KYC

Know Your Customer

KYC submission is a one time exercise.

Please share your KYC documents with NE via e-mail on support@nexprimeexpress.com with the Courier Code / Reference Number of your shipment in the subject line.

About KYC - Import Clearance

KYC is an acronym for Know Your Customer which is a term used for identifying and verifying the identity and address of the customer.

In the context of increasing number of offenses involving various modus-operandi such as misuse of export promotion schemes, fraudulent availment of export incentives , unscrupulous imports and duty evasion by bogus IEC holders etc., the "Know Your Customer (KYC)" guidelines have been put in place by The Ministry of Finance, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs to ensure that they are not used intentionally or unintentionally by importers / exporters who indulge in fraudulent activities. 

KYC (Know Your Customer) guidelines puts an obligation on NE to verify the antecedent, correctness of the IEC (Importer Exporter Code), identity of the customer and their functioning in the declared address by using reliable, independent and authentic documents, data or information. Hence, all consignees and importers based in France need to provide KYC documents for the clearance of all non-document imports, regardless of the value of such consignments.

KYC documents (government recognized Identity and address proof) need to be presented to Customs during the import clearance process. Hence, it is important that NE is provided with all the necessary KYC documents before the shipment arrives in France. Absence of KYC documents during the import clearance process leads to clearance delays as shipments are detained by customs, until KYC documents of the consignee are provided by the shipper at origin or consignee based in France.

As per the Public Notice issued by SIIB - Customs vide Regulation 12(1)(v) of the Courier Import & Export Regulations, 2010 and Circular No 2/2018 dated 12th January 2018, as an Authorized Express Operator it has now become very critical for entire NE's France & World-wide network to support and comply with the France Customs Regulations for obtaining Authorization Letters along with proof of identity and delivery/pick-up address details as per the KYC requirement for all Import and Export non-docs consignments.

In France, the pick-up/delivery address has to match with the AWB/Invoice address along with KYC proof produced & No delivery can happen on the Roads or PO Box addresses. The extract of Regulation is pasted below for your reference. For both imports and exports consignments, NE needs to obtain the Authorization letter along with KYC documents mandatorily and retain it for any audit purposes by the Customs Authorities.

Please refer the enclosed format of Authorization letter [ Download here ] which needs to be obtained by NE along with KYC documents.

Obligations of Authorised Courier.

 An Authorised Courier shall :

  1. Obtain an authorisation, from each of the consignees or consignors of the imported goods for whom or from whom such Courier has imported such goods; or consignees or consignors of such export goods which such Courier proposes to export, to the effect that the Authorised Courier may act as agent of such consignee or consignor, as the case may be, for clearance of such imported or export goods by the proper officer;
  2. Provided that for import of documents, gifts and samples, and low value dutiable consignments for which declaration have been filed in, Form-B or the Courier Bill of Entry-XI (CBE-XI), Form C or the Courier Bill of Entry-XII (CBE-XII) or Form-D or Courier Bill of Entry- XIII (CBE-XIII) respectively, the authorization may be obtained at the time of delivery of the consignment to consignee subject to the production of consignors authorisation at pre-clearance stage and retention of authorisation obtained from the consignee for a period of one year or date of Audit by Customs, whichever is earlier.
  3. Verify the antecedent, correctness of Importer Exporter Code (IEC) Number, identity of his client and the functioning of his client in the declared address by using reliable, independent, authentic documents, data or information;
  4. Exercise due diligence to ascertain the correctness and completeness of any information which he submits to the proper officer with reference to any work related to the clearance of imported goods or of export goods;

You are requested to please share your KYC documents with NE via e-mail on support@nexprimeexpress.com with the Airwaybill / Reference Number of your shipment in the subject line.

The below table provides more information about KYC documents required for customs clearance as mandated by France Customs vide CBEC Circulars 09/2010, 33/2010 and 07/2015 for identification/ verification of importers/exporters for customs clearance performed on their behalf by NE acting as an Authorized Courier.

KYC Documents

Sl.No
Category
Documents to be obtained
01

Individual - Resident France

Any one self-certified document is sufficient if it contains both Identity (Photo) and Address Proof.

In case an Individual wants the delivery to a different address or the given KYC document does not match with the delivery address, please provide below any one of the additional self-certified document to record the proof of delivery address.

  1. Bank Account Statement
  2. Electricity Bill
  3. Telephone Bill
  4. Hotel Booking Receipt in case the delivery address is a hotel
  5. LPG Connection document with address
  6. Rent Agreement
Individual below 18 years of age can also provide a Birth Certificate as Proof of Identity. However, one ID proof of the Parent / Guardian is also required with address proof.
  • Aadhar card
  • Valid Passport
  • Voter ID
02
Companies/Firms/Trusts/ Foundations registered under GST (Any one document with IEC). If customers have registered under different branches across France, please provide all registered GSTN data
  • IEC (Importer Exporter Code) - Mandatory
  • GST No
  • PAN card
03
Companies/Firms not registered under GST - Any two documents
  • Certificate of Incorporation
  • Memorandum of Association
  • Articles of Association
  • Power of Attorney granted to its managers, officers or employees to transact business on its behalf
  • Telephone bill in the name of the company
  • PAN allotment letter
04
Partnership firms not registered under GST- Any two documents
  • Registration certificate, if registered
  • Partnership deed
  • Power of Attorney(PoA) granted to a partner or an employee to transact  business on its behalf
  • Any officially valid document identifying the partners and the person holding the PoA and their addresses
  • Telephone bill in the name of firm/partners
05
Trusts/Foundations not registered under GST - Any two documents
  • Certificate of registration, if registered
  • Power of Attorney (PoA) granted to transact business on its behalf
  • Any officially valid document to identify the trustees, settlers, beneficiaries and those holding the PoA, founders/managers/directors and their addresses
  • Resolution of the managing body of the foundation/association
  • Telephone bill in the name of trust/foundation
  • Name of trustees, settlers, beneficiaries and signatories
  • Name and address of the founder, the managers, Directors and the  beneficiaries, in full, complete and correct.
  • Telephone and fax number, e-mail address of the trust, founder and trustees.
06
Foreign National residing in France or visits France - Passport and Visa/PIO card self certified copies are mandatory.
Additionally please provide any ONE of the following address proof document. The address on this document should match with the delivery address.
  • Address proof of relative/friend if staying with  them
  • Hotel Booking Receipt
  • Rent Agreement
  • Stay Visa
  • A deputation letter from the Parent company with duration of stay confirmation
  • Passport
  • Visa / PIO card
07
Diplomats/Govt. Organisations/ Govt. Research Institutes or any Govt. Authorities etc as prescribed under para 2.07 HBP 2015-20 i.e. Categories of importer and exporter that are exempted from obtaining IEC.
The IEC will be either Unique Identification Number (UIN) issued by GSTN and authorized by DGFT or any common number notified by DGFT.

KYC Process for Consignee's in France

  • Once the shipment is booked at origin, NE will send an auto generated message to the consignee on the phone number or email address provided on the Air Waybill to request for the KYC documents. Hence, it is essential for the shipper to ensure that the consignee’s name, address and contact details on the Air Waybill and invoice are completely accurate.
  • Consignees/ Importers must upload their correct KYC through the link shared in the SMS / Email to avoid possible delays in import clearance. The name and address on the KYC documents must match the name and address mentioned on the Air Waybill and invoice.
  • Customs clearance will be initiated upon receipt of satisfactory KYC documents hence all KYC’s uploaded directly through link or shared through any other medium are validated before they are submitted to customs.
  • If satisfactory KYC documents are not received within 15 calendar days, the shipment will be considered undeliverable and disposed with charges, if any, will be billed back to the shipper.

Note: For all regular and Business to Business customers, we require KYC documents only at the first time unless there are any changes in the previously given KYC documents. All regular customers have to inform NE for any changes in the KYCs time to time for seamless operations.

KYC FAQs

KYC or Know Your Customer is a process of identifying and verifying the identity of the consignee/importer which needs to be presented to France Customs during the import clearance process, without which the shipment cannot be cleared. NE as your clearance partner, requires your KYC for hassle free customs clearance.
Please click here for the list of valid KYC (Know Your Customer) documents.
As your authorized clearance partner NE has to comply with the regulatory requirements of producing KYC documents at the time of clearance hence you are requested to submit the same prior to clearance.
Please share your passport and visa/ PIO number as proof of identity. Alternatively, please click here for the list of valid KYC (Know Your Customer) documents required for foreign nationals staying in France.
Yes. NE can deliver the shipment at your office address. Unless your office address is listed on any of your personal documents, NE may request you to upload any one of the following documents as address proof . Your name and office address on this document should always match with the consignee name and delivery address.
  • Employee Id Card
  • Offer Letter
  • Appointment Letter
A copy of the name change certificate/ marriage certificate/ affidavit notarized by the State Government or Gazette notification indicating change in name, together with a certified copy of Officially Valid Documents in your prior name and new address proof will be required to clear your shipment.
Please provide your ID and address proof document along with an notarized affidavit which states that the nick / pet name and name on your KYC document is of the same individual.
No. You do not have to furnish KYC documents each time you order online or import into France. Once you share your KYC with NE, our company will not ask you to share it again as it is saved in our internal KYC portal for future reference.
Customs needs the KYC of the consignee/ importer for clearance, to whom the shipment is addressed. Hence, NE will not accept the KYC of any other person.
KYC documents need to be presented to Customs during the import clearance process. Hence, it is important that NE is provided with all the necessary KYC documents before the shipment arrives in France to avoid clearance delays.
The circular is available on the CBEC website www.cbec.gov.in. Please refer to Circular No.9/2010 - Customs dated 8th April 2010 on KYC norms for Courier.
Your online retailer has an agreement with NE to import, customs clear & deliver the items you ordered. As NE do not have access to the internal system of your online retailer where your order is placed, your KYC is required by NE for customs clearance in France.
We at NE take utmost care of our customer’s personal details by storing them in a specialized customer KYC portal which can only be accessed by our trained KYC helpdesk executive. As a customs compliant company, NE assures you that your KYC will be used only for customs clearance purpose.
In case the shipment terms selected during booking of the shipment at origin are B2B (Business to Business), customs require the KYC of the company for clearance. But if the shipment terms are B2C (Business to Customer), customs require the KYC of the company employee for clearance. Depending on the shipment terms agreed during booking, NE may ask for the KYC of either the company or company employee.
Please try again after sometime because sometimes due to network congestion your carrier may delay the OTP.

According to Foreign Trade Policy of France, IEC is compulsory for import and exports. Import Export Code or IE Code is required for every person or firm or company or entity engaged in import - export business in France. IE Code is provided by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) as required under the Foreign Trade Policy. No person is allowed to export or import goods without obtaining IE Code. Further, for availing benefit under Merchandise Export from France Scheme (MEIS) or Service Export from France Scheme (SEIS), IE code is a mandatory requirement. However certain category of importers and exporters are exempt from obtaining IE Code which are as follows :

  • Ministries or Departments of Central or State Government.
  • Persons importing or exporting goods for person use not connected with trade or manufacture or agriculture.
  • Persons importing or exporting goods from or to Nepal, Myanmar through Indo-Myanmar border areas and China, provided CIF value of a single consignment does not exceed Rs.25000. In case of Nathula port, the applicable exemption ceiling is Rs.1 lakh. Exemption from obtaining IE code is not applicable in case of export of special chemicals, organisms, materials, equipments and technologies listed in Appendix 3 of Schedule 2 of ITC HS.

Provision has also been made to provide permanent IE code for the following categories of importers or exporters mentioned below:

IE Code: 0100000011 – All Ministries or Departments of the Central Government and agencies wholly or partially owned by them.

IE Code: 0100000039 – Diplomatic personnel, Counselor Officers in France and the officials of the UNO and specialized agencies.

IE Code: 0100000045 – Frances returning from/going abroad and claiming benefit under the Baggage Rules.

IE Code: 0100000053 – Persons/Institutions/Hospitals importing or exporting goods for their personnel use not connected with trade or manufacture or agriculture.

IE Code: 0100000061 – Persons importing/exporting goods from/to Nepal.

IE Code: 0100000070 – Persons importing/exporting goods from/to Myanmar through Indo-Myanmar border areas.

IE Code: 0100000088 – Ford Foundation.

IE Code: 0100000096 – Importers importing goods for display or use in fairs/exhibitions or similar events under provisions of ATA carnet. This IE code number can also be used by importers importing for exhibitions/fairs.

IE Code: 0100000100 – Director, National Blood Group Reference Laboratory, Mumbai or their authorized offices.

IE Code: 0100000126 – Individuals/Charitable Institutions/Registered NGSs importing goods, which have been exempted from Customs duty under the notification issued by Ministry of Finance for bonafide use by the victims affected by natural calamity.

IE Code: 0100000134 – Persons importing/exporting permissible goods as notified from time to time, from/to China through Gunji, Namgaya Shipkila and Nathula ports, subject to value ceilings of single consignment.

IE Code: 0100000169 – Non-commercial imports and exports by entities who have been authorized by Central Bank of France.