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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. Sir, I want to bring my wife @UAE on house wife visa,please advise is she required ECNR stamp? loking fwd for your kind reply….thanks

    Reply to Balbhim

  2. sir,
    My mom and me are planning to go to dubai in the next week…My dad has been working over there since a long time and he is issuing a family visa for my mom (she wont be working there), while he will be sending a visit visa of 3 months for me. I am planning to look for a job over there within the next 3 months. The 2nd page of both of our passports is blank. Do we need to have a ECNR stamp on our passports ?? Or should i get the ECNR after i get a job and go back to dubai with the company’s employment visa ??

    Kindly elaborate on the ECNR status for me as well as as my moms passports.

    Reply to vinita

  3. Sir, one more question…when i come back to India after 3 months with the company’s employment visa, do i need to have a ECR stamp or ECNR stamp on my passport for returning back to Dubai ??

    Reply to vinita

  4. Dear sir,
    I need to go to Malavi as part of consultatant team. 2nd page of my passport is not blank. Before this once I went to Kuwait & once to Oman.That time ECNR siamping was made. Now for Malavi which is southeast African country, is ECNR stamp required or not ?

    Reply to Narayan

  5. Hi

    I would like to know if a person is going for work abroad and ECNR in the passport , does he still have to get a clearance certificate from the POE .
    Kindly advise .

    Reply to Parvathy

  6. Hi Pankaj,

    Iam planning for a visit to Germany not for educational or employment purposes. However, my passport contains ECR stamp.

    Could you please advice do I need to get ECNR stamp before leaving India?? If not, can I have the ECR clearence once am back to India for any future purposes??

    Thanks for your help in advance…..!!!!!

    Reply to Soujanya

      • Hi Pankaj,

        Thanks for the reply…..!!!

        I would like to check if I can apply for ECR clearance once am back to India for future purposes??? That wouldn’t be a problem once the Passport has Visa Stamping of Germany??? I am clear since Germany doesnot require ECNR but just in case if I need to trave to any other country which requires ECR clearance???

        Reply to Soujanya

  8. Hi Pankaj

    Thanx for your mail .

    I would like to knw .The new passports being issued off late doent have the ECNR page .So is it still valid for Employment abroad . I mean do we need to get any clearance for the same.

    Reply to Parvathy

  9. Dear pankaj

    this is venkatesh my sister got a job in dubai and he have a emigration check required and i want to know weather my sister is eligible for go abroad or not however she studied 7th std and she has not paid the income tax also

    Reply to venkatesh

  11. Hi Pankaj,

    I have ECR on my passport and I have to travel to Dubai for employment on 28th April 2012. However, as my education documents are not yet attested by Consulate General of UAE, my employer is giving me a visit visa for the time being. Will I need a ECNR stamp for a visit visa as well. I have heard that the passport office now do not issue ECNR stamp instead they re-issue the passport. In that case do I need a POE stamp and what all documents will I need for POE stamp.

    Please reply.

    Thanks & Regards,
    Sumit Garg

    Reply to Sumit

    • @Sumit
      On visit visa, ECNR is not required, But if you intend to work there, its better to go with ECNR status.
      Passport needs to be reissued for getting ECNR status.
      If you are unable to get ECNR status, you would need emigration clearance from POE office.

      Below are addresses of Protector of Emigrant offices:
      1. Delhi: Jaisalmar House, Canteen Block, Man Singh Road, New Delhi, Tel No. 011-23382472
      2. Mumbai: Building E, Khira Nagar, S.V. Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai-400054, Tel No. 022-26147393
      3. Kolkata: Room No. 116 A Wing, 3rd MSO Building, DF Block, Salt Lake, Kolkata-700064, Tel No. 033-23343407
      4. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Housing Board Complex, Ashok Nagar, Chennai-600083, Tel No. 044-24891337
      5. Hyderabad: 8th Floor, Chandra Vihar Complex, Opp. Exhibition Ground, M.J. Road, Hyderabad.
      6. Thiruvananthapuram: Suganth, 24/846 (I), Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram-695014, Tel No. 0471-2324835
      7. Chandigarh: Kendriya Sadan, 5th Block, Ground Floor, Sector-9-A, Chandigarh, Tel No. 0172-2741790
      8. Cochin: Mercy Estate, 4th Floor, Ravi Puram, MG Road, Cochin. 682015, Tel. No. 0484-2360187

      Reply to Pankaj

      • Hi Pankaj,

        Thanks for your reply. As per your advise I have requested my employer to issue me an employment visa before my travel to Dubai. I just want to be sure that POE stamp will be sufficient in my case (ECR Passport) for traveling to Dubai and I wont be stopped at emigration counter in India.

        Please reply.

        Thanks & Regards,
        Sumit Garg

        Reply to Sumit

  12. PANKAJ SIR GREAT SERVICE UR GIVING FOR NEEDY PEOPLE SIR I HAV PASSPORT ISSUED FRM BANGLORE 2004 ECR STAMP ON IT SO IM LEAVING KUWAIT THIS MNT SO I HAV COMPLETED ALL MY FORMALITIES LIKE PCC CLEARANCE AND VISA ENDORSMENT FRM EMBASSY ALL THINGS COMPLETED NOW I CAME TO KNOW ABT ECNR SO HOW FAST CAN I GET FRM RPO AND IF I GO FOR POE IT WIL B PERMINENT Or TEMP SO I HEARD FRM RPO DEY WIL REISSUE MY PASSPORT I HAV TO CARRY TWO PASSPORT BCOS I HAV PCC CLEARD AND VISA ENDORS ON MY OLD PASSPORT AGAIN PASSPORT NO WIL BE CHANGE IF I REISSUE MY PASSPORT SO PLS TELL ME PERMINENT AND GOOD ADVICE SO IN FUTURE I SHOULD NOT GET ANY PROB HOPE U WILL WAITNG FOR U REPLY U HAV HELP BY ADVICE FOR 1000 HELP ME WID GOOD ADVICE THANK U SIR

    Reply to HUSSAIN

  13. Hello Mr. Pankaj
    Does it require ECNR check for bringing my wife on Visit Visa from New Delhi to Qatar? I got family visit visa for Doha Qatar. My wife is not eligible for the category of ECNR.
    So her passport holds ECR. Can give the suggestion plz.
    As per indian emmigration rules to travel to qatar the person should have ECNR.

    Reply to Sahil

  14. sir i received my passport validity is from 28/3/2012 to 27/3/2012 and their is no such stamp on my passport’s second page ..going abroad for job purpose .. so do i have to endorse myself with ECNR ?? can i travel all of the countries mentioned above ???? i am a graduate

    Reply to akram

    • @Akram
      As your passport does not have ECR mentioned, its already with ECNR status. You need not to get any more ECNR stamping and can visit any country for employment on a valid visa.

      Reply to Pankaj

  15. Hai Pankaj , It seems that the Emmigration officer has not put his sign near the Emmigration seal . I’am already in Dubai Now . Will it create any problem to me once I visit back India? My passport was issued on 20th March 2012.
    Kindly reply.

    Reply to Harsh

  16. Hi Pankaj,
    Basically i have ECR stamp in my passport and now am in Dubai with employment visa. I came through visit visa and went to neighbor country for the visa change. Now I have the Dubai resident stamp also in my passport. If i go India will i face any issue at emigration counter on my return ?
    Your Advice will be much appreciated !

    Reply to Nazeer

  17. Thanks.
    Continued…
    I thought POE approval can be solve my problem for the time-being solution. I spoke to chennai POE authorities and they told there wont be any issues while going back from chennai to UAE , since you have a employment and resident visa.

    Reply to Nazeer

  18. Thanks Mr.Expert!
    Finally May i know how long they take to provide POE clearance and what are the documents which i need to submit .. Because I will be in india just for a week. I knew ECNR can’t be done in 1 week through passport office.

    Reply to Nazeer

    • @Nazeer
      I don’t have much idea about time frame for POE clearance. Frankly I have not got it done ever.
      They would require employment proof (appointment/offer letter), valid visa on passport, address and ID proof copies.

      Reply to Pankaj

  19. I have a valid passport . But I need ECNR Report. But I don’t have any Above said required document. I am a illitrate person. kindly advise me what to do. i want to go Dubai. But the Agent said you have first need ECNR Report

    Reply to Harnek