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
dear sir my self Rajesh kumar now i am working in Kuwait as Safety officer my visa vallid upto 3rd march 2011 to 2012march sir i have great oppurtunity from uae they recommend me as a sr. Safety officer this offer vallid for only 21days but here in Kuwait my company is not accepted my resign in this case if i will take emergency leave to go India and then directly go dubai from india without canceled of Kuwait visa sir is it possible is there any problem during travelling to dubai plz give me a way sir but can i do now i am able to go dubai without cancelation of Kuwait visa.
@Rajesh
We don’t have expertise in this matter. Please consult a travel/visa expert.
dear sir my friend 10std failed passport in ecr stamp my friend go to work visa dubhai no ecnr stamp please help me
@Arun
He should get emigration clearance from POE (Protector of emigrants)
Hi
Thanks for reply to my previous question. I have 1 more query.
I have to travel on 10th (sunday) to US for 5 days for a conference. will be traveling first time. by what day latest shld i appear for visa interview….
rgds
@Priyanka
You must get visa appointment as soon as possible if you want to fly on 10th next month.
hi pankaj, i m going to apply for my passport and i wanna do job in malaysia as a cgartist, I should apply for ECNR???
@Shivam
If you are applying for a new passport then most probably you will get it with ECNR status (if you are at-least matriculation pass) and you submit relevant ecnr eligibility proofs.
THANKZ ALOT:)
Hello
Urgent response please, I am teaveing to UAE on tourist visa hope I dont require ECNR check stamp but once I reach UAE I will get work visa for UAE. With this circumstances I can go to near by country and enter UAE with ourt ECNR stamp.
@Husain
ECNR stamp check is an Indian policy and other countries has nothing to do with it.
This stamp is checked when you are leaving India for any other foreign country.
In case you leave India for a country and from their move to another country, there won’t be an issue. But when you come back to India and try to go back on a employment visa, then issue will arise.
I hope this clears your doubt.
pankaj, my housemaid came from india to dubai on tourist visa and changed to employment visa by travelling to oman. now she wanted to go to india for vacation. please tell me there will be any problem while coming back since her passport have no ECNR Stamp.
@Sachi
She may have issued while returning back from India, as she does not have ECNR stamp on passport.
Whenever she is back in India, ask her to get ECNR stamp and then only leave country.
i got my passport on march 16 2011. is there need to get Ecnr i am an professional engineer and i am trying an job for gulf region kindly give me an reply in urgent
@Akilan
If your passport second page is blank, nothing mentioned on it regarding ECR/ECNR then your passport does not need ECNR stamp and you may goto Gulf without any issue.
Hi Pankaj,
i have a query for ECNR, i have got ECR on second page of my passport,and on next month i will probably visit malaysia for 4 days(Group tour) organzied by my company so can you please tell me that do i require ECNR stamp on my passport if yes then what is the procedure and how long will it take to execute. please revert.
Date of issue of my passport(22/09/2006) Delhi
Thanx
Kshitiz
@Kshitiz
If you are going for official work/job, then ECNR will be required for Malaysia.
You will have to fill and deposit Misc services form of passport. Along with that ECNR eligibility proofs (PAN card, education certificate for 10th class or later), address proof and copies of current passport needs to be submitted. It may take 2-15 days, depending on your address and passport return time taken.
Hi just read your mail ,wanted to tell you that i am going to malaysia on tourist visa, and it will be oganized by the company itself….
Please revert ……..
@Kshitiz
As you are not visiting for job/profession, ECNR is not required.
my wife passport having ECR stamp, is it required to get ECNR stamp to travel saudi arabia on permanent family visa
@Ahajk
ECNR stamping is not required for family visa cases.
Mr.Pankaj i want check that iam working in dubai from 4years6months now i need to do the ECNR so what is the procedure please let me know,and i can do ECNR in dubai or india only or do we have immigration office in hyderabad
@Mahesh
You can get ECNR stamp from Indian passport offices, once you are back in India.
Hi Pankaj…In my passport it says ECNR valid upto 24 years of age….I will be 25 years in october and am going to U.S. for studies and might take up employment there sometime after my study…Do I need ECNR stamp now as it stands expired?
@Rana
For visiting US on any kind of visa, ECNR stamping is not required.
You may goto US for studies and job without any issue.
Mr.Pankaj i have ECR stamp on mY Passport,and i completed 4 years 6months in dubai did need to do ECNR stamp.i listened that if u complete 3 years on employement visa automatically ECR will be invalid is correct please let me know
@Mahesh
We have no idea about this rule of 3 years.
It will be better if you can get ECNR stamp once you are back in India.
Hi Sir,
Im travelling to Taiwan (Taipei).
I dont have ECNR fixed..i.e ECR reqd stamp is thr,
Do I still need to have ECNR affixed? I have got Work Permit and Visa for TW.
i am a software engineer.
@Vijay
For traveling to Taiwan, ECNR stamp is not required.
Hi Pankaj,
I got my Passport in 2005, I have ECR stamped on my passport. I will be traveling to USA on B1 for meetings. Do I need to get ECNR on my passport? If not, what documents do i need to carry for immigration clearance?
@Meghesh
For USA, ECNR stamp is not required.
@ i got my reissued passport today with ECR status,earlier i had got my ecnr cancelled on my old passport.i’m a graduate.next week i wanna go to china for my business.
will i have any problem getting visa or going to china ??
@Goutam
For China, ECNR stamp is not required.
You will have no issues in getting Chinese visa or visiting China, because of ECR stamp.
One of relative friend is going to dubai for employement and he is under matriculation, how to get ECR clearance, plz advise
@Ranbir
If your friend has PAN card, he can get ECNR stamp based on that.
But if that too is also not available, then he will have to get emigration clearance from Protector of Emigrants (PoE) office.
dear sir,
My daughter is going to us for higher studies by this monthend .Her passport has been stamped with ECR.as she is going via abudhabi will there be any issue she has got avalid student visa to us
@Rama
For student visa, ECNR stamp is not required for any country.
Hi Pankaj Batra,
For saudi family visa , you said encr not required.
My wife will come to saudi arabia on permanet family visa, so she doesn’t have return tickets. Some where I read that we need to produce these document at airport if passport holder having ecr stamp.
1. Valid Indian Passport
2. Valid Visa for the Destination Country
3. Valid return Air ticket for travel
Will there be any issue to travel saudi without return tickets as he having permanent family visa
@Ahajk
Unless your wife possesses a employment visa, she does not need an ECNR stamp on passport.
There should not be an issue at the airport while leaving from India.
Hi Pankaj, I am working in MNC and going for onsite to Dubai on work permit. I am married and once i will get the residence visa in UAE, Then i can apply for dependent visa. But we both wanna travel together to Dubai. Will it be possible to take her in tourist visa and later she can exit and re-enter to dubai on dependent visa? or we can convert tourist visa to dependent visa in UAE. waiting for your earliest reply on same.
where she can apply for easier process her tourist visa?
Thanks,
Ramesh Arly
@Ramesh
I don’t have much knowledge about Dubai visa process, so would not comment on same. Please consult any visa agent for same.
hello sir,
i am going canada for study visa which is for two years. i have the visa stamp on my passport.i do not have ecnr stamp.i have the ecr stamp. is ecnr stamp required or not?
thank you sir.plz reply me soon.
@Aman
For Canada, ECNR stamp is not required.
thanks
My daughter has a passport and was below 18 years when she got the same and had visited Malaysia as I was working here in Malaysia (date of issue of passport – 19/1/2007). Now she has passed 12 the and studying in college and she wanted to visit Malaysia. We have already taken visa and have booked the flight ticket for friday 15/7/2011. When she went to the passport office to get temporary emigration suspension. They say you have to take a new passport… and it takes 3 days for getting new passport. The issued passport does state she requires… but then she was minor when she visited Malaysia then… Does she need a ECR if she is on a visit VISA? could you give me an answer?
Thank You Pankaj Batra
@Robin
She does not require ECNR stamp or suspension, as she is not going to Malaysia for job or business.
Hi Pankaj Batra,
For saudi family visa , you said encr not required.
My wife will come to saudi arabia on permanet family visa and she doesn’t have return tickets. Some where I read that we need to produce these document at airport if passport holder having ecr stamp.
1. Valid Indian Passport
2. Valid Visa for the Destination Country
3. Valid return Air ticket for travel
Will there be any issue to travel saudi without return tickets as she having permanent family visa and she doesn’t have ssc certificate
hello sir,
can we apply online for ecnr
@Nithin
Application for ECNR stamp cannot be made online as of now.