> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ebrc.in/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # FAQ > Answers to common eBRC questions: eBRC full form, how to generate and check an eBRC via API, authentication, bulk submission, timing, FIRC vs eBRC, purpose codes, AD code, and GST refunds. ## What is an eBRC? An eBRC (electronic Bank Realization Certificate) is the certificate that confirms an exporter's foreign payment was actually received against an export. It is issued through DGFT, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, and exporters need it for compliance and for claiming export incentives. See [What is an eBRC?](/what-is-an-ebrc) for the full explanation. ## What is the eBRC API? The eBRC API is a REST API for generating and managing eBRCs for Indian exporters. It covers the whole lifecycle: onboard an exporter, connect their DGFT account, pull their inward remittances, generate certificates, and download the PDF. It is built for platforms, aggregators, and CHAs that file on behalf of many exporters, with one account managing many exporter entities. ## How do I generate an eBRC via API? Create a platform customer for the exporter, validate their DGFT credentials, pull their inward remittances, and submit them with [`POST /genebrc/push-irm`](/api-reference/genebrc/push-irm). You get a request ID back and [poll status](/api-reference/genebrc/status); in production, requests are typically acknowledged within about 2 hours. The [Quick Start](/quick-start) walks the whole flow. ## How do I authenticate? Send your API key in a single `x-api-key` header over HTTPS on every request. Keys are issued per environment, shown once, and never stored in a readable form. Production access is contract gated. See [Authentication](/authentication) for the header, rate limits, and the exact auth error responses. ## Can I submit eBRCs in bulk? Yes, two ways. Post an array of IRM records in one [`push-irm`](/api-reference/genebrc/push-irm) call, or [download a pre-filled Excel template](/api-reference/genebrc/bulk-upload-template), fill it, and [upload it back](/api-reference/genebrc/bulk-upload). Excel validation errors come back per row, so you know exactly which line to fix before anything is filed. ## How long does eBRC generation take? Submitting takes minutes. In production, a generation request is typically acknowledged within about 2 hours, after which you can [fetch the certificate details](/api-reference/genebrc/fetch-details) and [download the PDF](/api-reference/genebrc/download). You track progress by polling the request status with your request ID. ## What is GenEBRC? GenEBRC is the name of the official eBRC generation module. With this API you send IRM data as JSON or Excel, and submission, status tracking, and certificate PDF download are handled for you end to end. ## Do you support a test or sandbox environment? Yes. The API runs in two environments: Sandbox for building and testing, where nothing filed is legally binding, and Production for real filings. Every generation request records the environment it was filed in, so a test run is never mistaken for a live filing. See [Environments and Base URLs](/environments). ## Is there an eBRC API for India? Yes. This is a REST API for generating and managing eBRCs for Indian exporters, built for platforms, aggregators, and CHAs that file on behalf of many exporters. One account manages many exporter entities, each with their own DGFT connection. Create your account in the eBRC API console to get started, or email [amin@eximfiles.io](mailto:amin@eximfiles.io) with any query. ## Is the eBRC API free? Yes. The eBRC API is free for general use: 250 production certificates a month and 10 exporter entities per account, sandbox not metered, within the published [rate limits](/authentication#rate-limits). The full definition and the quote path for committed volume live on the [Pricing](/pricing) page. The exporter app at [ebrc.in](https://ebrc.in) is a separate product and is free forever, at any volume. ## What is the full form of eBRC? eBRC stands for Electronic Bank Realisation Certificate. It is the electronic successor to the paper Bank Realisation Certificate (BRC), issued through DGFT. See [What is an eBRC?](/what-is-an-ebrc). ## How do I check an eBRC status on the DGFT portal? Manually, an exporter logs in to the DGFT portal and opens My Dashboard, then Repositories, then Bills Repositories, selects Bank Realisations, sets a date range, and searches to view or print the certificate. Via this API, you poll a generation request with its request ID using [Get Request Status](/api-reference/genebrc/status), then [fetch details](/api-reference/genebrc/fetch-details) and [download the PDF](/api-reference/genebrc/download). ## What is the difference between an eBRC and a FIRC? An eBRC ties a realised payment to a specific export and is issued through DGFT, which is what export incentive schemes require. A FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) is broader proof that foreign money arrived, and is not by itself tied to a particular export. ## Is an eBRC needed for a GST refund? For the export of services, realisation of payment in convertible foreign exchange is a condition for the supply to count as an export, so an eBRC or FIRC is commonly part of the refund claim. The GST rules are with the [CBIC](https://www.cbic.gov.in/). ## What is a purpose code, and which one is used for exports? A purpose code is an RBI code on an inward remittance that describes what the money is for. Export of goods most commonly uses category 01, for example `P0101` for negotiated export bills and `P0103` for advance receipts. See [Purpose Codes](/annexure/purpose-codes). ## What is an AD code? An AD code is the Authorised Dealer code of the bank branch that handles export proceeds, issued by a bank the RBI authorises to deal in foreign exchange. It is registered at each port of shipment on [ICEGATE](https://www.icegate.gov.in/), and a shipping bill cannot be filed at a port without it. ## How long do exporters have to realise export proceeds? FEMA requires export proceeds to be realised within the period the RBI prescribes in its [Master Direction on Export of Goods and Services](https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_ViewMasDirections.aspx?id=10395). That period has been revised in recent years, so check the current Master Direction rather than an older figure. ## Related * [What is an eBRC?](/what-is-an-ebrc) for the concept and why it matters. * [Introduction](/introduction) for what the API covers. * [Environments and Base URLs](/environments) before you make your first call. * [Errors](/errors) when something does not validate.