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Export payment realisation, IRM and eBRC: what Indian exporters must know

Updated 15 October 2026 · Be12 EXIM team, Chennai

Shipping the goods is half the job. Under FEMA, the money must come back to India within a set time, and the paperwork must prove it, or your incentives stall and the bank starts asking questions.

The realisation deadline

As of October 2026, export proceeds for goods and services must be realised within 9 months of the date of export (12 months for exports invoiced and settled in rupees), under RBI’s Export and Import of Goods and Services Regulations, 2026. Your AD bank can extend this for sufficient and reasonable cause.

This period has changed several times since 2020 (9 → 15 → 9 months). Check the latest RBI notification or ask your AD bank before relying on it.

How the money trail works

The buyer pays by SWIFT to your AD bank. The bank creates an Inward Remittance Message (IRM).
Your shipping bill sits in RBI’s EDPMS as an open export. The bank matches the IRM to it and closes the entry.
You generate the eBRC on DGFT. Since January 2026 it also carries GSTIN, GST invoice number and date.
Gaps in this chain (short payments, wrong invoice numbers, bank charges deducted abroad) can stall RoDTEP, drawback and GST refunds, so close them early.

See every unpaid shipment and its realisation date

Be12 EXIM counts down the 9 months from your LEO date and flags missing eBRCs.

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Generating the eBRC

Log in to the DGFT portal with your IEC, open the eBRC section, pick the bank-reported realisation and generate. Record the eBRC number against the shipment. Keep IRM, shipping bill and invoice numbers consistent everywhere.

If the buyer pays late

Ask your AD bank for an extension before the deadline, with reasons and buyer correspondence.
Exporters with long-unrealised proceeds can be placed on the RBI caution list, after which future exports may need full advance payment or an irrevocable LC.
For credit sales, ECGC cover protects you if the buyer defaults.

FAQs

What is the time limit for export realisation in India?

Nine months from the date of export for most goods and services (12 months for rupee-invoiced exports) as of October 2026, extendable by your AD bank for genuine reasons.

What is the difference between IRM and eBRC?

The IRM is your bank’s record of the inward foreign remittance. The eBRC is the DGFT certificate proving the export proceeds were realised against your shipment.

Rules change often. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm current rules on DGFT, ICEGATE, CBIC and RBI, or with your CA or CHA.