Emigration check not required (ECNR) stamp is not required, if one is not travelling for employment purposes.
The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (Emigration Policy Division) have allowed ECR passport holders travelling 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 travelling to any of the below 17 countries for employment:
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 travelling 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, their spouses and dependent children
- Holders of Diplomatic/official Passports
- Persons having educational qualifications of matriculation and above
- Persons above the age of 50 years
- Children up to the age of 18 years. (For re-issue of passport, after they attain the age of 18 years, documents to proof their non-ECR category has to be submitted, else ECR stamping will be done)
- Income-Tax payers (including Agricultural Income-Tax payees) in their individual capacity, their spouses and dependent children below the age 18 years.
- 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 years diploma/equivalent degree from institutions, such as Polytechnics recognized by the Central/State Governments of India
- Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Indian Nursing Council Act. 1947
- All professional Degree holders , their spouses and dependent children. Examples of professional degree holders are Doctors holding MBBS degree or equivalent degree in AYURVED or HOMEOPATHY, accredited Journalists, Engineers, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists, Advocates, etc
- All persons who have been staying abroad for more than three years (the period of three years could be either in one stretch or broken) and their spouses
- Seamen who are in possession of Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), or Sea Cadets and Deck Cadets
a. who have passed the final examination of three years B.Sc. Nautical Sciences courses at T.S. Chanakya, Mumbai and b. who have undergone three months pre-sea training at any of the Government approved training institutes, such as T.S. Chanakya, T.S. Rehman, T.S. Jawahar, MTI (SCI) and NIPM, CHENNAI, after production of identity cards issued by the Shipping Master at Mumbai/Kolkata/Chennai - Persons holding Permanent Immigration Visa, such as the visas of UK, USA and Australia.
How to apply for ECNR stamping
If and only if you are travelling 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. If the applicant does not have Non-ECR status then All such ECR passport holders need to obtain Emigration Clearance Certificate from the Protector-General of Emigrants, Ministry of Overseas India Affairs.
Documents required for ECNR (non-ECR) status:
All eligibility documents list can be seen here: Non-ECR documents list
Protector of Emigrants (PoE) offices for Emigration clearance:
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
Documents required for emigration clearance at PoE office:
- Passport (valid at least for six months)
- Valid Employment Visa
- Contract Duly Signed by Foreign Employer
- Valid Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Policy 2006
- Affidavit from Candidate Declaring Genuineness of Documents
Dear Sir ,
We are employing a maid for singapore.
Her passport says emigration clearance is required.
Does she need ECNR for employment in singapore?
Thank you
@Shalini
For Singapore, ECNR is not required.
She can travel even with ECR status passport.
Dear sir ,I am sslc failure,last 3year I was in ksa as a labour under a subcontract company.i have some issue with my company that why i did finel exit,now am here in India.I have other job offer in ksa.here is some news I heard,that sslc failure can’t go outside India for job anymore. Is it real sir? Any solution for this problem sir?? Am really upset .please help me sir asap..
@Sidheek
Please get passport reissued by submitting passport copies showing entry and exit dates.
As you spent 3 years outside India, you will get ECNR status passport and then you can travel to KSA for job.
Good day sir , how much time it will take to renew passport for ecnr ? I already have old passport with ecr ….
@Sufi
Under Tatkal: 7-15 days
Under normal application: 15-30 days.
Hello Pankaj,
I’ve come to Dubai on work permit. Visa stamping is in process now. After visa stamping I’ll be applying for wife and child Dependent Visa. Do I need to do the ecnr stamp for child and wife? Their passports were issued in 2008 (wife) and 2012 ( child).
@Chirag
They won’t need ECNR stamp as they are not going on employment visa.
Sir i am before working Dubai &Qatar todal 3 years my passport ecr now i go to Dubai so i want details emicration
@Mari
Please apply for reissue of passport to get ECNR status, by submitting passport copies showing 3 years stay outside India.
sir
my passport all redy saudi visa stamped but emigration check required im now big tension how to go saudi if not going how to cancel visa?
@Basheer
Please get passport reissued for ECNR or get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Sir my passport issue on the 2011 im aducasion 10 the pass 2014 how to stomp Ecr or Ecnr im going to saudi
@Ali
In case your passport has ECR stamp, you need to get passport reissued for ECNR.
I went to the POE office in Mumbai to get an EEC clearance. They stated that it would take about 2 weeks for me to get the clearance. Does it usually take that long?
@Rohit
It should not take more than 3-4 days generally.
I have a ECR passport and wants to be ECNR &dnt have 10th pass certificate please advise me process and dnt want to reisue/issue new passport due to my old add. has been change
please advise me.
@KP
Please get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Dear sir. Mere passport pe ecr ka stamp hai mai 1year qatar me aur 26 months Dubai me employ visa pe rah kar aaya hun to kya mujhe qatar,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,UAE jane ke liye emigration karwana hoga
@Mohammad
Please get passport reissued for ECNR status by submitting passport copies showing 3 years spent outside India.
Dear Sir,
I need ur urgent advise, i was not able to board the flight today morning due to ECR.
I was not aware of this thing. I got a job offer from UAE.
Just wanted to check can i travel from some other country to dubai with the ECR stamp on my passport.
@Chakshu
ECR/ECNR is only checked at Indian airports, you can travel to Dubai from any other country with ECR stamp without any issue.
Respected Sir
My wife was recently granted an employment visa to Bahrain. but was sent back from Delhi as her Emigration Clearance was Required.
Now we have applied for an ECNR and they are re issuing a new passport.
The passport number mentioned in the visa is of the current passport – will she be able to travel to Bahrain on the same visa with a re issued new passport? please advice.
@Sridhar
Visa on old passport would remain valid and she need to carry both passports.
Sir mere 10th ki markset me age 04/10/1998 ho gaya hai aur mere other docoments me 27/08/1995 hai aur mera birth pramadd nahi hai to kya kare please my help
My connect no 7408196534
Iam traveling to Dubai next month and I have ecnr required on my passport as I failed to submit my documents.will I face any trouble in immigration? In any of the airports from where I start or go land over there? Am on tourist visa someone help me with this.i bought tickets and visa too.
@Raghav
There won’t be any issue on Tourist visa as ECNR is only needed when going on employment visa.
Pankaj,I have recieved passport in ECR catagory.As at the time of submission of docs I’ve submitted my pan card as I do not have my school leaving or tenth certificate.As I’m a income tax payer can I get my passport re-issued with ECNR if I submit ITR assesment order.
@Ankush
Please check all eligibility document list here: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Mera passport ecr hai use ecnr kaise
Banega pleas answer me
@Muhammed
Please apply for reissue of passport by submitting any of the eligibility proof: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Hi ,
I have valid visa to UK and now i will be travelling to UK via Bahrain and i have ECR stamped in my passport. Today night i have a flight to catch.
Will it cause an issue
@Saibal
ECNR is not required for traveling to UK, so there should not be any issue.
Good day sir..
Sir my name is sidheek .i am sslc failure. My passport have ecr stamp.last 3 year (17/10/12 To 10/11/15) i was in ksa as a labour.now i can change my ecr stamp to ecnr stamp ? .i have a another job offer from ksa too..any solution sir? Sir please help me..advance thanx.sorry for my bad english
@Sidheek
You can passport reissued with ECNR status by submitting passport copies showing 3 years stay outside India.
Sir , m traveling to Dubai on first week of January but my passport is with ECR …do I need immigration clearance for tourist visa to Tavel Dubai ?
hi sir, I have been working in Saudi Arabia since 2008 almost now 7 years, my passport need ECNR stamp?. if yes please suggest me how to do from here.