foreign remittance arrived in India. It does not link that remittance to any specific shipment or invoice.
An eBRC goes further: it connects a specific inward remittance to a specific shipping bill (for goods), SOFTEX form (for software exports), or service invoice. That linkage is what DGFT requires to process incentive claims.
FIRC or FIRA alone is insufficient to claim RoDTEP, duty drawback, or Advance Authorisation benefit discharge. According to DGFT's FAQs on Self-Certification, the eBRC is the required instrument for all such purposes. Note also that since the RBI EDPMS framework took effect in 2016, physical FIRCs for goods trade transactions were replaced by electronic FIRAs; formal FIRCs continue to be issued for foreign equity investment.
Why do exporters need an eBRC?
An eBRC is not optional paperwork. It is the document that sits at the centre of four separate compliance obligations.
These are the situations where a valid eBRC is required:
RoDTEP and duty drawback: Both schemes require an eBRC linked to the shipping bill before DGFT processes the credit or payment.
GST refunds: Zero-rated supply refund claims under the GST framework require proof of export realisation; eBRC fulfils this requirement.
FEMA compliance: Under FEMA 23(R)/(8)/2026-RB (effective 5 June 2026), exporters must realise proceeds within 9 months of shipment, changing to 15 months from 1 October 2026; eBRC is the evidence of timely realisation.
EPCG and Advance Authorisation discharge: EODC applications under IEC-linked DGFT schemes require eBRC data.
EDPMS closure: eBRC closes open export entries in the RBI's Export Data Processing and Monitoring System.
How to download eBRC from the DGFT portal
The process below applies as of September 2026. Your bank's AD Category-1 branch must have transmitted the Inward Remittance Message (IRM) to DGFT via API before you can proceed; all banks were required to complete this integration by 31 January 2024 under DGFT Trade Notice 33/2023-24.
Follow these steps on dgft.gov.in:
Log in with your IEC-registered credentials.
Go to Services, then eBRC, then eBRC Generation.
Locate the IRM uploaded by your bank and map it to the relevant shipping bill, SOFTEX form, or service invoice.
For services exports generated on or after 1 May 2025, select the correct "Mode of Export of Services" (see the next section).
Review, self-certify, and submit; the DGFT system generates your eBRC number.
To download, open the eBRC record and click "Print eBRC" to save a PDF.
To view existing certificates, go to Services, then eBRC, then View eBRC. You can filter by bank name, shipping bill number, or realisation date.
High-volume exporters can use the bulk route: Services, then eBRC, then Bulk Generate eBRC, available since 14 August 2024 under DGFT Trade Notice 12/2024-25. Upload a DGFT-format Excel file with IRM and shipping bill data. For goods exports, multiple IRMs can be combined into one eBRC. For services (IT and non-IT), each IRM generates one eBRC.
Did You Know?In June 2022, DGFT began migrating the eBRC system to a new IT platform at dgft.gov.in, replacing the earlier eBRC environment. Authorised dealer banks were required to migrate to the new platform so exporters could continue accessing eBRC services without disruption. |
Two recent changes every exporter must know
Self-certification launched November 2023
DGFT Trade Notice 33/2023-24 (10 November 2023) replaced the bank-assisted eBRC process with direct self-certification. Banks transmit the IRM to DGFT via API; exporters map and certify it themselves. The bank branch visit is eliminated entirely. Unused self-certified eBRCs can be cancelled from the same portal.
"Mode of Export of Services" is now mandatory
DGFT Trade Notice 02/2025-26 (21 April 2025), effective 1 May 2025, requires all services eBRCs to include one of four GATS modes. The four options are:
Mode 1: Cross-Border Supply (covers IT services, SaaS, remote consulting)
Mode 2: Consumption Abroad
Mode 3: Commercial Presence
Mode 4: Presence of Natural Persons
Most IT services exporters and SaaS companies will select Mode 1. Submitting a services eBRC without this field will cause the submission to fail. Raise issues via the DGFT helpdesk or email ebrc-dgft@gov.in.
How Jio Payment Solutions helps
The eBRC process depends on clean, traceable inward remittance data arriving from your bank. When a foreign payment arrives through multiple intermediaries or arrives with incomplete reference information, matching the IRM to your shipping bill or service invoice becomes difficult and can delay eBRC generation.
Jio Payment Solutions, an RBI-regulated payment aggregator with a PA-CB (cross-border) licence is built to support this requirement. Every international payment settled through the platform generates an automated eFIRA, giving you clear, transaction-level documentation that can support a clean remittance trail through settlement and into the DGFT reporting process. Bank transfer settlements are supported with transparent fees and settlement timelines designed for international collections. For services exporters selecting Mode 1 in their eBRC, having a clear remittance trail from collection to settlement can make the documentation process easier.
Getting your eBRC right every time
eBRC is where foreign payment collection and export compliance intersect. The document you generate on dgft.gov.in determines whether your GST refund comes through, your FEMA position is clean, and your incentive claims succeed. With self-certification now in place, the bottleneck has shifted from the bank counter to the quality of your inward remittance data.
Check that your bank has completed DGFT API integration, map each IRM to the correct shipping bill or invoice promptly, and if you export services, select your GATS mode in every submission. Log in to dgft.gov.in and generate or verify your eBRC today.