The EDF is signed in Part 4, the exporter's declaration, by a person who can legally speak for your business. In practice that means the same authorised signatory your AD bank already holds on record for the account, whether a director, partner, designated partner or proprietor. Whether your bank also wants a company seal, a digital signature or a wet-ink original is a bank-process question, and banks publish their own policies on this.
Key takeaways
- Part 4 of the EDF carries the declaration, the date, the signature and the signatory's name.
- Use someone already on the bank's mandate for the account. A mismatch is the most common reason a signed form gets queried.
- The Regulations do not prescribe a company seal for services EDFs. Many businesses add one out of habit; ask your bank whether it expects it.
- Digital signatures and scanned copies depend on the channel your AD bank accepts (branch, email or trade portal). Each bank publishes its own process under Regulation 19.
- Keep a signed copy of every EDF you submit, in the form the bank received it.
What you are actually signing
Part 4 is a declaration with alternatives you strike out: I/We, buyer/third party, "will be received" or "has been received", foreign exchange or Indian rupees, goods or services, and the date by which the full value will be received. Then you date it, sign it and print your name.
That makes the signature more than a formality. You are confirming that the invoices in Part 2B are genuine and that the export value will be, or has been, realised by the date stated. If the client later pays less, or late, that declaration is what the bank will hold you to, so the person signing should understand the numbers.
Who can sign, by type of business
The FEMA Regulations do not list job titles. The workable answer comes from company law, partnership practice and your bank mandate. This table reflects common practice, not a rule from the EDF text.
| Business type | Typical signatory | What the bank usually relies on |
|---|---|---|
| Private or public limited company | A director, or an employee authorised by the board | Board resolution and account mandate already filed with the bank |
| LLP | A designated partner, or a person authorised by the LLP | LLP resolution and account mandate |
| Partnership firm | A partner authorised under the deed | Partnership deed and account mandate |
| Proprietorship | The proprietor | Proprietor's KYC on the account |
| SEZ unit | The unit's authorised signatory | The unit's records with the Development Commissioner |
If your finance manager signs bank documents day to day, check that the board resolution actually covers export declarations or "all documents relating to the account". If it only covers cheques, the bank may ask for a fresh resolution. Our board resolution format is a starting point for that.
The company seal question
Older export paperwork almost always carried a rubber stamp beside the signature, and many bank forms still have a box for it. Plenty of companies no longer use a common seal at all, and the EDF's Part 4 asks only for date, signature and name.
So is a seal needed? Not by the form itself. But a bank officer comparing your EDF with other documents on file may expect to see the same stamp you use on everything else. Adding the seal costs nothing and removes one possible query. If you have never used one, do not rush to make one for the EDF; just ask your branch whether its process requires it.
Digital signatures, scans and e-sign
How you sign depends on how you submit, and that varies bank by bank.
| Submission channel | Signature options you may see | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Physical copy at the branch | Wet-ink signature, often with seal | Number of copies, whether the branch stamps an acknowledgement |
| Email to the branch or trade desk | Scanned signed PDF, or a PDF signed with a DSC | Whether email is an accepted channel at all, and from which registered email ID |
| Bank's net-banking or trade portal | Portal login acts as authentication; some ask for an uploaded signed PDF | Which user roles can submit, and whether a separate signed form is still needed |
A digital signature certificate issued to the director or partner is the cleanest option for PDFs. It proves who signed and shows if the document was altered after signing. Some banks accept Aadhaar-based e-sign; others do not. Do not assume any of these will be accepted until your relationship manager confirms it.
A scanned wet-ink signature pasted into a PDF is the weakest option. It is convenient, but anyone could have pasted it. If you use it, send it from the email address registered with the bank and keep the original signed paper.
A worked example
Saffron Grid Technologies Pvt Ltd in Hyderabad has two directors, Meera and Arjun, and a finance head, Kunal, who prepares the EDF each month. In October 2026 the company raised five invoices worth ₹38,60,000 in total.
Kunal prepared the EDF, but the bank mandate showed only the two directors as signatories. Rather than sign himself, he sent the PDF to Meera, who signed it with her DSC. The bank accepted it by email because the company had already registered that email channel.
In November, Meera was travelling. Kunal signed instead, and the bank queried it. The fix was a board resolution authorising Kunal to sign export declarations, followed by an authority letter to the branch. From December, either director or Kunal could sign. Ten minutes of paperwork removed a monthly bottleneck.
Practical habits that prevent queries
- Match the name exactly. Print the signatory's name in Part 4 as it appears in the bank's records.
- Date it on the day you sign. A form dated 3 December and submitted on 20 December invites questions.
- Strike out alternatives cleanly. "I/We", "goods/services" and "will be received/has been received" each need one option struck out.
- Sign every page if the bank asks. Some banks want initials on each page of a multi-page EDF with a long Part 2B.
- Update the bank when signatories change. A director who resigns should come off the mandate before the next EDF goes out.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your company secretary or CA can confirm what your constitutional documents allow.
Frequently asked questions
Can an employee sign the EDF on behalf of a company?
Yes, if the board has authorised that person and the bank has the authorisation on file. Without that, the bank is likely to query the form. A board resolution plus an authority letter to the branch is the usual fix.
Is a company seal compulsory on the EDF?
The EDF's Part 4 asks for date, signature and name, not a seal. Many companies still add their stamp because bank officers are used to seeing it. Ask your branch whether its EDF process expects one.
Can I sign the EDF with a digital signature certificate?
Often yes, if your bank accepts EDFs by email or upload and recognises DSC-signed PDFs. Acceptance depends on the bank's published process under Regulation 19. Confirm with your relationship manager before switching from wet-ink signatures.
Will my bank accept a scanned copy of the signed EDF?
Some banks accept scans sent from the registered email address; others want the original or a portal submission. Keep the signed original either way. If the bank later asks for it, you can produce it immediately.
Who signs the EDF for a proprietorship?
The proprietor signs, using the name on the bank's KYC records. If someone else handles the paperwork, the bank may accept an authority letter, but many prefer the proprietor's own signature on declarations.
Bottom line
A correctly signed EDF comes down to one check: the person in Part 4 is someone your bank already recognises for that account. Sort out the mandate once, agree the signing method with your bank, and the monthly form becomes routine. Prepare the form itself with the free EDF form generator, then sign it the way your bank accepts.
This guide is general information for Indian businesses, not legal or tax advice. Rules and bank processes change — confirm specifics with your AD bank or chartered accountant.