Tea Board License India — Exporter License & RCMC, Fully Managed
Exporting tea from India requires two mandatory credentials from the Tea Board of India — an Exporter License and an RCMC — governed by the Tea Act. Our team manages the entire two-stage registration process on your behalf.
Stage 1 — Exporter License
Tea manufacturers, merchant exporters, packaged beverage brands, trading companies
Stage 2 — RCMC
Required after Exporter License is issued — unlocks duty drawback & FTP benefits
Ongoing Obligations
Both Exporter License and RCMC must remain current for uninterrupted export operations
What Is Tea Board License India and Why Is It Mandatory?
Tea Board license India refers to two mandatory credentials — the Exporter License and the RCMC (Registration-cum-Membership Certificate) — issued by the Tea Board of India to businesses exporting tea.
These are required under the Tea Act and the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, and apply to all exporters of bulk tea, packet tea, tea bags, and instant tea. Under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, no distributor or exporter of tea may legally conduct business without holding a valid business license — regardless of export volume or business size.
The process has two distinct stages. First, the Exporter License is obtained by submitting Form A on the Tea Board's eGICCS (e-Governance Initiatives for Citizen Centric Services) online portal. Once the Exporter License is issued, the business applies for the RCMC digitally via the unified DGFT e-RCMC portal. The Exporter License is valid for 5 years from the date of issue. The RCMC is issued for 5 financial years aligned with the current Foreign Trade Policy cycle, or until the Exporter License expires — whichever comes first.
A valid Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT is a mandatory prerequisite before a Tea Board Exporter License application can be processed. Our team handles both registrations in sequence. You won't have to figure this out alone — we handle the documentation, the eGICCS portal submissions, and all follow-up with the Tea Board, so you always know exactly what is happening.
Is Tea Board of India Registration Mandatory for Your Business?
Tea Board of India registration is mandatory for any entity that exports tea from India — including tea manufacturers who export directly, merchant exporters who procure and ship tea, packaged beverage brands exporting branded or blended teas, and trading companies that handle tea shipments to international buyers.
Tea distributors operating domestically within India require a separate Distributor License under the same Order. Businesses that participate in tea auctions as buyers require Buyer Registration. For established exporters who have maintained consistent export volumes exceeding 1,00,000 kg per year for three continuous financial years, a Permanent Exporter License provides long-term export privileges.
Businesses that also hold a Spices Board RCMC for exporting spice products should note that Tea Board RCMC is a separate, category-specific requirement — one certificate does not substitute for the other. The requirement applies across the food and beverage export value chain — whether you operate a factory, run a tea brand, or manage a trading business.
What Happens If You Export Tea Without a Valid Tea Board License?
Exporting tea without a valid license violates Indian law. Under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, contravention attracts up to:
₹50,000
up to approx ₹50,000 — civil penalty per contravention — plus shipment seizure and forfeiture at the port of export under Indian customs law
Shipment Seized at Port
A breach of the mandatory export license requirement is treated as a customs offence — your entire tea shipment can be seized and forfeited at the port of export. For businesses supplying premium buyers in Europe, Japan, or the US, even one compliance incident can end a commercial relationship.
Demurrage & Buyer Contract Loss
A single shipment blocked at an international port due to missing Tea Board documentation can result in demurrage charges of approx ₹2–8 lakh per container, permanent loss of buyer confidence, and contract termination. Correcting documentation post-detention is a slow, expensive process.
These are preventable. We have helped food businesses across Gujarat and India stay protected — without disruption.
Note: Penalty figures and regulatory requirements mentioned above are based on currently available information and are provided as general guidance only. Actual penalties, timelines, and compliance requirements may vary based on individual circumstances and are subject to change as regulations are amended.
How We Handle Your Tea Board License — Step by Step
End-to-end. No confusion, no surprises.
Compliance Assessment and Category Determination
We begin by reviewing your business structure, product categories, export volume, and existing registrations to determine exactly which Tea Board credentials apply to you — Exporter License, RCMC, Permanent Exporter License, Distributor License, or a combination. We explain every step before we begin, so there are no surprises about what documentation is needed or how long the process will take.
Document Preparation and Verification
We collect and systematically verify every required document — your IEC from DGFT, Certificate of Incorporation or Partnership Deed, GST Registration Certificate, etc.. We also prepare the mandatory declaration letter confirming regular monthly export return submissions to the Tea Board. Every document is reviewed before submission to reduce the risk of rejection or delays.
Exporter License Application Filing on eGICCS Portal
We file Form on the Tea Board's eGICCS portal on your behalf, complete with all supporting documents and applicable government fees — the exact fee applicable to your license category is confirmed during the initial assessment. We track the application status and respond promptly to any queries raised by Tea Board officials to prevent processing delays.
RCMC Application and Tea Board Follow-Up
Once the Exporter License is issued, we immediately initiate the RCMC application through the DGFT e-RCMC portal (dgft.gov.in) — the mandatory electronic platform that the Tea Board migrated all RCMC applications to in April 2022. We handle the entire DGFT portal submission and manage all follow-up until your certificate is in hand.
Certificate Delivery and Ongoing Compliance Briefing
COMPLETEYou receive your Tea Board Exporter License and RCMC, accompanied by a clear summary of your ongoing obligations — including monthly export return filings to the Tea Board and renewal timelines. In our experience working with Gujarat tea exporters, businesses that simultaneously hold an APEDA registration for other agri-export products find it efficient to handle both compliance tracks as a coordinated engagement — and we manage this without documentation duplication.
Timelines mentioned are approximate and may vary based on application completeness, authority workload, and individual business circumstances.
Common Documents Required for Tea Board License
The exact documents required depend on your business type, size, category, and operational structure. Below are documents commonly required for most businesses.
IEC from DGFT
Import Export Code — mandatory prerequisite before Tea Board Exporter License application can be processed.
Certificate of Incorporation / Partnership Deed
Entity constitution documents with GST Registration Certificate and PAN card of the entity.
Cancelled Cheque & KYC Documents
Bank account details via cancelled cheque, plus identity proof and address proof for all directors, partners, or the proprietor.
Declaration Letter (RCMC Stage)
Company letterhead declaration confirming regular monthly submission of export returns (including NIL returns) to the Tea Board — submitted as part of the DGFT e-RCMC portal application.
Export Performance Records (Permanent License)
Three consecutive financial years of export records demonstrating exports exceeding 1,00,000 kg of tea per year.
Premises Proof & Authorised Signatory Docs
Proof of warehouse or factory premises, product category details, and board resolution for authorised signatory.
Every business has a different document requirement.
Your exact checklist is confirmed during the first assessment call — no guesswork.
Please note: The documents listed above are commonly required for most businesses and are provided as general guidance only. Actual requirements may differ based on your business type, size, and the requirements of the relevant authority at the time of application.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tea Board License
8 questions our clients ask the most — answered precisely.
Clients Who Get Tea Board License Also Need
Most tea exporters have at least one of these parallel obligations.
Import Export Code (IEC)
A valid IEC issued by DGFT is a mandatory prerequisite for Tea Board Exporter License. Without it, your Tea Board registration cannot proceed — we handle IEC first where needed.
Spices Board Registration
Businesses that export both tea and spices need separate RCMC credentials from the Tea Board and the Spices Board. We handle both simultaneously to avoid duplicate documentation and reduce total turnaround time.
APEDA Registration
Tea exporters who also handle other agri-products need APEDA RCMC for those categories. We bundle both registrations in a coordinated engagement so your full export compliance is addressed at once.
FSSAI Central License
Tea exporters are food businesses and must hold a valid FSSAI Central License for the exporter category — required under Indian food safety law regardless of turnover. This is a parallel requirement to the Tea Board registration, not a substitute for it.
Ready to Get Your Tea Board License Handled the Right Way?
You have done the research. The next step is getting your Exporter License and RCMC in place without documentation errors or processing delays. The Tea Board registration process has strict requirements at each stage — an incomplete application at the Exporter License stage means your RCMC application cannot even begin.
Divya Consultancy has guided 4500+ businesses through regulatory processes exactly like this one, and our team applies the same precision to every tea board india export registration we handle. The earlier you start, the smoother and faster the path.
Divya Consultancy is a private business providing professional consultancy services. We are not affiliated with the Tea Board of India, the Government of India, or any government authority. We charge professional fees in addition to any applicable government fees.