The Star Export House status is part of India’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). It recognizes exporters who have consistently achieved high export performance. These exporters are called Status Holders, and they enjoy various privileges to facilitate international trade.
🏆 Categories of Status Holders
Note: Export performance is calculated over the current and previous three financial years.
🎁 Benefits of Star Export House Status
- Faster customs clearance on self-declaration basis
- Exemption from furnishing bank guarantees under FTP
- Priority fixation of SION norms
- Eligibility to establish export warehouses
- Enhanced credibility in global markets
📝 Issuance Process
Step-by-Step:
- Eligibility Check
- Valid IEC (Import Export Code)
- Export performance meets the required threshold
- No penal action under Customs, FEMA, or FTDR Act
- Online Application
- Log in to the DGFT portal
- Navigate to “Status Holder Certificate” section
- Fill out the application form and upload required documents
- Documents Required
- IEC Certificate
- CA-certified export performance statement
- GST registration
- PAN card
- Declaration of compliance
- Approval & Issuance
- DGFT verifies the application
- Certificate is issued digitally as an e-SHC (Electronic Status Holder Certificate)
🔄 Renewal Process
Key Points:
- Validity: Certificates are valid for 5 years
- Auto-Issuance: From 2023 onward, DGFT introduced automatic issuance of e-SHC based on export data from DGCI&S
- Manual Renewal: If auto-issuance doesn’t apply (e.g., services exports, deemed exports, double weightage cases), exporters must apply manually
- Deadline: All certificates issued before 1 April 2023 expired on 30 September 2023 unless renewed