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 Mr.Pankaj,
I am matriculation (10th class) discontinued but I have a PAN card, can I get ECNR stamped in my passport during reissue.
Thanks
@Raju
In case you have PAN card, Proof of assessment of income tax and actual payment of income tax for last one year needs to be shown for ECNR eligibility.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your reply but my salary is below taxable limit in this case what can i do?
Thanks
@Raju
If you are not eligible for ECNR, you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
very nice
hi pankaj..
actually i have a query…like, my 2004 issued passport has a ECNR stamp but it was handwritten that its valid only upto october 2011. Now I am in the UK on a post study work currently looking for a job, i plan on visited india for 10days holidays sometime later. I was wondering whether the expired ECNR would be an issue for me to return to Uk after the holidays since i am unemployed at the moment. I had gone to the high commission london and asked if i could renew it.. they had said in a rush that it is not needed and they cannot do anything. I am worried if that big handwritten mark will affect my return back to the UK at the emmigration in india. Please advise me.
@Mary
Expired ECNR won’t be an issue for traveling to UK, as ECNR is not required for UK.
i hv ecr stamp on my passport issued in 1999. i am 51 yrs of age 2day. is ecnr stamp reqd. on my passport
@Shirin
ECNR is only required if you are traveling to any of the below 18 countries for job/business:
United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Brunei, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand and Iraq.
Sir
i am having passport how many day require for E C N R ,
TO GO BEHARIN NEXT MONTH PLEASE REPLY, I AM HAVING PAN CARD, DRIVING LICENCE, PHONE BILL ETC
PLEASE REPLY.
@Agnel
You need to apply for re-issue of passport to get ECNR status. It may take 30-45 days.
In tatkal it may take 7-15 days.
Dear Pankaj,
Please help out on this I don’t have ECNR. I got my passport in the year 2008,but in the second page it is mentioned as emigration check required. I got a job in UAE, a concern person who take care of Visa process from UAE said that i can take my matriculation and Degree certificates to the passport office, and get the stamp from them stating emigration check not required. But one of the passport agent said me that you have to reissue the passport. Please help me out how can i proceed further.
Looking forward for your reply ASAP.
@Vani
As per new process, you would have to get your passport reissued for getting ECNR status.
Please get more information from passport website: http://passportindia.gov.in/
Hello Pankaj,
I want to renew my passport which was expired on last June… & i am self employe so And i didn’t take visit of any country since past ten years..what should i do regarding ECR/ECNR…? plz advice me ASAP.
@Snoofy
If you are eligible for ECNR, better get it done. It won’t cost anything extra while applying for re-issue.
Hi Pankaj,
My passport shows the similar mark as it is shown on this webpage. It is checked as “Emigration check required except for bangladesh, pakistan, all countries in Europe (excluding commonwealth of independent states (CIS)), north america, japan, new-zealand and australia”
I am planning to travel to US. Do I need to do anything before travelling.
Thanks in advance
@Rohit
You do not need ECNR status for traveling to USA.
hi! Pankaj
i m a bit confuse my passport second page is blank issued in 2009 so can u tell me wheather i require ecnr or not.
@Zafar
You won’t require ECNR as your passport is already with ECNR status.
Hi,
I have 3 queries.
1) I have ECR on my passport issued in 2005 and it is valid till 2015. Can I travel to USA with the same passport now.
2) What is the process to get ECNR? can I just get the existing passport stamped with ECNR or do I need to get the passport reissue for it.
3) Since my passport will expire in 2015 if i get the passport reissue based on the condition : “Validity Expired within 3 years/ Due to Expire”, will the new passport will have ECNR status
Thanks,
Aditya
@Aditya
1. For traveling to USA, ECNR status is not required. So you may travel to US w/o any issue.
2. You would need re-issue of passport for ECNR status.
3. If in the new application form, you also apply for ECNR status and submit eligibility proof (Check here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html), Then your new passport would come with ECNR status.
Dear Pankaj,
Thanks for this nice info.
I have applied online for reissue of passport as it is about to expire in june 12, it was issued in 2002 at that time I didn’t applied for ECNR, I may have to go Netherlands to meet my client, I am confused do I need ECNR?
Regards
Monis
@Monis
For Netherlands, you won’t need ECNR status.
Hello Pankaj sir,
i’m tamil nadu. Now in dubai ( 2 1/2 years ). Still my passport Emigration not clear. How i clear my ECR?
@Farid
When you visit India next time, get your passport re-issued with ECNR status.
Check eligibility documents here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
i have a passport issued @ 2004 with ecr… my husband works in uae.. i going to stay with him.. on a resident visa… it’s necessary to get ecnr… as i heard that for resident visa no ecnr is reqired
@Janki
You won’t need ECNR status as you are not going for employment.
Thanks for information… Just tell me one thing… I ll take flight from jaipur… And I ll go with one way ticket… As it is a permanent visa… So it’s ok kya.. Becoz as I said earlier.. I have a ecr passport
@Janki
As you are not going on employment visa, you would not need ECNR status.
is immigration check required for students who goes for studying at uk?
@Shwetha
No, emigration check is not required for students.
hi,pankaj,,, i m lakshmi,, i going to kuwait under dependent visa,,, recently i had taken my passport,, in that i gave my pan card and matriculation copy,,, so i need ECNR or not…
@Lakshmi
As you are going on dependent visa and not on employment visa, you won’t need ECNR status.
i have a passport issued in 2005 with ECR . i am going to thailand for only travel trip for 5 days. no business and employment pupose. can i necessary to get ecr. just i call to passport customer care they tell me from today ecr clearing rule change ,please tell me what i do
@Vijay
You won’t need ECNR as you are not going for employment.
any charges for ecr clearing at airport in india or thailand.any other problem becous of ecr for travlling to thailand for holliday
@Vijay
ECR clearance is not done at airport or in Thailand.
There won’t be any issue for traveling to Thailand for travel purposes without ECNR status.
my daughters pasport says emigration check not required but in pen passport officer has written only till aug 2012 [she turns 18 this month) she is planning to go to singapore for studies in this month i.e august 2012.
@Kake
First, ECNR status is not required for Singapore.
Second, Its also not required for student visit.
Dear Pankaj,
( Tamil Nadu ) Two years before i got dubai emploment visa but my passport ecr is not clear. then my passport sent to hyderbab and Emigration temporary clear and i came here ( dubai). But still my passport ecr is not clear because i am not complete sscl. now what i do ? Pls help . . .
@Steve
Once you complete three years abroad, you would be eligible for ECNR.
Dear Pankaj,
But next mouth is my vacation . chennai return have any emigration problem?
@Steve
There would be issue while returning back from India.
Hi Mr. Punkaj bhai I have one Question the Ecr Stamp already In my passport and i have employment visa of oman i haved pass only 10th so please tell me what is the procidure of ecnr