in Government, India, Travel |

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
Facebook Comments
Jack of multiple trades. A generalist! Founder of Sparse Labs. Find me at FB, Twitter or LinkedIn .

Published

Write a Comment

Comment

4,643 Comments

  1. my passport was issued in march 2006. on the ECNR page there is Passport office stamp and PAssport officers stamp and signature.

    They have put dash on the ECR paragraph (bangla, pal etc) and have not touch ECNR (text).

    does this mean I do not ECNR. is ECNR stamp special one or just passport office stamp

    Reply to dpkrjptl

  2. Hi my parents have visiting visa to USA and they will be visiting my in july, my mom passport has ecr stamp and my dad doesn’t have any stamps at all. Does they need to do anything they are jsut visting USA…. and will be transiting in doha..

    Reply to sridhar

  3. I’m travelling to UK for a business trip and I have a ECR Checked.. Do i need to get a ECR deleted ? Am i okay to travel along with a ECR check ?

    Thanks

    Reply to kaka

  4. My passport has been renewed recently(30.6.12) without ECNR/ECR stamp.My earlier passport had ECNR stamp marked . I am an Engineer and at the age of 57 yrs .Should I apply for ECNR stamp . AK BHAUMIK

    Reply to AK

  6. I take a permenant visa last year .Emigration also stamped in my passport.now i cancel that visa.I want to take new visa.If i need to stamp my emigration once again or note

    Reply to george

  8. hi pankaj …need to know if der is no ecr or ecnr on the passport is it ok for work visa …please confirm and can the documents get attested from uae itself for faster service

    Reply to kris

  9. I need want to study and employment in Canada.., i m age 27 yrs.. I have pasport was issued in SEP 2005, and there is a stamp of ECR on page 3..i have 10th pass Certificate.plz help me

    Reply to Amanpreet

  11. Dear Pankaj,
    My son aged 11 having ECNR with a condition says, “ECNR granted till he attains18 years of age and provided he is accompanied by any or both parents”.
    My wife and me are residing in UAE and he is studying in India. He is having valid UAE residency Visa. Is there any possibility for him to travel alone to UAE during his school holidays.
    Kindly advise.
    Thanks
    Benny

    Reply to Benny

  12. Hi Pankaj,
    I have applied to H1B category visa for USA this year. I have passport issued in 2008 and there is a stamp of ECR on page 2, Now do I need ECNR for getting my visa stamping.

    Please advice.

    Thanks,
    Dhananjay

    Reply to Dhananjay

    • @Dhananjay
      For USA, ECNR is not required. So it does not matter what ECR/ECNR stamp you have on passport, there would not be any issue in USA visa because of that.

      Reply to Pankaj

      • Hi Pankaj,

        Thanks for the quick response. I was badly looking for this information.
        thanks a lot again. really appreciate your help.

        Reply to dhananjay

  13. i have ECR passport.can i go possible to Dubai for tourist?If possible any formalities is there and any document required?

    Reply to P

  14. Hi Pankaj,
    I was working in dubai but got my visa cancelled and have got offer from new company, but for applying for my new visa they are asking for ECNR stamp on my passport.

    my passport was issued in aug 2010 from delhi and the second page does not have any stamp , i am BE engineer with attested degree.

    Do i still require a stamp and will i be able to get a stamp of ECNR from delhi passport office and how much time it takes to get the stamp and what all documents i need to submit other than my degree and bank statement.

    kindly reply on urgent basis

    Reply to amit

  15. hi pankaj

    pls help me with this query. I received an entry permit from my employer in dubai..it contains my old passport number which did not have ecnr. Now i have applied for a new passport with ecnr. Will my entry permit become invalid now? no other details are changed. only the passport number will change.

    Reply to paru

    • You can travel without any problem. I had same issue as yours. My visa had old passport number which had ECR. I got new passport & didnt face any problem travelling. Remember to carry both passports.

      Reply to Trav

  16. Dear Pankaj,

    My Brother passport was issued in October 2003 and having ECR Status on his passport. I have already got his Bahrain employment visa on his ECR Status passport.

    What are procedures of getting ECNR Stamp on his passport?
    My brother enquired in passport office thane, but they said him that they will re-issue new passport with new issue date and expiry date on new passport book.

    This new information will not match with visa details? Please assist me in finding out the way out.

    Reply to Wasim

    • @Wasim
      Passport needs to be re-issued for ECNR status.
      Procedure for it is same as a new passport application.
      Visa on old passport would still be valid and he needs to carry both new and old passports.

      Reply to Pankaj

  17. Hi.
    I am trying to get employ visa for my daughter. 3 year before she visit in dubai . She have a emigration stemp up to 2010. Ecnr will teke time. She have to joint distance study MBA. Please advice what to do. her pass port exp date 2013.
    Thanks Advance.
    Amarjit Saini

    Reply to Amarjit

  18. I am George Babu. I am in Dubai withpermenant partner visa.I take emigration clerance that stamped in my passport.but now i cancelled my visa and take new one that also permenant partner visa.my ECNR has three year validity.in this situation i need to stamp new ECNR or not,if i need it can i take it from Dubai,otherwise i will face any problem in indian emigration departmeny.

    Reply to George

    • @George
      If your emigration clearance still has validity, there won’t be any need to get it again. Just make sure that clearance stamping is not only valid for that previous visa.

      Reply to Pankaj

  19. I have got a job in Dubai and also received my visa today. I have the ECR status (ECNR is cancelled on page 2). I need to travel this weekend for the job. Is it possible to get a one-time ECNR clearance from POE office? What are the documents required?

    Reply to Shreyas

    • @Shreyas
      You can try getting emigration clearance from PoE office. I am not really sure about time it takes.
      ECNR status would need re-issue of passport and that would take atleast 30-45 days under normal conditions.

      Reply to Pankaj

      • I have applied for passport re-issue as of now. But I am facing a new worry now. My work visa is on the current passport. I will get a new passport after re-issuing. So will the visa be valid then?

        Reply to Shreyas