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
Hi Pankaj Sir,
I have ECR Passport, Visa is Business Visitor Visa for 1 month to get knowledge on their products. Should I get get ECNR clearance from PoE office? as I am not going for Employment purpose, any one stop for at airport?
@Bhaskar
As you are not traveling on employment visa, you won’t need ECNR/emigration clearance.
Dear Sir,
My passport is ecr issued in 2006 & I’m a matriculation passed what is the procedure to change it to ecnr & where i have to apply for it
@Imran
Apply for reissue of passport after submitting 10th class certificate copy in your nearest passport office.
I have been issued a passport with ECR stamp….I will be getting a job visa for dubai in few days…how will I get my ecnr stamp on my passport. I am from mangalore. please advice.
@Vishwanath
You would need to get passport reissued for ECNR status.
In case you don’t have time for same, you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Major discrepancy date birth in school lving and other doc like pan card aadhar etc. Applying for 1st time passport age almost 50 .
@Shobana
You can show documents on below page for birthdate proof: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/popuponline/AttachmentAdvisorSub?subDocID=7002&confirmDOB=DOBVarYes&minorFlag=2
Hi .. I’m Travelling to Thailand for a Vacation. I have a ECR Stamp on my passport. This passport was issued after 2007. However i am a graduate and currently employed in India. Can i travel to Thailand without canceling the ECR Stamp or will i be stopped at the Airport ? Do i need to furnish any documents at the Immigration Desk ?
@Juzer
There is no need of ECNR status, in case one is not traveling on employment visa.
All you would need is valid passport, visa and return tickets.
Dear sir my name Naseem khan I am working in kuwait , I am in india for vacation after vacation i am going kuwait but my passport have been ECNR any issue of airport plz suggest me
@Naseem
In case your passport is ECNR status, there won’t be any issue.
hello sir I have to apply for new passport and i m working in Dubai from last 9yrs and my old passport was having ECNR stamp so do i need ECNR for new passport?
@Harsh
Yes, you need new passport also with ECNR status.
You just need to select non-ECR category in new passport application and it would be made with ECNR status.
Hello sir I have dependent visa (female visa) for my wifi and she don’t have ECNR so she can travel in kuwait with out ECNR
@Tanweer
As she is not traveling on employment visa, she won’t need ECNR.
hi i am travelling to saudi my passport is issued on 2011 if u can say if i am a ecr or ecnr passport holder
@Abraham
If your passport does not have ECR stamp, it would be be default with ECNR status.
Dear sir,
Main passport banwana chahata hu aur main haryana education board me govt. job karta hu. please mujhe bataye ki kaun-2 se documents ki jarurat padegi passport banwane ke kiye.
mere liye or mere wife ke liye.
Please rply me.
@Sandeep
आप इस लिंक पर आवश्यक दस्तावेज़ों की सूची देख सकतें हैं : http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/docAdvisor/attachmentAdvFresh
Hi……
I am currently in dubai on visit visa.I am making dependent visa under husband sponsorship but I am graduate with ECR passport holder,will that be a problem to make dependent visa and can I work in dubai .Please rectify and provide solution if I have a problem in doing so, as early as possible.
@Sumathi
If you wish to travel on employment visa from India, you would need to get ECNR status.
Else, its not required.
some to do with us farud and now he is in thailand and i want to do defulater in thailand how i can do pls advis me
Hi sir,
I got employment visa for kuwait with aggrement from indian mission my problem is i hav ecr stamp on my passport nd i hav open university SSC certificate so with this certificate can i make Ecnr stamp on my passport or is they another way is there sir?
@Narayana
I think, open university SSC certificate should also work for ECNR.
Dear sir
I will request my passport ecnr stamp need
Powlu saldana
Dear sir,
My passport was issued in the year 2011
And nothing is mentioned in my passport regarding ecr n ecnr, but my employer asked me to check and if require get the clearence
so what’ s the status of my Passport is it ecr or ecnr.
Plzzzz reply must.
Thank-you, ☺
@Sudish
Its already with ECNR status by default, as there is no ECR stamp.
Dear Sir
I would like to know if I can use my sslc leaving certificate or my 12th marksheet which I have passed from mysore open university for ecr deletion please help
Abdul
@Abdul
I think, SSLC from open university would work for ECNR.
Dear sir,
One of my fnd is now in india he got visa from uae as a painter and before he worked in saudi arabia for more than 5 yrs. and his passport is ecr in this case now he required ecr clearence r not. Kindly reply
@Sinu
yes, he would need ECNR status before traveling to UAE.
As he has spent 5 years outside India, he is eligible for ECNR. He should get passport reissued with ECNR status before leaving India.
Visa on old passport would still be valid and he need to carry both passports.
Dear Sir can I use my 12th marksheet which I have passed from mysore open university for ecr deletion
@Abdul
No, 12th class marksheet cannot be used for ECR deletion.
Either 10th class certificate or professional degree is required.
Check all eligible documents here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Dear Sir I have worked in dubai for 2year and 8month I have sslc leaving certificate and I don’t have sslc marksheet I have. 12th marksheet I want ecr stamp from passport to be deleted I have got job in saudi please help very urgent
@Abdul
You won’t need marksheet, but matriculation certificate would be required.
HI My passport ECR (Date of issue- 09/03/2015) so I want to know if I want to travel Thirland & others country so I can travel or not either ?
@Amit
You can travel to any country with ECR status, if you are not going on employment visa.