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
sir do i need ECNR stamp to go Dubai & work for smal companies like calcentres or supermarkets anything like dis?With ECR stamp can i go dubai without any problem?
PLs kindly help me explaining me in detail.kindly help me sir.Thanks a lot
@Kheerthi
For traveling to Dubai for any kind of job/business, you would need ECNR stamp/status on passport.
Thanks a lot for ur information sir.
Hi Pankaj,
I am visiting thailand for 10 days for tourism. Do I need to get ECNR stamp as my current passport carries ECR. Please advice.
Regards,
Mehool.
@Mehool
For tourism purposes, ECNR is not required.
hi pankaj
i need help… i got my passport just five days back. i find that in my passport saying ECR Required. i want to apply for ECNR. i lost my SSLC AND PUC mark cards. but i have my B.COM Marks sheets but i have not completed my degree. if i show my semester marks cards is that will be ok…pls kindly help for this…to clear ECR
REGARDS
Naveed
@Naveed
Marks card is generally not accepted as proof, but degree/passing certificate would be needed.
For full list of documents, see this page: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
thank you pankaj for your valuable reply.. my SSLC TC will work out ???
@Naveed
School leaving certificate won’t be considered as proof.
I newly make my passport and i will leaving UAE on tommarow and also i have PAN card and digree (B.Sc) marksheet can i require ECR
@Krishna
If your passport has ECR mentioned on passport, then you would need ECNR status before leaving for UAE for job/business.
i have a student visa of UAE.. Do i need ecnr to travel to UAE with this visa
@Silu
For student visa, ECNR status is not required.
in visa it is showed that profession is student… Do we need ecnr
@Silu
If its an employment visa, you will need ECNR else not.
Hi Pankaj
I have a passport that was issued in the year 2009. I am planning to travel to Bangkok for tourism for about 10 days.
However, I am confused with this ECR/ ECNR status..my passport has a blank page 2.
I have opted for visa on arrival.
Please advise if I need anything else or I am good to go.
Thanks
@Akanksha
1. For traveling with tourist purposes, ECNR is not required.
2. If your passport has no ECR stamp, its already with ECNR status.
for family visa(resedence visa) we need ,ecnr or not
@Ramakrishna
For family/residence visa, ECNR is not required.
Hi Pankaj sir,
I am living in UAE since last 5 years,my passport with ECNR status,i want to bring my wife in uae just for visit her,i allready got a valid visit visa for her,but her passport has ECR status.ECNR stamp is required now,,,,? Suggest me
Thanks
@Rohit Sharma
For visit visa, your wife won’t require ECNR stamp/status.
iam not clear with ecnr (i want to bring my wife on resedence visa not on emplopyement need ecnr or not)
@Ramakrishna
If person is not going for employment or business, ECNR is not required.
Hi i am Santosh traveling to qatar for a performance for a corporate show, me and my partner have ecr stamp we are traveling on 20th march and return tic is for 22nd march, plz help us and let us knw if we require immigration stamp before we leave for Qatar
@Santosh
There should be not an issue as you are going with a return ticket.
But visa on passport should not be employment one.
I am going UAE at may. I have to make a passport. I am Matriculation (10th class) passed. So which option of ECR/ENCR should check at the time of filling passport form in online.pls rply…..
@Kaustav
You need to check ECNR as you are eligible for getting ECNR.
SIR,I TOOK MY PASSPORT ON 2009.IM ELIGIBLE FOR ECNR STATUS,BT NOTHING IS MENTIONED IN PAGE 2.AS PER NEW RULES,I HAVE TO CHANGE MY PASSPORT OR NOT?
@Jinson
As second page is blank, your passport is already with ECNR status. You need not to get ECNR again.
Hi Pankaj,
My wife and I are both MBA post Graduates and hold a PAN card.My wife got a new passport issued recently on 2nd MArch 2012 (new passport because of change in name after marriage). However it had a ECR stamp (this was issued from PPT office thane). I got my passport issued in OCt 2006 and it has no stamp (i am assuming since its before 2007 it is an ECR case as well). The funnynthing is my wifes old passport whhich was issued in 2008 did not carry any stamp (so as per the rule it is ECNR, since issued after 2007). IS this some kind of mistake, why did she get ECR afetr she is a post graduate though she is not been working for 3 years.
Can you help in the following:
1. BAsed on the old passport can i get her pasport converted to ECNR?
2. If i go to Dubai or Thailand for a vacation for upto ten days, would i need to get a ECNR? What would be the formality for this?
I would be grateful if you can give me an answer asap, so taht I can take the steps accordingly.
Thanks
@Abhijit
If you have not mentioned ECNR status required in passport application, they would give ECR only.
In case you mentioned ECNR and submitted eligibility proofs as well and still passport office gave ECR, its a fault at their end. For this you should file a complaint and ask for correction.
ECNR won’t be required for vacation travel to any country. It would only be required if one is going for employment in one of the listed countries.
“Are you eligible for non-ECR categary? ” what does mean?
i fill have fill “yes”. Is this okay for password applying. Or should i changed it. I am filling online application form for password. Please suggest.
@Arun
In case you are eligible for ECNR status (check required documents here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html), you would apply with non-ECR category only.
Hi Sir ,
I am traveling to Malaysia for Employment my passport has ECR stamp As per new process I applied for new passport for deletion of ECR now my problem is My old passport has Malaysia valid Visa which has ECR stamp and my new passport don’t have ECR stamp and don’t have Malaysia Visa. Please let me know do I need to have Visa stamp on new passport or is it ok if I carry both passports during immigration check at airport.Validity of my old passport is upto 2014
@Rakesh
Its required to carry all passports together. Visa on passport would still be valid.
we need ecnr stamp, i am incomplite sslc we have tc, i am working 2 yaer in uae.now we have emplyment visa,how to get ecnr stamp pls help me sir.
@Mohamed Rafi
You would need to apply for re-issue of passport with ECNR status.
Check eligibility conditions and required documents for ECNR here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
I am planing to travel South Africa for work so do i need ECNR stamp on my passport
@Nitin
For South Africa, ECNR is not required.
I want to go to Dubai on Student Visa what is the process to take my wife along. I have not yet registered in any university . Please help me to know what is the right process where we both can go. And i am looking for some masters in Hospitality Management.
Thanks
@Choudhary
We don’t have much knowledge on subject of Dubai Visa. Please consult a travel/visa agent for same.
i hav busies visa for 96hrs,so emigration check req or not.
@Shiron
It should not be required for such short term visa.