STPI registration confuses almost everyone, because it is really two different things. STP scheme membership makes your unit a 100% export-oriented unit with duty-free imports – useful for a narrow set of hardware-heavy operations. Non-STP registration is something else entirely: a light registration that every software exporter outside STP/SEZ needs, because without it STPI cannot certify your SoftEx forms and your export remittances start jamming in the banking system. This guide separates the two, with the current fee tables and the honest maths on whether STP membership is worth it.
Which registration do you need?
| STP scheme unit | Non-STP registration | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | 100% EOU status under the Software Technology Park scheme | Registration with STPI solely for SoftEx certification |
| Who needs it | Exporters who genuinely import expensive hardware and accept EOU-style compliance | Every software/IT services exporter not inside an STP or SEZ – including startups, GCC subsidiaries billing the parent, and freelancers at scale |
| Benefits | Duty-free (customs + IGST) import of capital goods incl. second-hand; GST refund route on domestic capital goods; positive-NFE-only export obligation; DTA sales up to 50% of exports | None – it is a compliance enabler, not an incentive |
| Obligations | Legal agreement + customs bonding (B-17), monthly/quarterly/annual reports, NFE, formal exit (de-bonding) with duty payment | Quarterly + annual performance report (CA-countersigned); register each export contract (free) |
| Application fee | ₹2,500 + GST (centre-specific) | ₹1,000 + GST |
| Validity | Letter of Permission, typically 5 years (centre practice varies) | 3 years; renew 3 months before expiry |
| Where | Both apply online at stpionline.stpi.in, with signed hard copy to the jurisdictional STPI centre | |
The annual service charges (current slabs)
STPI charges an annual service fee based on export turnover, payable in advance on projected exports – this covers SoftEx certification (there is no per-form fee). The non-STP slabs:
| Export turnover in the year | Annual service charge (+ GST) |
|---|---|
| Up to ₹12.5 lakh | ₹4,000 |
| ₹12.5–25 lakh | ₹8,000 |
| ₹25–50 lakh | ₹16,000 |
| ₹50 lakh–3 crore | ₹55,000 |
| ₹3–10 crore | ₹1,10,000 |
| ₹10–25 crore | ₹2,25,000 |
| ₹25–50 crore | ₹2,50,000 |
| ₹50–100 crore | ₹3,50,000 |
| Above ₹100 crore | ₹5,75,000 – ₹6,50,000 by slab |
- Cross into a higher slab mid-year and you top up the difference;
- STP-unit slabs are the same from ₹25 lakh up (no ₹4,000 entry slab), plus a ₹24,000 + GST advance at the legal-agreement stage;
- STPI retains 20% of charges on forms returned uncertified for missing details – file complete;
- Slabs are per the STPI centre schedules (unchanged since 2014) – confirm your jurisdictional centre’s current table when applying.
Non-STP registration – process and documents
- 1. Create the account on stpionline.stpi.in and fill the registration form;
- 2. Upload: incorporation documents (MoA/AoA or LLP/partnership deed), board resolution, IEC, PAN (entity + directors), company profile, premises lease/rent deed, banker’s certificate with AD code, payment receipt;
- 3. Submit the signed hard copy to your jurisdictional STPI centre;
- 4. Certificate of Registration issues – typically within a few weeks, centre-dependent;
- 5. Register each export contract/MSA with STPI (free) – SoftEx forms are filed against registered contracts;
- 6. Diary the renewal: 3-year validity, renewal application due 3 months before expiry.
What changes from 1 October 2026
RBI’s new export-import regulations (FEMA 23(R)/2026-RB, gazetted 13 January 2026) replace the SOFTEX form with a single monthly Export Declaration Form from 1 October 2026. STPI remains among the specified authorities in the new framework, but the operational circulars on how non-STP registration and service charges work under the EDF regime had not been issued as of July 2026 – watch STPI’s circulars page, and see our SoftEx guide for the full transition picture.
Exporting software and not yet registered?
We handle non-STP registration, contract registration and the monthly SoftEx cycle end to end – and tell you honestly if STP membership is worth it for your imports.
Talk to My Cloud AccountantFrequently asked questions
Is STPI registration mandatory for software exporters?
STP scheme membership is optional. But if you export software and are not in an STP or SEZ, non-STP registration with STPI is effectively mandatory – it is the only way to get SoftEx forms certified, and SoftEx is required for every software export regardless of value.
Does STPI registration give any income-tax exemption?
No. The section 10A/10B tax holiday for STP units ended on 31 March 2011. Current benefits are limited to duty-free and IGST-free imports for STP units; non-STP registration carries no incentives at all.
What does non-STP registration cost?
₹1,000 + GST application fee, then an annual service charge by export slab – starting at ₹4,000 + GST up to ₹12.5 lakh of exports and ₹55,000 + GST once you cross ₹50 lakh (see the full table above). The certificate runs for 3 years.
Do freelancers and proprietors need STPI registration?
Yes, if they export software in non-physical form – the SoftEx requirement has no minimum value threshold since 2013, and proprietors/freelancers exporting software fall in scope like any company.
Based on STPI centre schedules and procedures (stpionline.stpi.in), Foreign Trade Policy 2023 Chapter 6 and the FEMA export regulations. Fee slabs per jurisdictional centre documents. Last reviewed: July 2026.