Shipping Bill Apostille and Attestation for ICEGATE Export Declarations
A shipping bill apostille is unusual because the shipping bill is a customs record, not a paper your company writes. It is the export declaration filed electronically on ICEGATE, the automated system of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), and accepted with a unique number. Since June 2020, Customs sends the final copy as a digitally signed PDF, which changes how it is prepared for legalization.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
MEA attestation stamp and Apostille sticker
How is a shipping bill legalized when Customs only issues a PDF? Download the digitally signed shipping bill PDF bearing the Let Export Order, print it, and have the exporter certify the printout as a true copy on letterhead. A notary and a Chamber of Commerce authenticate it. MEA then adds a shipping bill apostille for Hague countries, or attestation followed by embassy legalization for the UAE, Qatar, China and similar countries.
The shipping bill as a customs record
Under the 2019 regulations, the exporter or a person authorised by the exporter enters the export details on ICEGATE and uploads the supporting documents with a digital signature. The authorised person must hold a customs broker licence. When the system gives the declaration a number, it becomes the shipping bill, and self-assessment is treated as done.
After assessment and any examination, Customs grants the Let Export Order (LEO). The carrier later files the export general manifest. Exporters use the shipping bill to claim drawback, RoDTEP and IGST refunds, and banks use it to close export bills.
Key facts
| Issuing system | ICEGATE, the customs automated system of CBIC |
|---|---|
| Legal framework | Shipping Bill (Electronic Integrated Declaration and Paperless Processing) Regulations, 2019 |
| Who files it | The exporter or an authorised customs broker, with a digital signature |
| Final copy | Digitally signed PDF with Let Export Order, emailed under CBIC Circular 30/2020-Customs |
| Preparing for attestation | Printed PDF certified as true copy by the exporter, then notary and Chamber of Commerce |
| MEA step | Apostille Rs 50 per document, or normal attestation free |
| Apostille countries | UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe (not Germany), Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Turkey, Vietnam |
| Embassy route | UAE with UAE MOFA, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, China and others |
Why anyone abroad asks for it
Foreign parties rarely need the shipping bill to clear goods. They ask for it when they want proof that the goods actually left India. Common cases include:
- A government buyer checking country of origin on a tender delivery.
- A foreign customs office reviewing a preferential duty claim.
- A dispute, insurance claim or arbitration over a shipment.
- A foreign bank or auditor confirming export of goods.
If your buyer only wants proof of origin, a certificate of origin may serve better. Ask what they really need.
No paper copy: what changed in 2020
CBIC Circular 30/2020-Customs, dated 22 June 2020, stopped the printing of shipping bill copies for exporters at Customs Houses. The shipping bill with final LEO is now emailed to the registered exporter and customs broker as a PDF. It carries a digitally signed, encrypted QR code that can be checked through the ICETRAK app, and a version number that shows whether it is the latest copy.
So there is no customs officer's ink signature to authenticate. A Chamber of Commerce or MEA cannot verify a QR code. The workable approach is to treat the printout as a company-certified copy, which we explain next.
Shipping Bill route by destination country
Each card shows whether the country takes an MEA Apostille or embassy legalization. Click a flag for that country.
UAEEmbassy legalization
QatarEmbassy legalization
KuwaitEmbassy legalization
Saudi ArabiaApostille
OmanApostille
EgyptEmbassy legalization
IraqEmbassy legalization
ChinaEmbassy legalization
VietnamApostille
IndonesiaApostille
United KingdomApostille
United StatesApostille
No country matches. Call us: we handle most embassies in New Delhi.
Apostille MEA Apostille is the final stepEmbassy legalization MEA attestation, then the embassy in New DelhiGerman verification verified through the German Embassy
Turning the ICEGATE PDF into a document a chamber will stamp
- Download the latest digitally signed PDF from ICEGATE or use the copy Customs emailed you. Check that it shows the LEO.
- Print every page clearly, including the QR code.
- Have the authorised signatory write "certified true copy", sign and stamp each page.
- Attach a short covering letter on letterhead naming the destination country and why the document is needed.
- Get the set notarised where the chamber or embassy asks for it.
Chamber practice differs on customs documents. Some accept a company-certified copy with notarisation. Others may decline. We check with the chamber before you courier anything, so treat this list as a general guide.
Shipping bill apostille or embassy legalization by country
India joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 14 July 2005. For the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Turkey and, from 11 September 2026, Vietnam, the chain ends with an MEA Apostille. Read how it works on our MEA Apostille page.
The UAE needs MEA attestation, then the UAE Embassy in New Delhi, then UAE MOFA in the UAE. Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Yemen follow MEA attestation and their embassy. China adds a red-sticker notary at the start and ends at the Chinese Embassy, since India and China have no Apostille relationship. Germany does not legalize Indian documents and may verify through its embassy instead.
Where the shipping bill sits among your export papers
Foreign Trade Policy 2023 lists three mandatory export documents: the commercial invoice cum packing list, the shipping bill or bill of export, and the transport document such as the bill of lading or airway bill. The invoice and packing list come from you. The transport document comes from the carrier. The shipping bill is the only one issued through Customs.
That difference matters for legalization. Your invoice can carry your original signature. The shipping bill can only carry your certification of a printout. When a buyer asks for the full set legalized, we prepare each paper according to who issued it, and we make sure the invoice number, consignee and package count agree across all three.
What MEA does and does not check
MEA's CPV Division confirms the signature of the authenticating officer, usually the chamber official. It does not read the shipping bill, check the FOB value or confirm the LEO. MEA also does not take documents from individuals at its counter. Since July 2012 it accepts them only through authorised outsourced centres, which is one reason exporters use an agency.
The MEA Apostille fee is Rs 50 per document. Normal attestation carries no MEA fee. Chambers and embassies charge separately.
Your shipping bill packet for our Delhi office
- The printed, certified shipping bill, one set per destination.
- The original PDF by email, so we can check the version and LEO.
- A covering letter on letterhead.
- The matching commercial invoice and bill of lading if the buyer asked for a full set.
Delhi NCR clients may drop off in person. Others courier from anywhere in India, and we return by Blue Dart or another tracked courier. Message us via the contact page.
Mistakes we see with shipping bills
- Sending an older version after an LEO amendment, so the QR version does not match.
- A printout signed by the customs broker instead of the exporter.
- Pages missing, especially the item details page.
- Invoice numbers on the shipping bill that do not match the invoice being legalized with it.
- An Apostille requested for a Kuwait or Qatar buyer, who needs the embassy.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Shipping Bill apostille FAQs
Can I get a shipping bill apostille directly from Customs?
No. Customs issues the shipping bill but does not legalize it for foreign use. The Apostille comes from MEA after the document is authenticated, usually through a chamber.
Is the ICEGATE PDF valid without a physical stamp?
In India, yes. Customs treats the digitally signed PDF as the shipping bill. For use abroad, the printout is certified and notarised so the legalization chain has an ink signature to verify.
Who should sign the certified copy?
The exporter's authorised signatory. The customs broker filed the declaration, but the exporter owns the document and answers for it.
My shipment went by air. Is the process the same?
Yes. Air exports also use a shipping bill on ICEGATE. The airway bill is a separate carrier document.
My buyer wants the shipping bill in Arabic. Can you help?
Yes. We arrange a certified translation and, where the embassy requires it, legalize the translation along with the English copy. Ask your buyer whether they need the translation stamped too.
Is a shipping bill apostille accepted in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is an Apostille country, so a shipping bill apostille from MEA is the normal route. Still confirm with your buyer, because some importers work from older embassy instructions. If they insist on embassy attestation, tell us before we start, as the two routes cannot be mixed on one copy.
What does it cost?
MEA charges Rs 50 per Apostille. Notary, chamber and embassy fees vary. INFINITYGRO sends a written per-document quote first, with courier extra.
Need your Shipping Bill legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.