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. Can anyone clarify the following doubt : –
    I am sending a Nepalese national from Pune, India (aged 23 years) who has studied upto Class V) to Dubai to work as a “Housekeeper”.
    He holds a valid Napelese Passport issued in Kathmandu, Nepal.
    Does he need to have “ECNR” stamped on his Passport. I have been given to understand that Nepal does not have any such requirement.
    Please clarify.

    Reply to Gp

  2. Hi Pankaj,
    I’ve read through this page but just want to be clear. My passport has ECR on it, and I’m planning to go to Sweden on a Residence Permit. I already got my permit and am planning to leave in a month. Is this ECR thing going to be a problem while I’m leaving India?
    Please advise.
    Thank you,
    David

    Reply to david

  3. I got my passport i n May,2007. I intend to go to UAE and kuwait on visit visa for about 2 months. My passport is not having the entry of ECNR STAMP. Is it an obstacle for me at any point of time?

    Reply to K

  4. My husband is sponsoring visit visa for my mother old. She had renewed her pasport last year. But it doesn’t have ECR/ECNR stamp. Does she require ECNR/ECR stamp? if yes how much time will it take to get the stamp done?

    Reply to aruna

  5. Hey ,
    This blog is really helpful! thanks a lot. i had a couple of doubts.
    1) i had issued my passport as a minor(in 2005). so it has the ECR stamp on it. Now I am a graduate and I am planning to go to US for higher studies for 2 years. Since US doesnt require ECNR i dont need to do anything right? or should i get the ECR cancelled?

    2) since mine is a minor passport ,its valid upto 2010,wheras my course is upto 2011. i plan to renew it in US. is the process an easy one or do u recommend renewing it in india itself?

    thanks a lot

    Reply to Vishnu

    • Hi Vishnu,
      1. You don’t need ECNR stamping as its not required for USA.
      2. I would suggest that you get it renewed before going to USA as there might be some hassles getting it renewed in USA.

      Also, as you have written that you are going to US for higher studies, let me know if i can help you in that also. I am working with StudyPlaces.com that helps students for study abroad. There is an excellent offer also going on Studyplaces.com for Students who are flying to USA for studies.
      Check out this link: Studyplaces

      Thanks,
      Pankaj

      Reply to Pankaj

  6. hey. thanks for the info !..
    hm the reason why i am not renewing from here is that, i have already paid my HDFC fee(which is required to be done before taking an appointment for visa interview). so if i renew my passport now, i’ll have to go the the visa office and change the details in the hdfc receipt too. so i thought i’d rather renew it from US.

    hm, yeah i checked that offer. i might use it when i book my ticekts 🙂 .

    Reply to Vishnu

  7. I have got my passport 22nd may2009. in few coming days I will about to go Jordan. but there is no ECR/ECNR stamp in my passport. please suggest me.

    Dindayal Dhakar

    Reply to Dindayal

  10. Hi My wife is coming to Uae from india on residentail visa and she is having ECR status on passport. will that coz problem boarding..

    Reply to vishal

  11. Hi,

    I am going to Saudi Arabia in July on an official Visit Visa (Visa in process). I have a ECR stamp in my Passport. Will it make any problems for me to get my Visa??? Is it required for me to get my ECNR done before going???

    Pls reply..its urgent

    regards

    Reply to Lakshman

  13. Hi

    Am planning to visit Singapore n Malaysia this August. My passport was issued in 2002. The ECNR expired on 2008 october.
    Do i need to get the ECNR again for this visit?

    regards,
    Ashwin

    Reply to Ashwin

  15. Hi Pankaj,

    Read thru your posts still want to conform.

    I am going to dubai this 27th, on an employment vist visa of 90 days stay sponsored by my company. Would i need an ECNR stamp.
    I understand that an ECNR stamp is needed for a full employment visa but what about the employment vist visa

    Thanks and regards,
    Royston

    Reply to Royston

  16. Hi Pankaj,
    Kudos to you for the amazing info provided in this blog. I am going to Malaysia to take up employment there in July this year. However, my passport was made in 2004 from Ranchi RPO when i was a undergrad student and has ECNR striked off on it. I am a post-graduate now.
    I have already submitted the passport for visa processing and would receive it in a a day or two from Malaysian Consulate in Mumbai. What should i do now: whether go to POE for ECR suspension stamp or RPO Mumbai for ECNR stamp. I have documentary evidences of my residence in Mumbai at present. I have to depart on 3rd July. So kindly suggest which would be the better alternative

    Regards

    Reply to Shivpriye

  18. Huh…after successfully getting Visa from Malaysia consulate yesterday, I went to RPO Mumbai with required documents and guess what they turned me down. My only fault was that I was not carrying an additional proof of my Mumbai address. Phew!!!
    Well, for ECNR stamping, they require 2 self attested copies of 10th, 12th, Graduation and PG (if applicable) certificates and final marksheets….If ur a Income tax payee then copy of PAN card and IT return/Form-16 for past 3 years. This makes u eligible for ECNR. But the catch lies in something else. You got to show 2 separate proofs of local residence in the jurisdiction area of Mumbai RPO, if ur passport is issued from other RPOs (outstation passport in their lingo). In my case, my passport was issued from Ranchi RPO when i was a engg student there (the entire application process then can also be written as a case study!!). And I worked in Mumbai from 2004 to 2007 . Then I went for MBA for next two years again in Mumbai. As of now, I am leaving Mumbai forever and have got addresses in my bank account and mobile phone changed to my permanent address. Only proof of address I am having is a leave license agreement of the flat in which my sister and myself are staying now.
    The lady at the counter asked for one more proof of address in form of a letter from secretary of the society/rent receipt/bank statement/utility bill statement/address proof letter from place of work (if reputed). And hence my application was rejected.
    Even if it is accepted, the endorsed passport will be not handed over personally the next day but will be send to the local address by speed post. So again one more trap.

    Important points I would like to mention while applying for ECNR in RPO Mumbai is:-
    1. Submit two self attested copies of all documents
    2. Visit there by 11:15 as they don’t allow new visitors after 12:30PM
    3. Take two separate proofs of residential address in Mumbai
    4. Attach two copies of first four and last four pages of passport
    5. If its an outstation passport, they will send the endorsed passport by SPeed Post. So u will have it, literally
    6. Pray to God that your file is accepted smoothly as everyone was being objected for one thing or another

    As for me, I will go there once more on Monday with a residential address proof from Secretary of my building (my last hope, as I cannot produce any other documents now) and will see when I receive my passport back. I have to fly on next friday night 🙂 . I wished I would have known this atleast one month before.

    Reply to Shivpriye

    • Thanks Shivpriye for detailed reply. Hope it will help other users a lot.
      Same things I had mentioned in earlier replies that you should go with maximum proof and 2 copies of all documents etc.

      Reply to Pankaj

  19. hi,i am bringing my wife to kuwait on family visa in july,before she visited in kuwait on visit visa,now i am worried coz does she required ECNR,on her passport she dont have ecnr stamp

    Reply to nilesh

  20. Ms Shivpriye,
    Hi.
    Yours is a problem, which most of the abroad travellers face. In fact, Emigration clearance is not required (ECNR) stamp is not required now. In the recent passports also, the stamp requiring the ECNR is also not there. In the recent times, my wife left for UAE, and she was also not having the stamp of ECNR in her passport. After contacting an experienced travel agent and also the Special Brancch Police, I sent my wife without the stamp and I advised her to keep her SSC, Intermediate, Graduation and Post Graduation Certificates in original as well as the attested copies of teh same. I afraid. What to do if the airport authorities send her back from hyd or else, if she reaches UAE, and if they wont allow her to step down in UAE. Fortunately, the airport authorities did not question about the ECNR. According to a press release of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, there is no need to get the ECNR stamp.
    Nowadays, RPOs are issuing Indian passports either with endorsement of “Emigration Check Required” or no endorsement of “Emigration Check Required” in the passport. POE clearance is required only when there is “Emigration Check Required” endorsement in the passport.
    My advise is go ahead with the proof of residence and ur educational certificates and if they ask ECNR, you show the proofs below. In case, they make objection, call the local press people and take their support.
    K.SRINIVAS RAO, HYDERABAD.

    Reply to kalvakota