What is GSTIN?
A GSTIN is the registration number a business receives when it registers under GST. It has 15 characters: the first two are the state code, the next ten are the business's PAN, the thirteenth identifies the number of registrations under that PAN in the state, the fourteenth is usually "Z" and the last is a check character. A business with offices in several states typically holds a separate GSTIN in each.
Why it matters for exporters
Field 1.8 of the EDF asks for your GSTIN, right after the AD code (1.6) and IE code (1.7) and before PAN (1.9). If you have a GSTIN, enter the one from which the export invoices were raised, so that your EDF lines up with your GST returns and refund claims. If you have several registrations, use the one that issued the invoices in that EDF, and consider separate EDFs if different registrations raised invoices in the same month; ask your bank what it prefers.
Your GSTIN also drives the GST side of exporting. You file your LUT on Form GST RFD-11 from that registration, report exports in your returns and claim refunds against it. Whether you must register under GST at all depends on your turnover and circumstances, which is a question for your CA. See GST registration for exporters of services.
Example
Orchid Bay Consulting Pvt Ltd is registered in Karnataka (GSTIN starting 29) and Maharashtra (starting 27). In November 2026, its Bengaluru office raises export invoices worth ₹9,30,000 and its Pune office ₹3,10,000. The finance team prepares two EDFs with the EDF form generator, each with the matching GSTIN, and files both by 30 December 2026.
Common confusion
Your GSTIN contains your PAN, but the two are not interchangeable. The EDF asks for both separately in fields 1.8 and 1.9, so fill each one.