The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has issued Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27 dated 25 August 2026 introducing a series of enhancements in the Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency (PSIA)/Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) process on the DGFT portal. The measures are aimed at further strengthening system-based compliance, reducing dependence on manual intervention and enhancing transparency in the PSIA/PSIC process.
The latest measures are in continuation of Trade Notice No. 03/2022-23 dated 26 April 2022, through which DGFT had introduced and subsequently enhanced the electronic filing and recognition process for PSIAs and the issuance and verification of PSICs. The earlier initiatives were intended to reduce manual processes and strengthen the PSIA/PSIC module through digital enablement.
Under the enhanced system, the date of inspection while generating a PSIC has been standardised in the DD/MMM/YYYY format. Further, a PSIC shall now be generated and issued only on the date of inspection, and the system will not permit its generation or issuance on any subsequent date. This system-based control strengthens the linkage between the actual inspection and issuance of the certificate.
DGFT has also introduced a facility for authorised PSIA users to upload and maintain signature and stamp images in the system. These images will be automatically embedded in the PSIC, thereby eliminating the requirement for manual signing, stamping and re-uploading of the certificate.
During PSIC generation, the Inspector will be required to select the Inspector’s name from a system-populated drop-down list, following which the corresponding Inspector details will be automatically populated. The measure is intended to strengthen system-based validation and reduce manual data entry in the certification process.
The permissible number and size of inspection-related attachments have also been enhanced. The limit for photograph attachments has been increased from 5 to 10 photographs, with a maximum size of 5 MB each. In addition, the permissible size of the mandatory inspection video has been increased from 10 MB to 50 MB. The permitted video formats continue to be MP4, AVI, MTS, MOV, FLV and WMV.
Another important system enhancement relates to inspection instruments. Based on the selected country of inspection, registered instruments will now be made available through a drop-down list. On selection of an instrument, the corresponding details will be automatically fetched from the system and displayed in read-only mode, thereby minimising the possibility of manual errors.
For uploading the scanned signature and official stamp of Inspectors, authorised users are required to log in to the DGFT portal and navigate to Services → Pre-Shipment Inspection → Upload Scanned Signature & Stamp for PSIC Generation. The concerned PSIA user can then be searched and selected, following which the scanned signature and official stamp may be uploaded in the prescribed format and the submission process completed.
For guidance, resolution of issues, suggestions or feedback relating to the PSIA/PSIC module, users may approach the DGFT Helpdesk by raising a service request through DGFT Website → Services → DGFT Helpdesk Service. Assistance is also available through toll-free helpline numbers 1800-572-1550 / 1800-111-550 or through email at dgftedi@nic.in.
The Trade Notice can be accessed at: https://a2ztaxcorp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/DGFT-Trade-Notice-22-PSIA_PSIC-signed-25082026.pdf
