There is be no requirement of emigration check not required (ECNR) stamp, if you are not traveling for job or business purposes.
The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (Emigration Policy Division) have allowed ECR passport holders traveling abroad for purposes others than employment to leave the country on production of valid passport, valid visa and return ticket at the immigration counters at international airports in India w.e.f. 1st October 2007.
ECNR is only required if you are traveling to any of the below 17 countries for job/business:
United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand and Iraq.
For all passports issued before January 2007, a blank second page in the passport means your passport is endorsed with ECR and you need to get emigration clearance if you are traveling to any of the above 18 countries for employment.
For all passports issued after January 2007, a “Blank” page 2 on your passport is deemed to have been ECNR endorsed. If you don’t fit into ECNR eligibility criteria, and Emigration Check is Required, there will be an endorsement in the passport regarding ECR.
Emigration clearance required (ECR)
Eligibility for ECNR status:
The following applicants are eligible for Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) status:
- Gazetted Government servants.
- Holders of a PAN card.
- Salaried people may submit income-tax deduction statement in Form16 for three years from their employers, along with copy of returns filed in income tax dept. All Income-Tax payees(including Agricultural Income-Tax Payees) in their individual capacity. Proof of assessment of income-tax and actual payment of income-tax for last one year or copy of PAN card. However, in most cases as an assessment order is not issued separately by the income-tax department, income-tax returns which are stamped by income-tax authorities can be accepted.
- Persons holding professional degrees such as – Doctors holding MBBS Degrees or Degrees in Ayurveda or Homeopathy, Accredited Journalists, Engineers, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists, Advocates etc.
- Persons staying abroad for more than three years. An affidavit to this effect is to be submitted (as per format at Annexure ‘I’ of the instructions given along with passport application form. To download the format, please click here).
- Spouses and dependent children of category of persons listed in above mentioned categories (except No. 2).
- Spouses claiming ECNR should submit a copy of their husband’s passport with ECNR status and their eligibility proof under category 6.
- Seamen who are in possession of Continuous Discharge Certificate and Sea Cadets. Also Deck Cadets who: (a) Have passed final examination of three year B.Sc. Nautical Sciences Courses at T.S. Chanakya, Mumbai, (or) (b) Have undergone three months Pre-Sea training at any of the Govt. approved Training Institute, after production of Identity cards issued by the Shipping Master, Mumbai/Calcutta/Chennai.
- Persons holding permanent Immigration Visas of any country e.g. Green Card in USA.
- Persons holding diplomas form recognized institutions like Polytechnics or Certificates of vocational training from Government / recognized institutions.
- Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Nursing Council Act, 1947.
- All children below 18 years of age. (After the age of 18, they will be freshly evaluated for their eligibility for ECNR). Dependent children of parents whose passports have the ECNR endorsement. In the case of such children ECNR classification will be restricted until they attain 24 years of age.
- All persons above the age of 50 years.
- All holders of Diplomatic / Official passports.
- Persons holding educational qualification of Matriculation (10th class) or above.
- All persons who have staying abroad for more than three years (the period of three years could either be at a stretch or broken), and their spouses, and children up to24 years. This facility will be valid till the minor attains the age of 24 years if the applicant falls into any of the above categories and desiers to have ECNR stamp on his/her passport, please submit the documentary proof of eligibility.
How to apply for ECNR stamping
If and only if you are traveling to any of the below countries for employment, you need to get ECNR stamp, if you does not have already:
United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand and Iraq.
You have either to get the entire ECR stamp deleted, or if your are not eligible (categories listed above), you may get a temporary Emigration Suspension before leaving India.
Documents required for an ECNR endorsement
All below documents are required in original as well as attested copies.
- One of the following documents: Matriculation (SSLC)/PUC-II / Degree Certificate, PAN Card, Annexure ‘I’ if person has stayed abroad for more than 3 years.
- Filled up ECR Suspension form (Download from here: http://passport.gov.in/cpv/miscell.pdf)
- Applicable Fee: Rs. 300/-
- Submit your present passport along with 2 photocopies for last and first 4 pages of it.
- Attach photocopy of visa (if any).
- Attach photocopy of your confirmed return travel tickets (if any).
- Attach Sponsorship Declaration attested by Indian Mission / Consulate (for Middle-East Countries) (if any)
- In case, you go to a passport office other than from which you passport issued, Proof of current residence (Ration card/Voter Id/Lease agreement/Bank statement/Electricity, Phone bill), Employer Id.
The POE offices in India are situated at the following places:
- Protector of Emigrant office New Delhi
Jaisalmar House, Canteen Block, Man Singh Road,
New Delhi
Tel No. 011-2338 2472 - Protector of Emigrant office Mumbai
Building “E” Khira Nagar, S.V. Road, Santacruz (West),
Mumbai-400 054
Tel No. 022-2614 7393 - Protector of Emigrant office Kolkata
Room No. 116 A Wing, 3rd MSO Building, DF Block,
Salt Lake, Kolkata-700 064
Tel No. 033-2334 3407 - Protector of Emigrant office Chennai
Tamil Nadu Housing Board Complex, Ashok Nagar,
Chennai-600 083
Tel No. 044-2489 1337 - Protector of Emigrant office Hyderabad
8th Floor, Chandra Vihar Complex, Opp. Exhibition Ground,
M.J. Road, Hyderabad. - Protector of Emigrant office Trivandrum
Suganth, 24/846 (I), Thycaud,
Trivandrum-695 014
Tel No. 0471-2324835 - Protector of Emigrant office Chandigarh
Kendriya Sadan, 5th Block, Ground Floor,
Sector-9-A, Chandigarh
Tel No. 0172-2741790 - Protector of Emigrant office Cochin
3RD Floor Putherickal Building, Market Road, Ernakulam.
Kerala – 682035
Tel. No. 0484-2360187 - Protector of Emigrant office Jaipur
Hall No.3, RIICO CFC Building, Sitapura Industrial Area, Sitapura,
Jaipur-302022
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Hello Mr. Pankaj,
Hope you are fine. My question is that I am working in oil & gas sector in Saudi and want to bring my family here with me as my company will help me to get their residence visa, but my wife is having ECR status in her passport, so is it required to stamp it to ECNR as I am not bringing them on visitor visa but bringing my family to stay permanently with me here.
Another question is my wife is studied only till 5th standard so if it required to stamp for ECNR on her passport will POE stamp ECNR status on her passport without metriculation certificate.
Please help me to solve my query and thanks in advance.
@Jignesh
Your wife won’t need ECNR stamp as she is not going for employment.
Thank you very much for your advise Mr. Pankaj.
Dear sir,
I am working in Dubai and my family in India, my children passport need to be renewed ,is there any online facility available so that i can do from here.
@Vasukumar
You can only fill application forms online (http://passportindia.gov.in/). Somebody will have to take appointment and visit passport office to get passport renewed.
dear sir,
iam from tamil nadu,i am a travel agent,which agency best for poe service in delhi,you know please tell me,
@Saravanan
We don’t have any idea about travel agents in Delhi.
sir, please give any number for poe at nampally and i got employment visa and what documents are required for Protector of emigrant, only visa itself enough or other and what fees, they will give on the same day passport or any delay, i have all documents for applying ecr but if the authority not handed over my passport i will put to mental agony so i am choosing to go with protector of emigrant please give right suggestion
@Minhaj
PoE Office address in Hyderabad: 8th Floor, Chandra Vihar Complex, Opp. Exhibition Ground, M.J. Road, Hyderabad.
You would need following documents for emigration clearance at PoE office:
1. Passport (valid atleast for six months)
2. Valid Employment Visa
3. Contract Duly Signed by Foreign Employer
4. Valid Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Policy 2006
5. Affidavit from Candidate Declaring Genuineness of Documents
It should not take mroe than 2-3 days.
hello sir ”
i am the DJ i got the job approval in (K.S.A) but i don’t have ECNR status on my passport and i studied till 10 so how do i get the ECNR seal on my passport ? thank you !
@Shafin
If you fit into any eligibility conditions mentioned on this page: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html you can apply for ECNR while applying for reissue of passport.
If you are not eligible you should get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Dear pankaj,i’ve got the work visa for kuwait but my passport has ecr status and the only way i’ve been told to resolve the issue is by reissue of my passport,I wanted to ask that if i reissue the passport,will my visa remain valid as it has the old passport no.?And i am a B.COM graduate so when i give my passport for reissue with my pass certificates do i need to get a emigration clearance certificate too?if i do then where do i get the bima policy and affidavit done as you have mentioned in your previous comment?
@Moiz
Visa on old passport would be valid. You need to carry both passports together.
While applying for passport reissue, you should give matriculation certificate and B.Com degree copy. Emigration clearance certificate is not needed.
Bima policy and affidavit is needed in case of emigration clearance from PoE. This is one time clearance for those who cannot get ECNR status on passport (because of time or eligibility issue)
Alright thanks alot,
1 more thing, should i reissue the passport before all the procedures(pcc,medical,stamping) or after completing it
@Moiz
It would be better to get passport reissued before procedures.
sir i have applied ecnr my previous passport is from 2008 to 2018, here at passport office they collected 3,500/- for passport in tathkal, my first passport is 1997 after expire i got 2nd passport and the same was renewed in the year 2008 and the same time i got the same under Tathkal, and now after completion of all formalities at C counter saying that your previous data is not available, TL department written as clear and said to me to pay 3,500/- for which i paid the same, now C counter saying that apply in normal way (Not tathkal) i have visa i have no time explained the same, i will loose my job, they advised me to bring Special Verification Certificate from concerned Dist. for which i approached Superintendent of Police, Karimnagar, he is not agreed to listen to me and finally advised me he will not issue the same (in time) and said come with formalities. Due to act of the passport office i paid earlier also tathkal fee, passport office didn’t sent enquiry.
Contd….due to the acts of passport authority i suffered a lot and chances to lost my job, i completed all formalities and if the normal way it will take much time, however they collected excess amount from me under tathkal fee, please guide me and suggest me what will do
Hi,
I am holding a professional degree (Chartered Accountant) and have got an ECR stamp on my passport. The problem is that Date of birth on my 10th CBSE certificate does not match with the same on passport. I am going on an employment visa to Dubai to work with deloitte.The profession mentioned on visa is ‘Auditor’. Is there any alternative procedure to remove ECR stamp without submitting 10th certificate??
@Nikhat
You can also submit any of the following documents to get ECNR:
1. Proof of assessment of income tax and actual payment of income tax for last one year
2. Certificate of the professional degree held (CA in your case).
Check full list on this page: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Hi Pankaj,
It’s great that you are responding to everyone. Thanks a lot. I do have a query.
Today I received my passport, but with ECR status. If I apply for deletion of ECR status, will it be just a stamping in the passport itself or will a passport be reissued with new passport number and different validity?
Thanks,
Arun
@Arun
A new passport would be issued in case of ECR removal. It would have new passport number and validity.
@Pankaj, So, if I’m travelling only to US for work, I assume I need not worry in removing ECR right now, isn’t it? And any idea what I need to fill for ECNR status in immigration forms while travelling?
@Arun
For US, ECNR/ECR does not matter for any kind of visa.