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
Hi,
we have a housemaid who worked in Oman for 5 years and got her ecnr stamped in her passport when she came to Oman in 2004. she came back to India 2 years back in 2009.She plans to come to Oman in 2012 with same housemaid visa.Does she needs to have ecnr again stamped on her passport since she didnot complete class 10.
@Manoj
In case there is no time limit mention on her existing ECNR stamp, the stamp would still be valid and she won’t need ECNR stamp again.
Hi, My passport is issued from Kolkata. I am staying in mumbai.
On my passport On Emigration Status, Over ECNR DELETED stamp is there.
So can I do this clearance in Mumbai. or I have to go to Kolkata?
@Adip
Now-a-days there is no ECNR stamp deletion, you would need to apply for re-issue of passport with ECNR status.
Same can be done from Mumbai as well but you would need to update your address to Mumbai one and show proofs for same as well.
Hello this is pratish from india.Please help me.I want to know about ecr is required or ecnr for the country going abudhabhi for job purpose.I know this country come in ecr status but i m professional degree holder so please tell me ecr/ecnr is required. i have less time.
@Pratish
If one is going to Abu Dhabhi for job, passport with ECNR status would be required.
Thank you so much for giving me suggetion….:)
What are the other ways to do ECNR if person is not educated??? Please help
@Faiz
This page has all eligibility criteria to get ECNR: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
If person does not fulfill any, he/she would need to get emigration clearance from protector of emigrants (POE).
can you tell me the procedure to get emigration clearance from protector of emigrants (POE)??? is it available in hyderabad.
@Faiz
You can goto this address for emigration clearance: 8th Floor, Chandra Vihar Complex, Opp. Exhibition Ground, M.J. Road, Hyderabad.
Thank you Pankaj. You are very helpful
Hi Pankaj, i would like to say that you are doing a grt job!!the valuable information ppl are getting here through your blog ,couldn’t get even in POE office as no body has time to listen and guide properly. well done job!!
@Meenu
Thanks for the appreciation 🙂
JEGAN
PANKAJ U R DOING GREAT, EVEN THERE IS NO CLEAR DETAILS IN OFFICIAL WEB SITES. GUD KEEP IT UP.
MY BROTHER IN LAW HAS PLANNED TO VISIT UAE BUT HE IS HAVING PASSPORT WITH ECR. IS IT NECESSARY ECNR TO VISIT UAE THRU TRIVANDRUM AIRPORT.
@Jegan
If your brother-in-law is traveling for job/business, he would need ECNR status on passport.
Else he may fly even with ECR status with a valid visa and return tickets.
Dear Mr. Pankaj, i have submitted my documents for ECR clearance today in Passport office, i am getting new passport with ECNR by next week. But last month i have applied for Employment visa in Malaysia. Now they are issuing new passport with new number. So is there any problem to get Reference visa in Malaysian Embassy in India? now i am waiting for ‘approval letter’ from Malaysia for EP Visa by post. Also i wanted to take my wife too. So how to apply Dependency visa for her? Without entering Malaysia she can not get dependency visa? please clarify….thanks in advance.
10 th fail candidate can apply for fresh passport & he can go for abroad?
@Amita
10th fail can get passport but he may not be eligible for ECNR. He may not be able to travel to some of the countries for job/business if emigration clearance is not received.
@Dhananjay
We don’t have enough knowledge on Visa and related subjects. Please consult an visa agent regarding this issue.
hi pankaj i am going bangkok on tourist visa,for that ecr required.
@Bhaskar
For tourist visa, ECNR is not required for any country.
Dear sir,
My mother is leaving for UAE for my sister’s delivery in another 15 days. Her passport has been recently renewed in 2011. The second page is blank. She doesnt have any academic transcripts though she has done puc. She is now 62. Does she need to apply for ECNR? Kindly let me know. Thank you in advance.
@Zee
She does not need ECNR stamp as second page is blank and she already have ECNR status.
Dear Mr. Pankaj……i have a employment visa in Dubai (In Hotel). last month after boarding on delhi airport, immigration officer send me back say’s i need ECNR stamp on passport…i re-issue my passport and get new passport…..i want to no i need to do anything like (POE) or any other stamp and second thing is it possible i am going in same visa with new passport no. Waiting for ur positive response. Thank’s
@Navdeep
If your new passport has ECNR status (second page is blank or there is no ECR endorsement), then you won’t need emigration clearance from POE.
You can travel with your existing visa on old passport, but both new and old passports should be carried at all times.
Thanks….Dear Pankaj……..Really u done a great job.
I GOT MY PASSPORT IN JANUARY 2012 UNDER THE NEW SCHEME. I AM A GRADUATE AND I HAD APPLIED FOR PASSPORT WITH ECNR STATUS . BUT THERE IS NO INDICATIONS FOR THAT IN THE PASSPORT. CAN YOU HELP ME
@Sheriff
if there is no indication of ECR/ECNR, it means it already with ECNR status by default.
iam 3 years visa but iam 2 years completatad but ban ya not ban 2009/12/30 29/12/2o11
hi brother!
i have a quick question, i am hold 5 yrs USA C1/D visa but i dont have ECNR on my passport, what i have to do to go USA?
@Naani
ECNR is not required for visiting USA.
Hi Pankaj Brother,
One of my friend’s Mother In Law is tarveling to Oman on Family visit visa, her passport has ERC status. Eventhough she is tarveling on Family Visit visa with return ticket, is it necessary to obtain ECRS?? Please confirm
@Mahesh
ECNR won’t be required for family visit visa. Valid visa with return ticket would be sufficient.
Dear Pankaj,
Thanks for the clarifications…
Hi Pankaj…I have lived in uk for over 3 yrs. do i need to get ecnr for working in dubai…if so what details do i have to provide?
@Raj
You would need ECNR status if you want to work in Dubai.
Please get passport re-issued with ECNR status.
Hi, i will be going for further studies in to the UK in March. I hv ECR stamp on my passport.
Do i need to submit the passport for ecnr ? How much time does it take ?
@Diip
ECNR is not required for UK.
Thanks Pankaj for your vqluable inputs. As Ecnr is for 18 countries. And our system is so good at nothing specially immi ppl at the airport. But what if these ppl at the airport still hasle you, although you are going to UK.
If I turn in for a stamp at pp office. Would they issue a new passport with a new number ? Am not sure if thats a good idea at the moment cuz they take years to do the simple work and i would need it for visa purpose.
@Diip
Immigration people can’t raise any issue over ECNR at airport if you are not going to these listed countries.
If you still want to get ECNR, you would need to apply for re-issue of passport with ECNR status. It will result into a new passport issue with new number.
hi Pankaj,
Your blog is doing great…as you said for Uk we don’t require ECNR stamp but my question is by any chance if I need to go from Hyderabad — Qatar — UK ? at that time do I need to have ECNR stamp ? Please advise
@Saichand
ECNR is not required for traveling in transit to a listed country. Only end destination country would matter.
nice
Dear Batra, I received my PP in the month of Nov 2011. Where the 2nd Page if filled up with the stamp. Indicating E C Required. About my qualification Completed 10th Class. Holding Pan Card too. Am i eligible for ECNR?
@Jai
Yes you were eligible for ECNR as you are 10th class pass.
Did you checked in passport form that you require ECNR status? If yes, was 10th class certificate copy submitted with form?
If answer is yes, its a passport office mistake to issue ECR even after your eligibility.