India-UAE CEPA Certification - Process, Fees & Documents

India UAE CEPA certification fee is ₹3,860 per application, including government fees, professional fees and GST. IUCEPA certification of origin is valid up to 12 months from the date of issuance.

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On 18th February 2022, India and UAE entered a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Finally, this agreement came into force on 1 st May 2022. This India UAE CEPA is targeted at increasing export trade between the two countries. The sectors that will benefit are oil and gas, petrochemicals and minerals, textiles and apparel, agriculture, jewelry, gems, metals, and others. It promotes the recognition of professional degrees in various fields including engineering, architecture, health care, company secretary, accountancy, and many others to ease the border between two of these countries for services professionals.

The CEPA allows traders from India and the UAE to receive preferential treatment and customs incentives when importing a variety of items. The Department of Commerce, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs of India, and the UAE Ministry of Economy are in charge of granting the India UAE CEPA Certificate as a Certificate of Origin for preferential treatment. India's tariff commitments for trade-in products encompass 11908 items, whereas the UAE covers 7581 items.India –UAE CEPA Certificate of Origin (CoO) is issued within one to two working days, and application must be filed within 5 days from date of export.

Under the India-UAE CEPA, products are considered originating goods of a party when they meet the applicable Rules of Origin (RoO) prescribed under the agreement.

1. Wholly Obtained products
2. Value-added Criteria for products.
3. Change in Tariff Heading (CTH) product's 4-digit HS code changes during Indian processing
4. Change in Tariff Sub-Heading (CTSH) product's 6-digit HS code changes during Indian processing
5. Change in harmonized system (HS) chapter
6. Final manufacturing before export must be done in the exporting country.
7. Sharing of detailed products info with authorities to comply with preferential treatment
8. The Product has undergone sufficient working or production per the Product specific rules (PSR) as agreed by the parties under CEPA.

Example: Raw cashew in shell imported from Ivory Coast, HS 0801.31 Processed cashew kernel exported to UAE, HS 0801.32

Proof of origin:

Eligible exporters can provide Proof of Origin Certificate of the product through any of the following means :

1. eCoO (Electronic Certificate of Origin) Digitally issued by an authorized agency via the DGFT Trade Connect portal Self-Declaration by Approved Exporter: Available to exporters registered as Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) or approved exporters under the CAROTAR 2025 framework (Customs Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements Rules). Self-declarations must include a signed declaration of origin statement
2. A paper certificate of origin of CEPA registration in electronic or hard copy format issued by the authorized government body.
3. A certificate of origin of the declaration made out by an approved exporter as per the rules.

The following are the benefits that can be obtained when holding the India UAE CEPA Certificate under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and UAE:

Under the Agreement, the UAE will reduce tariffs on 97% of tariff lines (total tariff lines -7581) that account for 99% of Indian exports in value terms, including the immediate reduction of taxes on 80.3% of lines.

• The exporter shall submit the minimum required information and supporting documents for the certificate of origin under India UAE cepa or IUCEPA registration.
• Any exporter falsely representing any material information relevant to the determination of the origin of products shall be liable to prosecution and penalties.
• Exporters are required to keep minimum information and supporting documents of their products for five years from the expiry date of the CEPA certificate of origin.
• The exporter shall keep appropriate commercial accounting records for the production supply of the products.
• The exporter shall notify the issuing authority, custom authority, and the importer of any chances that could affect the accuracy or validity.

Under CAROTAR 2025, Indian customs authorities have the right to verify the origin of imported goods and may suspend preferential treatment if CoO documentation is found inaccurate or fraudulent

1. If the certificate of origin establishes the Product's non-compliance, then custom duties shall be levied under the India UAE cepa agreement.
2. Each Party shall also adopt or maintain measures that provide for the imposition of civil and administrative laws. Where appropriate, it shall implement criminal sanctions for violations of its customs laws.

Note: The above agencies are authorized to issue Certificates of Origin under the India-UAE CEPA as per the official notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI.

India has enhanced its market access commitments for neighbouring service providers. These commitments provide companies with an opportunity to build market expertise and grow by international expansion. Under Free or Preferential Trade Agreement there are multiple options where certificate of origin can be generated from India for import benefits to importing companies:-

India UAE CEPA has benefited companies that intend to expand the cooperation in trade relations between India and UAE. Under CEPA, a Certificate of Origin is essential to avoid being fined or penalized and to fully reap the benefits from tariff liberalization and other trade liberalization measures. To simplify IUCEPA registration process consult Professional Utilities, a reputable entity with more than a decade of experience businesses can also explore the India–Oman Free Trade Agreement to unlock additional trade opportunities and expand their presence in the Middle East market. Additionally, Professional Utilities offers comprehensive support for multiple trade agreements and certifications, helping businesses grow globally with ease. .