Where the official forms are
IFSCA publishes its application forms on its How to Apply page, with links from the pages of each division. Applications are filed on SWIT, IFSCA's Single Window IT System. SEZ steps that follow approval are completed on the SEZ Online portal. This page lists what IFSCA currently publishes. It does not reproduce the forms.
The forms do not always keep pace with the regulations. Section E of the CAF still names some superseded instruments, and its fee section refers to the 2023 fee circular, which IFSCA has since replaced. Complete the form, but cite the current instrument and pay the current fee.
Application forms and annexures
| Form | Who uses it |
|---|---|
| Common Application Form (CAF) | All applicants setting up an IFSC unit, except market infrastructure institutions, foreign universities and payment service providers (How to Apply page). The CAF itself also excludes FinTech sandbox and accelerator applicants. |
| CMI annexure | Capital market intermediaries |
| Fund Management Entity annexure | Fund management entities |
| Banking annexure | IFSC Banking Units and Banking Companies |
| FC or FU annexure | Finance companies and units, including aircraft and ship leasing |
| Ancillary SP annexure | Ancillary service providers |
| GAO annexure | Global Administrative Offices |
| Insurance Intermediary annexure | Insurance intermediaries |
| Insurance Schedule I, Regulation 4(2) annexure and Schedule I, Regulation 5(1) annexure | Applicants for registration as an IFSC Insurance Office |
| Preliminary Sandbox Application Form (June 2026) | FinTech sandbox applicants, at the first stage |
| Application Form for Innovation and Regulatory Sandbox | FinTech sandbox applicants |
| Form A (Vault Manager) | Vault managers |
| Application form for registration of bullion trading members or clearing members | Bullion trading and clearing members |
Market infrastructure institutions, payment service providers and foreign universities apply in the form set out in their own regulations; IFSCA's How to Apply page lists no form for them. For informal guidance, there is no prescribed form. The scheme says what the application must contain (see informal guidance).
SEZ forms
- SEZ application. Made jointly with the IFSCA application on SWIT, using Section D of the CAF. Deficiencies are corrected on SEZ Online.
- Letter of Approval (Form G under the SEZ Rules). Issued by the Administrator (IFSCA) through SEZ Online.
- Bond-cum-legal undertaking in Form H. Submitted to the Administrator after the Letter of Approval. The approved undertaking is uploaded on SEZ Online.
- Date of commencement request. Submitted on SEZ Online after the first invoice or transaction.
- Annual performance report in Form I. Filed each year as part of SEZ compliance.
See SEZ unit approval for the sequence.
Fee, lease and tax filings
| Filing | When |
|---|---|
| Intimation of fee remittance, in the format in Schedule II to IFSCA's fee circular, emailed to the relevant division with a copy to IFSCA's finance department | After each fee payment |
| Copy of the lease agreement with the co-developer, filed on SWIT | Within 6 months of the Letter of Approval |
| GST registration application through SWIT | After the Letter of Approval, alongside the other set-up steps |
| Form No. 35: the report under section 147(4)(a) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 and rule 69 | With the return, where the unit claims the section 147 deduction |
Form No. 35 supports the IFSC deduction under section 147, which replaced section 80LA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 from 1 April 2026. It computes eligible income after excluding gross income not received in convertible foreign exchange. See the tax guide.
Practical points
- Download fresh copies. Download each form from IFSCA's site when you start, and check again before filing. The version of the Preliminary Sandbox Application Form now listed, for example, dates from June 2026.
- Use the right annexure. Where the activity spans divisions, confirm the annexure with the regulatory team before filing.
- Keep the source files. Keep the completed forms in editable form. Queries on SWIT often lead to revised answers.