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. hi pan kaj ,yore doing a great work man ..i have gone through all queries of ECNR posted above ,but i have still one more query tat i am working in oman and my passport is before 2002 so i put stamp of ECNR ,but instamp they mentioned visa number and valid country as omans.now i am planing to change the job so i will cancelled the visa and new emplyee gv me new visa right so it is require teh ECNR stamp onc eagain….?

    Reply to R

  2. @Mr. Bhatt,
    If u r so keen on ECNR stamp, u can also get it from the local Indian embassy..they take care of it under their “Passport & COnsular Service”…u need to submit ur docs. proving ur eligibility and ur residence in that country for more than 6 months or so..
    For eligibility take u Std. 10th/12th/Graduation marksheets & certificate (both).
    As Pankaj already told u that, its not required if ur not coming back to India…in India its a 2 day job for ur local passport office as claimed by them, but it may take more than 15days also (i know many ppl who were stuck up after submitting passport for ECNR)

    Reply to Shivpriye

  3. sir.now iam in india.my passport expering date 09-09-2009.and i have bahrain visa (validity til 2010) ican come bahrain 03-09-2009

    Reply to febin

  5. Dear Pankaj,i am holding passport with ECR status,i have a job offer from doha.The employer is conducting recruitment in Nepal and they have ask me to fly nepal and help them in the process and there they will give me Doha visa and will fly together to Doha from Nepal.I want to know is it possible or not.I fear having ECR status i will be holded in nepal or doha.Your in puts on it will be highly appreciated.

    Reply to Rajkumar

  6. Hello Sir

    I have three requirements:
    1. Spouse name inclusion
    2. Renewal of Passport
    3. ECNR

    Actually my wife has her passport and in that my name was already included, is that enough or I should include her name in my passport for future purposes?

    I am searching my job in gulf countries. for that I need ECNR stamp in passport. Now my passport has already that stamp.

    what my doubts are,

    1) Can I apply for spouse name inclusion and renewal of passport at the same time?
    2) Will New Passport come with ECNR stamp or not ?
    3) How many days this process will take ?

    Please reply for the above and I would like to say

    THANK U VERY MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO ALL

    Reply to Ch.

    • @Ravi Kumar,
      1. yes, you can apply for passport renewal with spouse name inclusion.
      2. as your current passport has ecnr stamp, new one will also have same.
      3. this process may take 20-30 days.

      Reply to Pankaj

  7. hello pankaj moid here
    i m here to know some information i m in uae working in govt oil company but my company not provide me family visa so i m trying to get visit visa from travel agency for my wife n 2 year old son they r giving visit visa for 2 months so i m planing to bring them here in uae i want to know that n e problem can come on mumbai airport about ecnr coz there is no page written ecnr on boths passport so is i hear that no need for ecnr for visit visa to uae is that true coz i hear so many cases that they have written tickets but on the emigration counter they not allow to go coz there was no ecnr so i want to know is that ok without ecnr can my wife n my son come on visit visa to uae .

    Reply to moid

    • @Moid
      On visit visa, there is no need of ECNR. Its needed only for employment visa.
      Moreover, if their passports are new and there is nothing like ECR/ECNR mentioned then they are by default with ECNR status.

      Reply to Pankaj

  8. Hai Sir

    In my wife passport, my name was already included but in my passport her name is not included. Is there any need to include her name in my passport or that is enough for the future purposes.

    Reply to Ch.

  9. sir ,i am paresh gajjar from gujarat, i need a job ib dubai ,i am DTP operator but not a long experience,my previous company is textile woven labels company as a finishing machine operator,and maintenance work from 8 years.so how i get visa for dubai, tell me my mailid,
    [email protected]

    Reply to paresh

    • Dear Paresh Gajjar,
      As per your mail it seems that u are in the semi-skilled worker category.There is some restrication for semi-skill workers to migrate to Gulf countries. This is done, so that you are not unduly explotied in mid-east and your interests are protected by the Indian embassy there.
      Now, to find a job in Dubai, u need to search job websites (Naukri.com, monster.com etc) or contact some job agents for gulf countries. After getting an appointment letter and the calling visa from Dubai Immigration office, u need to purchase an air-ticket. Then u have to apply for a single entry visa in Embassy of UAE (or Saudi Arabia) in India. After u get visa, u have to go to Protector of Emigrants (POE) office in Khar(W), Mumbai (nearest from Gujarat) and take his approval to migrate. they alos need a Pravasi Bhartiya Bima (insurance) in your name from LIC. They take some minor fees and clear the passport on the same day (stamp and return) .Some agent do all these things without bothering u much, but they take hefty charges for the same. But, evertime u need to go to any of 18 foreign countries you have to take this clearance from POE.
      However, if you have passed std. 10th and beyond; or you are paying Income tax for last 3 years (have a PAN card and have IT returns form for last 3 years); or are above 50 years..you can apply for ECNR stamping in the passport office where ur passport was originally issued. Once u get this stamp, u will never have to go to POE everytime you have to fly out of India.
      I hope this clarifies your doubt.It wud also be betr, if u read all the previous messages in this blog.

      Reply to Shivpriye

  10. Wish i had seen this post earlier! It would have resolve so many confusions regarding ECNR.
    On monday sep 7,2009. I submitted my passport at Mumbai passport office for ECNR stamping. There is no valid visa on my passport, so I couldn’t get the stamp in just one day.

    Now my prob is I need the passport for some work related visit. But the passport site says police verification report not received. Is police verification required for ECNR stamp? How long does it take to get ECNR stamp?

    I know in many of your posts you have said that the passport is returned on the same day itself with the stamp. But that may be the case for people having a valid visa in their passport.

    For me the passport officer said that the passport will be sent by speed post.

    Thanks,
    Chintan

    Reply to Chintan

    • Chintan,
      there is no police verification required for ECNR stamping. However, if ur passport is not orginally issued from Mumbai RPO, they take around 3 weeks to deliver it back.They actually need to send ur form etc. to ur home RPO and then after receiving some communication from that office, they process the passport. In your case, as you do not have valid visa they may not be considering an urgency.But, if u show an airticket they do consider it as a proof for immediate processing.I experienced similar thing in June-July this year, and the counter officer was too rude to suggest anything.Do not go to these craps on the first place. Directly go to the P.A of RP.Officer who sits next to his boss’s cabin..He will look into the airticket and ask for an application..He may call u the next day to meet the RPO.Well and good, visit next day and request the officer to hand over the passport the same day..And u can collect it after 4:30 PM from counter..The counter staff goes as per the instruction written on ur applction by his top boss.
      Hope this brings some clarity..Do post ur furher queries or contact me directly on [email protected]
      But make one thing very sure, that u carry some proof showing ur urgency. Another thing , as the officer actually belongs to IPS cadre, a reference thru’ any other IPS officer can expedite the case without any fuss 😉

      Reply to Shivpriye

      • Ok. i forgot to add one thing…Do not ever go by the status update on the passport.nic website…they update it once in three days, and seldom is the information correct. 🙂
        Blame it on every possible thing under the sun, but this is the way e-governance works in our country..Afterall, “it takes time for all things to evolve” Lolz!!

        Reply to Shivpriye

        • @Shivpriye
          Thanks a lot for replying.

          I have been checking the website and its adding to my confusion. But I wont rely on that site now.

          Will try to go by follow your advice..Hope things work out ok. Will post any update on this forum.

          Thanks again.

          Reply to Chintan

  11. What are the documents required for ECNR for UAE, If i have Individual Employment Contract, Employment Visa, Embassy Letter. (All documents Attested by Embassy of India at UAE) Please advise me.

    Reply to Raju

  12. hello Mr.Pankaj,
    i have few doubts which are as follows:
    1) Name on the passport
    2) Address
    3) ECNR stamp
    4) Spouse name inclusion
    5) Passport for minor

    1) Name on the passport: I got married in Nov 2008. On my passport i have my maiden name on it. My husband has got a job in Dubai and he will be joining the company on 1st Nov 2009. Is it necessary to change my name on the passport after the marriage?

    2) Address: The address on my passport is the hostel address (i.e. Nagpur) where i was staying till 2006. Since Nov 2008 I am staying with my husband in Faridabad, Haryana.
    I want to change the address but its not even 1 yr stay in Faridabad, I am planning to change the address from Nagpur to Mumbai ( where i was staying since 2007 i.e. at my parents place). What all documents do i need for the same? Is it necessary to change my address? My passport was issued by Nagpur passport office. For further changes in the passport can I apply in at Mumbai office?

    3) ECNR: I am an Architect and I am willing to work in Dubai, my passport has ECR stamp on it. Will i have to separately apply for ECNR stamp or the passport will be stamped as ECNR while going for above changes?

    4) Is it necessary for my husband to include my name on his passport? For doing so how much time is required? As told earlier he has to join on 1st Nov 2009.

    5) I am expecting a baby at the end of Oct. While issueing his/her passport what docs are needed? Is it fine if I have my parental address on the baby’s passport (as i am willing to have the same) instead of my husband’s residential address ? Most probably my husband won’t be in India during the birth so what all formalities I will have to go through for applying the passport and residence visa for Dubai?

    Reply to Ketaki

    • @Kataki,

      1) Name on the passport: No its not necessary to get the name changed on passport after marriage but its necessary to get spouse name added on the passport after the marriage, as there can be issues while applying for a Dependant visa.

      2) Address: Its better you get the address changed to your current (husband address). You should go with marriage certificate and your voter/ration card as an address proof.

      3) ECNR: You can apply for ECNR also while applying for the above changes, it will be done along with that also.

      4) Spouse name inclusion : Its better that your husband gets spouse name added on the passport, as otherwise there can be issues while applying for a Dependant visa. It will take 15-30 days as a new passport gets issued in this case. You can also file in Tatkal, if you need earlier.

      5) Passport for Minor: For passport of minor, copy of parent’s passport and address/identity proofs of parents are required. Its better you write your current home as child’s address as thats the place where he/she will be living mostly.

      Reply to Pankaj

      • Thanks Pankaj !
        The info was helpful.
        But still have an issue regarding the address. I neither have voter card nor my name is included in my husband’s ration card. Thats why i was planning to give my parents address. And within a month or 2 inclusion of these things is not possible.
        Plz help.

        Reply to Ketaki

        • @Ketaki
          You must get marriage certificate for spouse name inclusion in passport.
          Now as you don’t have much time in hand, you may use your parent’s address. But for your child’s passport, there can be a issue as his/her father and mother address proofs will be of different places.

          Reply to Pankaj

  13. One of my friend’s wife started from Calicut International Airport to Riyadh to join her husband on a visit visa. Visit visa stamped from Saudi Consulate, Mumbai and got boarding card from Emirates Airlines. When she approached the immigration counter, they refused and asked the marriage certificate. Unfortunately she was not carrying the marriage certificate. Is there any rule to carry the marriage certificate even after the visa stamped in the passport? Could someone give me the correct procedure?

    Reply to Sufyan

  14. hii pankaj…….. My dad’s in nigeria with STR visa……..now my mom and myself want to go there. Family visa or STR visa documents from the sponser company is ready…..however the only problem is….. my mom has ECR passprt……. how to apply for and ECNR for her……dad’s an engineer…….. will gazetted passport copy of my dad be good enough….as his original passport and engineering certificates are not in india.??????

    Reply to Imran

  16. hi pankaj i would like to visit china on 8th oct 2009 as a tourist but i dint do my ecnr til now so what i have to do now plz help me out

    Reply to PRADEEP

  17. Hi Pankaj,

    I am working in Oman and i got family visa for my wife and children . My wife passport having ECR stamp . do i need to take clearance from POE office .

    Reply to Ghanshyam

  18. I am working in Dubai and i got family visa for my wife and child . My wife passport not having ECR or ECNR stamp . Do i need to take clearance from POE office .

    Reply to Ahmed

  19. Hello Prankaj,

    Thanks for your service!

    I would like to knw -my maids passport does not have ECNR stamping but she managed to come to UAE and is working with us here [she is having a valid visa for next 2 years]. Now we are going for a vaction to india, I want to knw 1)if she will have any issue once she lands in india and 2) when she will come back with us back to UAE.(as mentioned she has a valid passport and visa).

    Thanks in advance for your quick answer.

    Best regards
    Jacob

    Reply to jacob

  20. My name is fahad and dont have ECNR on my passport.What should i submit if i am not having educational certifiicates.Can i submit pan card but i am not a tax payer.
    Can anyone help me out.

    Reply to fahad