Documents and Data Required for E-Way Bill Generation

Quick answer: To generate an e-way bill you need the invoice, bill of supply or delivery challan, both GSTINs, dispatch and delivery PINs, HSN, value, Transporter ID, and the vehicle number or transport document. Nothing is uploaded: you enter the data, and the document travels with the goods.

Most e-way bill errors start before you open the portal: a missing PIN code, a wrong HSN, the buyer's old GSTIN, or no vehicle number when the truck is already at the gate. "Documents required" really means two things: what you need to generate the e-way bill, and what the person in charge of the vehicle must carry during the movement — the gap between what you typed and what is printed on the paper in the truck is exactly what an officer checks on the road.

This guide lists what you need, separated into what goes into Part A (the initial e-way bill) and what goes into Part B (transport details), then what must travel with the goods, followed by a checklist you can print and keep at the dispatch desk.

A. Documents and supporting information

You do not upload these documents to the portal. You enter data from them, and they travel with the goods.

Note: As reported by GSTN advisories, from 1 January 2025 the base document (invoice or challan) cannot be more than 180 days old on the date you generate the e-way bill.

If you are unsure whether a movement needs an invoice or a challan, read Delivery Challan vs Tax Invoice.

B. Data commonly needed

Data for Part A (the initial e-way bill)

Part A is filled from your invoice or challan. Without complete Part A data, the e-way bill cannot be generated.

Data for Part B (transport details)

Part B makes the e-way bill valid for movement. It can be filled at the time of generation or later by you or the assigned transporter, and updated any number of times while the bill is valid.

Part B is not required when goods move within the same state up to 50 km between the consignor's place and the transporter's place (or from the transporter's place to the consignee). Part A is still required. See Distance Rules.

C. Documents to carry with the goods

Under Rule 138A, the person in charge of the conveyance should carry:

1. The invoice, bill of supply or delivery challan, as the case may be, and
2. A copy of the e-way bill in physical or electronic form, or the e-way bill number, or the e-way bill mapped to an RFID device embedded on the conveyance.

Where a consolidated e-way bill (Form GST EWB-02) is generated for multiple consignments in one vehicle, its details should also be available. In practice, transporters also carry the LR or consignment note; it is not a GST document, but its number helps match records.

D. Situations that need a different base document or entry

• Unregistered buyer: enter URP in place of the recipient GSTIN, with the buyer's name, address, state and PIN. Value and tax still come from your invoice.
• Job work dispatch: a delivery challan showing the goods sent, the job worker's details and the purpose. For inter-state movement from a principal to a job worker, an e-way bill is required irrespective of value. See E-Way Bill Rules for Job Work.
• Branch or stock transfer within the same GSTIN: a delivery challan; whether an e-way bill is needed depends on the consignment value. Between states, each branch has its own GSTIN and a tax invoice is generally issued.
• Goods bought from an unregistered supplier: the registered recipient can generate the e-way bill as the inward party, using the supplier's bill or a self-prepared document as applicable.

Printable checklist

Print this and tick each line before you open the portal or app.

Example (illustrative)

A Morbi tile trader (GSTIN 24ABCDE1234F1Z5) sends 400 boxes of floor tiles to a retailer in Indore (GSTIN 23FGHIJ6789K1Z3). The trader books a transporter who will assign the truck the next morning.

Part A, entered by the trader on the day of invoicing:

Part B, entered by the transporter the next morning: Road, regular vehicle, GJ36XY4321, LR number 5521 dated 14-10-2026.

Validity runs from the time Part B is first entered. For 620 km, it is 4 days (601–800 km band).

Carried by the driver: a copy of tax invoice MT/26-27/0881 plus the e-way bill number (or a printed or electronic copy of the e-way bill).

Common mistakes

• Using the head office PIN as dispatch-from when goods leave from a godown.
• Copying an old buyer GSTIN from a past invoice without checking it is still active.
• Leaving HSN blank or using a generic code that does not match the invoice.
• Entering only the taxable value and forgetting GST when checking the ₹50,000 threshold.
• Assigning a Transporter ID but forgetting to tell the transporter to fill Part B.
• Typing the invoice number differently from the printed document — prefixes and financial-year format must match exactly.
• Choosing the wrong document type: a challan movement generated as a tax invoice, or the other way round, creates confusion at checking and in your books.
• Sending the driver with only the e-way bill. The invoice or challan must also accompany the goods.

Limitations

The lists above cover standard movements. Imports, exports, SKD/CKD supplies, exhibitions and supplies through e-commerce operators have their own document conventions. When a situation is unusual, check the official user documentation or consult your tax adviser.

Where E-Way Easy can help

In the E-Way Easy app, saved buyers and products cut down re-typing: the buyer's address, state and PIN fill from the GSTIN, the HSN fills from the product, and distance is calculated from PIN codes, with manual edits allowed. Invoice numbers follow your own series, and the invoice and e-way bill details are reviewed together before saving — a good moment to catch mismatches. You still need to check that the details match the goods actually being moved. The free HSN code lookup and distance calculator help with individual fields; check a buyer's GSTIN with our GSTIN verification checklist, and see how to avoid errors in invoice and transport details.

Official sources

Field names and validation rules are defined by the official system. Check the e-way bill portal and its user documentation, and read Rules 138 and 138A on CBIC GST for the legal requirement.