AEO T1

Entry tier for importers and exporters that meet the prescribed general, legal, records-management and financial solvency requirements.

Apply for AEO T1 Back to comparison

At a glance

Entry

Best for

First-time applicants

Typical timeline (indicative)

X–Y weeks

Key focus

Baseline controls & supply-chain hygiene

Benefits Eligibility summary Typical timeline Documents

Benefits

What you get at T1

AEO-T1 provides high level of facilitation in imports and exports, DPD/DPE where applicable, ID cards for authorized personnel, reduced bank guarantee requirement, 24/7 clearance on request without MOT charges, and other benefits as prescribed.

Facilitation

High level of facilitation in import and export consignments, thereby ensuring shorter cargo release time.

Predictability

Better planning and fewer disruptions, improving throughput.

Compliance support

Templates and checklists to standardise SOPs and controls.

Recognition

AEO credential as a trust signal to partners and customers.

Eligibility

Eligibility summary

Show a short, user-friendly summary plus a link to the official criteria page.

Valid legal entity details, authorized signatory, and primary contacts.
Baseline compliance record and defined internal responsibilities.
For AEO-T1, use the simplified Annexure 1 and Annexure 2 requirements: general details, legal compliance, commercial records and financial solvency compliance.
Ability to respond to validation queries and maintain records.

View official eligibility Download checklist

Timeline

Typical lifecycle

A simplified, user-facing timeline. Replace durations with official/average values if approved.

Step 1

Apply

Submit guided application + documents.
Step 2

Validate

Verification and validation of controls.
Step 3

Certify

Decision and certificate issuance.
Step 4

Monitor

Ongoing compliance and renewals.

The lifecycle above is indicative and must be aligned with official SOP/circulars and portal workflow.

Documents

Document checklist

A clean list view that can be wired to your Downloads/Resources library later.

T1 checklist (preview)

Replace with official list and mandatory/optional markers

Download pack

Company profile & authorisation

Basic entity details and authorized signatory proof.

Mandatory

Compliance declarations

Declarations and undertakings as per format.

Mandatory

Security policy / SOPs

Minimum SOP set for access control, records, incident reporting.

Recommended

Facility controls & visitor logs

Evidence of physical security and controlled access.

Recommended

This checklist UI is designed for clarity. Link each item to templates, examples, and “how to write SOP” guidance for MSMEs.