APEDA Registration Online: Process, Fees, and Certificate

APEDA registration is essential for the importers and exporters who desire to trade in the international market in the agricultural and processed food sector. It is mandatory for importers and exporters. APEDA stands for the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. It not only aims to regulate the agricultural and processed food sector but also provides access to the incentives and opportunities to enrich the export and catalyse growth. 

The reason behind bringing APEDA was to regulate and issue APEDA registration certificates to the merchant and manufacturer exporters of listed scheduled products under the APEDA Act 1985. Its main objective is to promote the export business of agricultural products and also assist exporters in growing their businesses.

Apart from this, the government body also assists with financial support and guidelines to improve the quality standards of products. In this blog, you will discover all about APEDA, such as APEDA registration fees, process, its documents list, and more. This blog was prepared after a deep search and analysis of official sources.

Objectives of the APEDA Certificate

• APEDA aims to promote the growth of the scheduled food product in the global market.
• Issuance of registration for exporters of the scheduled food products.
• To regulate the quality and standards of enlisted scheduled products for export.
• To assist in packaging and marketing for better reach in the global industry.
• Conducting programmes and events for its members to develop the export industry under the APEDA Act.

Eligibility for APEDA Registration 

Any individual or food business operator who is willing to export one or more products, which are scheduled under the APEDA Act, is required or eligible to get APEDA registration as per the provided guidelines in sub-section (1) of section 12 of the APEDA Act. Exporters are required to obtain registration within one month of the incorporation of their business.

Scheduled Food Products Under APEDA Registration 

1. Fruits, vegetables, and their products
2. Meat and meat products
3. Poultry and poultry products
4. Dairy products
5. All kinds of chocolates, Cocoa, and its products
6. Cereals and Cereal Products
7. Groundnuts, peanuts, and walnuts
8. Pickles, Chutneys, and Papads
9. De-oiled rice bran
10. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages 
11. Green pepper in brine
12. Guar gum
13. Floriculture and floriculture products 
14. Herbal and medicinal plants
15. 1 Confectionery, biscuits, and bakery products
16. Honey, Jaggery, and sugar products 
17. Basmati Rice

Documents Required for APEDA Registration 

For APEDA registration, there are essential documents required for exporters or scheduled products under the act. The documents are as follows: -

• Import-Export Code issued by DGFT for export
• Signed certificate from the bank
• Statement of account for the last 2 months
• Requirement of a cancelled cheque 
• GST registration certificate
• Duly signed APEDA registration FORM

Requirement of Additional Documents for Manufacturer Exporter

• Central FSSAI registration for manufacturer exporter
• DIS/SIA issued by the Department of Horticulture in case of food products listed under the APEDA Act
• Certificate of incorporation of the firm
• NOC from the pollution control board 
• MSME certificate (if required)
• Halal Certificate (if required)

APEDA Registration Process

RCMC license is issued to exporters of the listed products under the APEDA license. They are required to follow the specific process of APEDA registration, which has been made online; all the steps are given below: -

1. Online Application: - First visit and sign in on the APEDA official portal, go to the registration, then you will be asked to provide required details such as IEC code, email, mobile, etc. Then complete the verification by providing the received OTP.
2. Documentation: - After the verification, you will be required to fill out the application form and provide all the necessary details in the form, along with the required documents for APEDA registration, before submission you can edit and update the form.
3. Submission of Fee: - After the submission of the application form, you will be requested to pay the fee as prescribed. Eventually, you will receive an application number through which you can track your application and know its status.
4. Issuance of Certificate: - After the verification of applicants' details and attached documents, the RCMC certificate will be issued within 10 to 15 days. You can also download a certificate with the help of your login ID and password.

APEDA Registration Validity and Renewal

• APEDA (Registration-Cum-Membership-Certificate) registration comes with a validity of 5 years.
• The RCMC license will be renewed automatically once the fee is submitted; there is no requirement for additional document and submission.