What Is SOFTEX?

SOFTEX is the name of the older declaration form for software exports. Exporters filled it in to tell the specified authority about a software export and the payment expected. Many guides, bank templates and clients still use the word. RBI's Circular No. 20 of 16 January 2026 says that the 2026 regulations come into effect on 1 October 2026 and supersede earlier circulars, including those on SOFTEX procedure. Under the 2026 regulations, exporters declare exports on the EDF. Regulation 2(1)(f)(iii) names an AD bank or STPI as the specified authority for software exports. So the idea of a declaration remains, but the form name has changed.

For example, a software company in Bengaluru invoiced a US client in September 2026 and was told by an older checklist to file a SOFTEX. For invoices raised after the new regulations apply, the company should ask its AD bank which EDF process applies.

• Older documents: Bank forms, client checklists and blogs written before October 2026 may still say SOFTEX. Knowing it maps to the EDF avoids confusion.
• FEMA: The 2026 regulations define the Export Declaration Form in Regulation 2(1)(c) and set the filing time for services in Regulation 3(2).
• Bank compliance: The AD bank uses the declaration to track the export in EDPMS. A missing declaration can leave an entry open.
• Transition: Circular No. 20 lists the SOFTEX circulars among those superseded. For invoices that straddle 1 October 2026, ask your AD bank which process it applies.

Under the old process, the exporter submitted SOFTEX to the specified authority, which checked and recorded it. Under the 2026 regulations the same step happens on the EDF.

1. The exporter completes the declaration for the software export, naming the buyer, the invoice and the value.
2. The specified authority, an AD bank or STPI for software exports, receives the form.
3. The authority records the export for monitoring.
4. The buyer pays and the AD bank matches the receipt to the declaration.
5. The bank closes or updates the entry once the value is realised.

You file an EDF with your AD bank. Regulation 3(2) of the 2026 regulations asks services exporters to furnish the EDF within 30 days from the end of the month in which the invoice was raised.

1. Raise the invoice for the software service.
2. Note the invoice month and the 30 day period after it ends under Regulation 3(2).
3. Ask your AD bank for its EDF format and submission method.
4. Fill in the buyer, invoice and value details to match the invoice.
5. Submit the EDF to the AD bank, or to STPI if you work through it.
6. Keep the acknowledgement with your invoice and payment records.

SOFTEX and the EDF serve the same purpose of declaring an export. SOFTEX belongs to the earlier circulars and the EDF belongs to the 2026 regulations in force from 1 October 2026.

• Still current: SOFTEX is described in older guides as current. The circulars on it are superseded from 1 October 2026.
• No declaration: The EDF replaces the form but a declaration is still needed for services exports under Regulation 3(2).
• Only for companies: Freelancers who export software services fall under the same rules, so the declaration question applies to them as well.
• Name change only: Do not assume every detail is unchanged. Check the EDF format and timing with your AD bank.

• EDF: The Export Declaration Form under the 2026 regulations.
• EDPMS: The bank system that tracks exports and receipts.
• FIRA: A bank advice for a foreign credit.
• RBI purpose code: A code that describes the reason for a payment.

Every rule and definition on this page is linked to its official source, checked on the dates below.

1. A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 20 dated 16 January 2026, Paragraph 7 and Annex A (list of superseded circulars) (checked 9 Oct 2026)
2. FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, Notification FEMA 23(R)/2026-RB, Regulations 2(1)(c), 3, 4(2), 18(1)(g) (checked 9 Oct 2026)