Emigration clearance not required (ECNR)

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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 18 countries for job/business:
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 clearance required (ECR)

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.

Eligibility for ECNR status:

The following applicants are eligible for Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) status:

1. Gazetted Government servants.
2. Holders of a PAN card.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. Spouses and dependent children of category of persons listed in above mentioned categories (except No. 2).
7. Spouses claiming ECNR should submit a copy of their husband’s passport  with ECNR status and their eligibility proof under category 6.
8. 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.
9. Persons holding permanent Immigration Visas of any country e.g. Green Card in USA.
10. Persons holding diplomas form recognized institutions like Polytechnics or Certificates of vocational training from Government / recognized institutions.
11. Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Nursing Council Act, 1947.
12. 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.
13. All persons above the age of 50 years.
14. All holders of Diplomatic / Official passports.
15. Persons holding educational qualification of Matriculation (10th class) or above.
16. 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, Brunei, 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.

1. 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.
2. Filled up ECR Suspension form (Download from here: http://passport.gov.in/cpv/miscell.pdf)
3. Applicable Fee: Rs. 300/-
4. Submit your present passport along with 2 photocopies for last and first 4 pages of it.
5. Attach photocopy of visa (if any).
6. Attach photocopy of your confirmed return travel tickets (if any).
7. Attach Sponsorship Declaration attested by Indian Mission / Consulate (for Middle-East Countries) (if any)
8. 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.

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