Skip to content


Emigration clearance not required (ECNR) from Oct. 1

Posted in Government, India, Travel.

Great News for me !
I was even planning to go for the stamp next week.

Emigration clearance required (ECR)

Emigration clearance required (ECR)

News:
There will be no requirement of emigration clearance from October one for Indians travelling abroad, with the government today admitting that the “retrograde” scheme was a cause of “harassment” and “corruption“.


Making an announcement in this regard in the Lok Sabha, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said the scheme had been introduced with a “good intention” to prevent misuse of visit visa for employment purposes but it has not achieved the objective. The important emigration reform will be implemented from October one, he said.

Under the Emigration Act 1983, a person holding a passport with Emigration Check Required (ECR) stamp is supposed to obtain emigration clearance from the Protector of Emigrants (POE) before leaving for overseas employment. The Emigration Act does not cover ECR passport holders who travel overseas for visits other than for employment. However, for the last two decades administrative instructions have been in force making it necessary for them to obtain Emigration Clearance Requirement Suspension (ECRS), Ravi said.

“The ECRS system has no statutory basis,” said the Minister in a statement laid on the table of the House by him amid uproar created by the opposition NDA over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

“The ECRS system has led to considerable inconvenience and harassment to passengers. It has resulted in corruption in POE offices and a nexus between unscrupulous recruiting agents and middlemen resulting in the exploitation of a large number of poor people,” Ravi said.

Now emigration clearance or suspension of emigration check requirement is necessary only in case of 18 countries in the world. These countries are United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Brunei, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand and Iraq (emigration banned).

As per the Emigration Act, 1983, Emigration Check Required (ECR) categories of Indian passport holders, require to obtain “Emigration Clearance” from the office of Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for going to following 18 countries.

United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Brunei, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, Iraq (emigration banned).

However , 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.

Nowadays, RPOs are issuing Indian passports either with endorsement of  “Emigration Check Required” or no endorsement of “Emigration Check Required” in the passport.  POE clearance is required only when there is “Emigration Check Required” endorsement in the passport

The following applicants are eligible for Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) status:
a) All holders of Diplomatic/Official passports.
b) All Gazetted Government servants.
c) 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.
d) All professional Degree holdera, such as Doctors holding MBBS degree or equivalent degree in AYURVED or HOMOEOPATHY, accredited journalists Engineer, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists,Advocates, etc
e) Spouses and dependent children of category of persons listed from (b) to (d).Spouses and dependent children of category of persons f)Persons holding 10+2 qualifications or higher Degrees.
g) Seamen who are in possession of Indian or Foreign CDC or Sea Cadets/ or Deck Cadets ;
i) who have passed final examination of three years B.Sc Nautical Sciences Courses at T.S. CHANAKAYA,MUMBAI; and
ii) who have undergone three months pre-sea training at any of the Government approved Training Institutes such as T.S. CHANAKAYA, T.S. REHMAN, T.S. JAWAHAR, MTI (SCI) 7 NIPM, CHENNAI, after production of identity cards issued by the Shipping Master, MUMBAI/KOLKATTA/CHENNAI.
h) 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.
i) Persons holding Permanent Immigration Visa, such as the visas of UK, USA and Australia.
j) Persons possessing two years diploma from any institute recognized by the National Council for Vocational Training(NCVT) or State Council of Vocational Training(SCVT) or persons holding three year’s diploma/equivalent degree from institutions like Polytechnics recoginized be Central/State Governments.
k) Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Indian Nursing Council Act,1947.
l) All persons above the age of 50 years.
I) 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.

Note from Author :
I maintain my website, write articles and reply comments because of my interest/hobby to share information and knowledge.

If you liked the post, Please
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/pankajbatracom
Join My facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pankajbatra.blog
Join me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/batrapankaj
Or subscribe to updates by Email by clicking here

To subscribe for updates, Enter your email address:

Related posts:

  1. Biometric passports soon in India
  2. Passport In Three Days Soon
  3. File Income Tax Return Form Online


687 Responses

Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.

  1. Dhawal says

    Dude,

    I have recieved visit VISA from Argentina for 3 months, I will be flying to Argentina in July. Will be back in July itself. Have my tickets already. Do I need to go to the POE or RPO for this??
    Will there be any check at the Airport??

    • Pankaj Batra says

      @Dhawal
      ECNR is not required for Argentina, so you may go there without any issue.

  2. Al says

    Person going to study MS (2 years) to US…does he require ECNR stamp. Has presently only a one way ticket.

  3. sunny abraham says

    sir I recently to go to UAE on employment visa . my passport renewed from dubai conciliate, on nov- 2008 so I need to ECNR stamp? sunny

    • Pankaj Batra says

      @Sunny
      If you are in India, you must get it done before leaving for UAE, as its required for travelling to UAE on employment visa.

  4. paul dubai says

    hi, i am planning to bring a lady to UAE with my family to look after my kids for 2 months on visit visa. she is 38 years old and with ECR status in the passport. Whether she willl be permitted to fly with us.

    • Pankaj Batra says

      @Paul
      As lady will be traveling with you for employment, It will be better if you can get her ECNR stamping.

  5. paul says

    sir when reopening emigration office pls send me details

  6. Anil Gautam says

    Sir
    I got a visit visa for 14 days to visit Dubai. do i need to get the ECNR stamp on it ? please advice

    • Pankaj Batra says

      @Anil
      Visit visa does not require ECNR stamping. So don’t worry and enjoy your time there.

  7. Praveen says

    What is the time taken (by the passport authorities) to clear from ECR stamp to ECNR?

  8. Anil Gautam says

    Sir
    Thank you very much, you save my time

    Anil Gautam

  9. sunny abraham says

    sir my passport no any ECR or ECNR stamps. that passport renewed from dubai. And I am staying in UAE last 10 years . Now i am in india for change my sponsor. so my doubt most persons are saying No stamps (ecr/ecnr) in passport, That passport holder no need ECNR that is right or not? I send a mail already to you last week but i am not clear the subject of stamps. now days i am travel with employment visa to dubai. so pleas clarify urgently. regards sunny.

    • Pankaj Batra says

      @Sunny
      All new passport issued with no stamp are ECNR by default and there is no further action required.

  10. Jowhar says

    Hello Dear Sir,
    I have got a job in Dubai recently i didnot have a ECNR in my passport how ever i went to passport office in Bangalore the TCS guys asked to go with reissue of passport by that time i have got the Visa slip on my old passport number and in the new passport i have my old passport number will there be any issues after landing in Dubai..?

    Thanks,
    Jowhar

    • Pankaj Batra says

      @Jowhar
      You should carry both new and old passport and then there should not be an issue after landing in Dubai

1 ... 19 20 21







Some HTML is OK

or, reply to this post via trackback.