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
Thank you Sir
My Praveen from jaisalmer.rajasthan I am ECR Ramove has did passport appointment but in that application they put for non- ECR.
he did his 10th in nios open school, so what is the solution for this.
How apply passport for nios open school yes or not..???
please help us
@Praveen
Open school 10th certificate won’t be eligible for ECNR.
Please check other eligibility proofs.
who is document need for australian job.
i am returner from sultanate of oman so that clear me.
Hi sir…
I’m planing to travel malta(Europe)work permit. I need do this clearance ? my passport is mentioned emigration required
@Nasir
For Malta (Europe), ECNR is not required. So you can travel even with ECR status.
I have ECR passport but I am M.A in Arabic and I want to travel to Iraq on visit visa.
Please let me know, can I travel on the same passport or suggest me me if anything else.
@Safdar
ECNR is not required when travelling on visit visa, so you won’t have any issue.
Today I went to IGI but emigration officer returned me saying your passport is ECR category, I told him this is visit visa but they not allowed me to travel.
Please suggest me the way to change ECR to ECNR as have master degree and I am tax payers also.
@Safdar
You should apply for reissue of passport and should submit 10th class certificate as ECNR eligibility proof under non-ECR category.
sir,i’m sk Sahidul Islam..my passport catagory is non ecr…i go for parish…please tell me sir ,i can vist parish…please help me sir..
@Sahidul
For Paris, ECNR is not required so does not matter if your passport is ECR or ECNR.
thanks sir…my passport non catagory i can vist any country….please last time help me…
@Sahidul
If there is no ECR stamp on your passport, then you can visit any country.
Hello
My daughter who is 16 yrs old has ECR passport.
Can she travel to Paris , Switzerland , Austria ,Italy without emmigration check ?
Kiran
@Kiran
Yes, she can
Thank you for your reply Sir !!
Hi sir,
I’m planing to travel Maldives with work permit. I need do this clearance ? my passport is mentioned emigration required.
@Kumar
Maldives is not in the country list for which ECNR is required. So you can travel without any issue.
Sir I have ecr passport I am going to Europe to work ecr passport expect.
@Suraj
For Europe, ECNR is not required, so you can travel without any issue.
I went to Dubai on a 3 month visit visa. before the expiry of the visit visa I got an employment visa stamped on my passport after medical clearance etc. after the expiry of visit visa I stayed back in Dubai for 20 days.
My passport has ECR mention on it.
Now I coming back to India. what are the documents I have to submit to Immigration office to remove ECR from my passport. Is there any letter required from Indian Embassy office in Dubai.
@Umesh
If you need ECNR status on passport, you need to apply for reissue of passport and any document mentioned on this link can be submitted for ECNR proof: https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
neither I am 10th pass, nor I pay incometax. this is my 1st job abroad.
@Umesh
In that case, you need to get emigration clearance from PoE office.
You can apply online on this website: https://emigrate.gov.in/
Sir,
What are the documents required for the same from my employer? and Indian High commission office in Dubai
@Umesh
Documents Required for Skilled/Semi-Skilled Workers (Individuals): Semi-skilled individuals who seek emigration clearance directly from the Protectors of Emigrants (and not through Recruiting Agents) are required to produce the following documents in original for scrutiny and return:
1. Passport valid for a minimum period of six months with valid visa.
2. Employment Contract from foreign employer.
3. Challan towards deposit of prescribed fee.
4. Insurance policy- Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana.
Documents Required for Unskilled/Women Workers (Individuals): Unskilled workers and women (not below 30 years of age) seeking employment abroad shall continue to furnish (in original) the following documents at the time of obtaining emigration clearance:
1. Passport valid for a minimum period of six months with valid Visa.
2. Employment contract from the foreign employer duly attested by the Indian Mission or Permission letter from the concerned Indian Mission/Post.
3. Challan towards deposits of prescribed fee.
4. Insurance policy Under Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY).
Dear Sir,
I am applying for Schengen visa.
I understand I need to show my bank account with consistent in flow and sufficient bank balance.
I am a salaried person and can show my salary account with Credit entries of salary ,every month.
But I don’t keep idle money in saving account.I just invest in fixed deposits and mutual fund.
Hence can I show my Fixed deposits statement and mutual vrunda statement while applying for Schengen visa?
Is it acceptable?
I understand even sudden in flow of money in saving account is also questioned by Visa officer.HenceI feel I should not liquidate the fixed deposit ,just to show balance in saving account.
Kindly advice ,if Fixed deposits and mutual fund statement are acceptable for Schengen visa?
Regards
Kiran
@Kiran
Sorry, but your question is out of scope for this post and we don’t have much knowledge on that subject.
Ok Sir
Thanks a lot anyway
Kiran
Naved inam
I m return from Saudi Arab but I m ECR want to remove it in ECNR don’t have 10th what is the solution
thanku sir for your valuble comment,one more thing i would like to confirm,as i told u im seaman nd i got cdc issued bt shipping master mumbai nd i have did my pre sea traning from bp marine navi mumbai,so nd i have already fly from mumbai airport before also with ecr,so i m going to my saling again,so if there is any issue can i show them my cdc coz my previous passport was not having ecr,and aftr showing my all document can i fly from mumbai airport
thankingyou
waiting for ur pricious rply
@Approve
If you are not going to any of the listed country for employment, then you can fly even with ECR passport.
Hi sir
I have got a house maid visa for Oman. My husband is also working there.. and my passport is ECNR. then, may I know is there any other restrictions or formalities for going.
@Sredha
If your passport has ECNR then you can travel without any issue.
Thank you so much…sir.
Hi sir,
I am holding ecr passport and I would to travel south Africa how can I delete ecr please help me out
@Sudeep
For South Africa, ECNR is not required so you can travel even on ECR status.