Letter of Credit Presentation Deadline Calculator: Rules and Examples
How to calculate the last day to present documents under a Letter of Credit, with worked examples.
Reviewed by LCCheck team (owner-approved) · 2026-10-12
Short answer
The presentation deadline is the earlier of two dates: the shipment date plus the presentation period (field 48, or 21 calendar days under UCP 600 Art. 14(c)), and the expiry date in field 31D. If the deadline falls on a day the bank is closed for reasons other than force majeure, Article 29(a) extends it to the next banking day.
| Formula | Earlier of (shipment + period) and expiry |
|---|---|
| Default period | 21 calendar days (Art. 14(c)) |
| Bank closed | Next banking day (Art. 29(a)) |
Steps
- Find the shipment date on the transport document.
- Add field 48 days, or 21 if absent.
- Compare with 31D expiry; take the earlier.
- Check whether the bank is open that day.
Worked example (fictional)
Shipment 1 March, no field 48, expiry 31 March: deadline 22 March. Shipment 20 March, same credit: 10 April would exceed expiry, so the deadline is 31 March.
Sources
- ICC — UCP 600 (Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits)
- Swift — MT700 Issue of a Documentary Credit (category 7 standards)
General guidance, not legal advice. Your bank examines documents independently.
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