in Government, India, Travel |

Emigration clearance not required (ECNR)

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 check not required (ECNR)

Emigration clearance required (ECR)

Eligibility for ECNR status:

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

  1. Gazetted Government servants, their spouses and dependent children
  2. Holders of Diplomatic/official Passports
  3. Persons having educational qualifications of matriculation and above
  4. Persons above the age of 50 years
  5. 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)
  6. Income-Tax payers (including Agricultural Income-Tax payees) in their individual capacity, their spouses and dependent children below the age 18 years.
  7. 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
  8. Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Indian Nursing Council Act. 1947
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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:

  1. Protector of Emigrant office New Delhi
    Jaisalmar House, Canteen Block, Man Singh Road,
    New Delhi
    Tel No. 011-2338 2472
  2. Protector of Emigrant office Mumbai
    Building “E” Khira Nagar, S.V. Road, Santacruz (West),
    Mumbai-400 054
    Tel No. 022-2614 7393
  3. 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
  4. Protector of Emigrant office Chennai
    Tamil Nadu Housing Board Complex, Ashok Nagar,
    Chennai-600 083
    Tel No. 044-2489 1337
  5. Protector of Emigrant office Hyderabad
    8th Floor, Chandra Vihar Complex, Opp. Exhibition Ground,
    M.J. Road, Hyderabad.
  6. Protector of Emigrant office Trivandrum
    Suganth, 24/846 (I), Thycaud,
    Trivandrum-695 014
    Tel No. 0471-2324835
  7. Protector of Emigrant office Chandigarh
    Kendriya Sadan, 5th Block, Ground Floor,
    Sector-9-A, Chandigarh
    Tel No. 0172-2741790
  8. Protector of Emigrant office Cochin
    3RD Floor Putherickal Building, Market Road, Ernakulam.
    Kerala – 682035
    Tel. No. 0484-2360187
  9. 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:

  1. Passport (valid at least for six months)
  2. Valid Employment Visa
  3. Contract Duly Signed by Foreign Employer
  4. Valid Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Policy 2006
  5. Affidavit from Candidate Declaring Genuineness of Documents
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4,643 Comments

  1. Thanks a lot Pankaj. But I didn’t receive my offer letter yet from overseas employer and currently I have neither an employer ID card nor employer certificate to carry with me to passport office for ECR clearance. Could you please let me know what if I am currently unemployed and going to overseas for an employment. What documents in this case should I carry with me to get this done?

    Reply to Naveen

  2. In that case, you should carry offer letter from overseas employer whenever you get that.
    ECNR stamping will be done same day so you may go to passport office whenever your offer letter comes.

    Reply to Pankaj

  3. hi pankaj,
    i came to bahrain initially with visiting visa before 8 months.presently staying here with multiple re entry visa extended for 6 months.But i found ECR stamp in my passport which i m not aware of it initially.Is it any problem in airport while returning to india.And for multiple re entry visa ECNR REQUIRED or not.can i get ECNR from POE office without any problem as i have already came abroad which VISA stamps are found in passport.My passport is issued in visakhpatanam.can i get ECNR in hyderabad.it wll b finished in one day or not..thanku fnd

    Reply to prakash

  4. HI,
    Continuation to previous,visa type in passport is temporary mutiple re entry visa..plz ensure me whether ECNR required or not.As i m leaving to india for 4 days.i can not get ECNR stamp in 4 days right.

    Reply to prakash

  5. hi pankaj

    my maid has ecr stamp on her passport and i need to get it removed. She is not 10th pass and she has not yet paid any income tax but she has just applied for a pan card. will that be enough to get the ecr stamp removed from her passport?

    thanks in advance

    Reply to sdas

  6. Prakash,
    There will be no issue coz of ECR while returning back to India.

    You may get ECNR stamping in nearest passport office when you are back in India and it takes only a day.

    Reply to Pankaj

  8. Thanks and I will wait for the offer letter to come in that case. But I hope PAN or Voter ID or Driving License with my degree certificate should suffice the requirement to clear the ECNR, correct me If I am wrong. Why should they need an offer letter from the employer or current employer ID or letter that has no relevance to it.

    Reply to Naveen

  9. Hi Pankaj,

    Nice work mate!!! really appreciate ur help…

    I am visiting dubai on a student visa… my passport is currently ECR stamped…seeing ur replies above i can understand that on student visa i would not be requiring the ECNR stamp..so that issue is solved…

    but also i read somewhere that if u have the ECR stamped on ur passport then u need to produce the return ticket along with ur passport and visa at the airport..now, i have the passport and the visa but havent booked my return tickets yet…can u pls throw some light if there is any such requirement or not??

    Reply to Ravitosh

  10. MY BROTHER GOT EMPLOYEEMENT FOR UAE ,HE GOT TICKET ALSO FROM UAE CO,BUT AT THE LAST ,HE KNEW THAT HE NEED TO STAMPING OF ECNR ON HIS PASSPORT IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET IMMIDIATELY ECNR, LASTLY HE RENEWED HIS PASSPORT FROM SAUDDI PASSPORT,SO HE CAN ECNR FROM ANY WHERE.

    Reply to D

  11. Iam working in Dubai my family comes on April now i got residence visa but my wife passport in 2nd page ECR stamp. Residence visa need ECNR stamp Please inform in my mail

    Reply to seetharaman

  12. Hi Pankaj,

    I got an employment visa to work in South Africa. But my passport doesn’t have the ECNR stamp. Is it necessary to get ECNR before I fly to south africa?

    Reply to SAJEEV

  13. Iam working in Dubai my family comes on April now i got residence visa but my wife passport in 2nd page ECR stamp. Residence visa need ECNR stamp . I got oneway ticket for my family require return ticket Please inform me Thanks

    Reply to seetharaman

  14. Hi…My Massi Passport have ECR Required stamp as she is Not fully educated..Only up to 9th may be…she now wants to Leave For Dubai as a aTourist..so is she required any ECNR…we are Confused…Pls help me urgently and replied me on my Mail [email protected]…We have a Flight On 8th apr,09

    Reply to Sachin

  15. Hi Pankaj..
    Sachin again…One thing more tell me pls that i had applied for Australia immgration…So last year i was asked to get Police clearence cert. for australia from Passport office..Which i took…But they stamped in 2nd page written that Issued Police clearence Cert. for australia…Still My case is under process for australia and i don’t get any Visa..Now i had planned to go Dubai on tourist Visa on Thursday(9th, apr) with My massi…Is there any problem with the stamp..may be i think Not…But Pls assure me…Reply

    Reply to Sachin

  16. Hi Pankaj

    I am working in Malaysia and my parents are going to visit on social visa. But they don’t have ECNR clearence. They have stamp for ECR. Is it necessary to take ECNR suspension for them?

    Reply to Ashutosh

  17. Dear Mr. Pankaj Batra,

    I have gone through all the posting above and many douts are cleared. You are doing really great job for society. Hats off to you.

    I am on employment visa in UAE. My family will come in UAE in first week of May 2009. My wife has ECNR stamp while my son has ECR stamp. At present I am not sure which type of visa my company will arrange for them. I guess it will be resident or visitor visa (not employment or mission visa) In which case my son requires ECNR stamp in his passport?? My son is six years old.

    Thanks a lot.

    Reply to Kamlesh

  18. Hello Mr Pankaj
    M Sangeeta Das , My brother Mr Anand Das has got a job in Kuwait. He has done visa stamping, medical, passport stamping. He has contract paper stamped the only thing which remaing is ECNR. His passport issued date is 7/08/2008 from Ahemdabad. Now he is got transfferd to Calcutta. He is cmng to Mumbai on 21st April 09. And his ticket for Kuwait is of 26th April. Please help my querry :can we get the ENCR done in mumbai without any hassale. please reply on my email id also ….Pleasssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeee waiting eagerly for ur reply…

    Reply to Sangeeta

  19. Hello Pakaj,

    I am travelling to Dubai next week and i see in my passport that Emigration check require for Dubai with some other countries, Could you able to let me know whether i should get ECNR clearence from POE?

    Also, I got your Abolition of the Procedure of Emigration Check Required Suspension file, but i dont find any goverment seal or signature on that, It would be helpful if you could let me know where i can find the letter with goverment seal and signature.

    Reply to Sriram

  20. Dear Pankaj,

    I honestly thought am the only one with this skepticism over the ECR stamp until I saw this post. Just to clarify all doubts..if I have a tourist visa to Taiwan, I do not need a ECR stamp even if my passport states ECR required?
    Secondly, a very valid query also previously posted is where could I find a copy of this amdendment?

    Will be really helpful as I am leaving on April 25, 2009.

    Thanks

    Liz

    Reply to Elizabeth