EDPMS and IDPMS: How RBI Tracks Every Export and Import
Two RBI databases hold every open trade transaction until the money side settles. Here is who enters what, and how an entry closes.
EDPMS (Export Data Processing and Monitoring System) and IDPMS (Import Data Processing and Monitoring System) are RBI's databases for tracking every export and import until the money side is settled. Customs data flows in from the shipping bill or bill of entry; the AD bank adds the remittances and closes the entry when the trade is complete.
For a branch, an open EDPMS or IDPMS entry is an unfinished FEMA obligation with the customer's name on it. That is why the exam asks who enters what, by when, and on what basis an entry may be closed.
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EDPMS vs IDPMS at a Glance
Tracks
EDPMS
Exports of goods and services
IDPMS
Imports of goods and services
Opening record
EDPMS
Shipping bill or Export Declaration Form (EDF)
IDPMS
Bill of Entry (BoE)
Money record
EDPMS
Inward remittances, including export advances
IDPMS
Outward Remittance Message (ORM) for each import payment
Closed when
EDPMS
Export value is realised
IDPMS
Import payment is made and matched to the BoE
Live since
EDPMS
1 March 2014 (shipping documents after 28 February 2014)
IDPMS
2016 (outstanding import remittances uploaded as ORMs by 31 October 2016)
| EDPMS | IDPMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracks | Exports of goods and services | Imports of goods and services |
| Opening record | Shipping bill or Export Declaration Form (EDF) | Bill of Entry (BoE) |
| Money record | Inward remittances, including export advances | Outward Remittance Message (ORM) for each import payment |
| Closed when | Export value is realised | Import payment is made and matched to the BoE |
| Live since | 1 March 2014 (shipping documents after 28 February 2014) | 2016 (outstanding import remittances uploaded as ORMs by 31 October 2016) |
What the AD Bank Must Enter
Regulation 18 of the 2026 Regulations. EDI ports send customs data automatically; the bank fills the gaps.
- 1
Non-EDI port exports
Enter the EDF details in EDPMS within five working days of receiving the EDF.
- 2
Service exports
Enter the services EDF within five working days of receiving it from the exporter. The exporter files it within 30 days from the end of the month in which the invoice was raised, and may file one EDF for a month's invoices.
- 3
Non-EDI port and service imports
Enter the import details in IDPMS within five working days of receiving the documents.
- 4
Every remittance
Record inward and outward remittances for all exports, imports and merchanting trade transactions.
- 5
Monitor and follow up
Track outstanding entries and chase the exporter, importer or merchant trader for documents.
How an Entry Gets Closed
- check_circleAt the moment of credit or debit: the bank credits export proceeds or debits an import payment only after satisfying itself the transaction is genuine, and must close or update the EDPMS/IDPMS entry at the same time.
- check_circleUp to ₹10 lakh: where the shipping bill, bill of entry or invoice is up to ₹10 lakh, the entry may be closed on the customer's declaration that payment was settled, in full or otherwise. Declarations may also come quarterly for bulk closure.
- check_circleAdvance with no trade: an export advance where no export happened and refund is not possible, or an import advance where no import happened and repatriation is not possible, may be closed on request with reasons the bank accepts.
- check_circleReduced-value imports: an IDPMS entry may be closed where the import was settled at a reduced value for genuine reasons.
- check_circleMerchanting trade: both EDPMS and IDPMS entries are closed or updated after both legs are paid and received.
Trade monitoring questions in the exam format. No signup.
Terms You Will Meet
- EDF (Export Declaration Form)
- The exporter's declaration of full export value. At EDI ports it is treated as part of the shipping bill.
- EDI port
- A customs location connected by Electronic Data Interchange, whose shipping bill and bill of entry data reach EDPMS and IDPMS without manual entry.
- ORM (Outward Remittance Message)
- The IDPMS record a bank creates for an import payment, later matched against the bill of entry.
- eBRC (electronic Bank Realisation Certificate)
- The realisation certificate banks issue to exporters. Since 16 October 2017 it has been generated only from EDPMS data, so EDPMS accuracy drives the exporter's paperwork.
- FETERS
- The Foreign Exchange Transactions Electronic Reporting System, through which banks report all foreign trade transactions separately from EDPMS and IDPMS.
How CCFE Tests This
Questions ask which system tracks which side of trade, what an ORM is, and the ₹10 lakh declaration-based closure. The usual trap is swapping EDPMS and IDPMS, or treating a bill of entry as an export document. Older courseware describes closure rules as RBI-granted relaxations; from 1 October 2026 they sit in Regulation 18 as standing AD-bank powers.
FAQs
What is the difference between EDPMS and IDPMS?expand_more
EDPMS tracks exports from shipping bill to realisation; IDPMS tracks imports from outward remittance to bill of entry. Both are RBI systems that AD banks update.
Who updates EDPMS?expand_more
Customs data reaches EDPMS automatically from EDI ports. The exporter's AD bank enters non-EDI and service EDFs, records remittances, and closes the entry once the export value is realised.
Can an EDPMS entry be closed without full realisation?expand_more
Yes, if the AD bank accepts a reduction in export value for genuine reasons. For shipping bills or invoices up to ₹10 lakh, the exporter's own declaration is enough.
What is an ORM in IDPMS?expand_more
An Outward Remittance Message: the record a bank creates for each import payment so it can be matched with the bill of entry that proves the goods arrived.
Next steps
- Export Realisationarrow_forward
- Set-Off & Write-Offarrow_forward
- Merchanting Tradearrow_forward
- FEMA & Trade Finance Conceptsarrow_forward
100 questions, 2 hours, across all six modules.