The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has introduced important changes to the Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency (PSIA) and Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) process through Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27 dated 25 August 2026.
The objective is to improve transparency, reduce manual work and strengthen compliance in the PSIC generation process.
· Important Changes
1. PSIC Must Be Issued on the Inspection Date
A PSIC must now be generated and issued only on the actual date of inspection. The DGFT system will not allow its generation or issuance on a subsequent date.
For example, if the inspection takes place on 10 September 2026, the PSIC must also be issued on 10 September 2026.
2. Standard Inspection-Date Format
The inspection date will be recorded in the standard DD/MMM/YYYY format, such as 10/SEP/2026.
3. Digital Signature and Stamp
Authorised PSIA users can upload the inspector’s signature and official stamp on the DGFT portal. These will be automatically embedded in the PSIC, eliminating manual signing, stamping and re-uploading.
4. Automatic Inspector Details
The inspector’s name must be selected from a system-generated drop-down list. The corresponding inspector details will be automatically populated, reducing manual errors.
5. Increased Photo and Video Limits
DGFT has enhanced the permissible inspection evidence limits:
- Photographs increased from 5 to 10
- Maximum size of 5 MB per photograph
- Mandatory video limit increased from 10 MB to 50 MB
- Accepted video formats include MP4, AVI, MTS, MOV, FLV and WMV
6. Automatic Instrument Information
Based on the selected country of inspection, registered instruments will appear in a drop-down list. Their details will be automatically fetched and displayed as read-only information.
· What Should Businesses Do?
Importers, exporters, PSIAs and Customs Brokers should:
- Confirm whether a PSIC is required
- Coordinate the inspection and PSIC issuance in advance
- Keep all documents, photographs and videos ready
- Upload the inspector’s signature and stamp beforehand
- Ensure that the PSIC is issued on the same day as the inspection
- Verify inspector and instrument details before submission
· Conclusion
The latest DGFT PSIA PSIC process update will make certificate generation more digital, transparent and accurate.
However, the new same-day PSIC issuance requirement makes proper planning essential. PSIAs, inspectors and businesses must coordinate carefully to avoid certificate-generation delays.
For assistance with DGFT compliance, PSIA registration, PSIC requirements and other Import-Export regulations, contact DGFT EXIM Consultants.