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
why? KUWAIT embassy wants the attested copies of educational certificates.please explain.
sir please my wife Having ECNR Passport i take to kuwait work visa but wife 22 years old some man talking this age peroblem your wife is cont go kuwait please tell me sir any contract noumber have?
@Farook
There should not be an issue because of wife’s age as her age is more than 18 years.
Hi Pankaj was just reading the ECNR and my passport was issued in december 2006 and has a blank page … I have an employment offer from UAE jus wanted to check it is eliglble ..I also went to the passport office to check and he said no stamp required but whats written about ECNR is Different so please can u confirm and tell me if my passport is ECNR and whether its good to go for employment Thanks
@Kris
Your passport is with ECNR status by default as it has blank second page.
hiii pankaj
my friend passport have ecr status is he go dubai and singapore he is not qualified for ecnr status.
@Raj
If he is going to Dubai for employment purpose, he would need ECNR status or emigration clearance from PoE.
hi i’m doctor got job in UAE And my passport carries ecr stamping. i just renewed my passport 6 months back but still carries ecr stamping. so can i get ecnr from Abu dhabi directly.
@Anant
You can’t leave India unless you have ECNR status on passport or get emigration clearance from Protector of emigrants office.
i am from navi mumbai nerul , this is 1st time i am going to USA becoz got marry to USA citizen boy i hv no idea abt ECNR Can u PLZ help me , by answering my Question do i req this ecnr stamp on my passport , i hv done only H.S.C my age is 31 now
@Pallavi
For traveling to USA, ECNR is not required.
I hv renewed my old passport which had ECNR,nw new one has ECR & m travelling to singapore will that be a problem to get visa?
@Vikram
For Singapore, ENCR is not required.
Thanks lot PANKAJ 🙂
i cm to kn that i need the stamp of ministry of eternal affairs on my passport .but i don’t required ECNR stamp .
@Pallavi
As per our knowledge, you don’t need any stamp from ministry of external affairs on passport for traveling to USA.
Hi Pankaj
I am going to USA this fall on F1 visa to study.
I have an ECR stamp on my passport.
Will there be any problem while leaving india or at the port of entry in the US?
Thanks
@Atirek
ECNR is not required for US so there won’t be any issue wrt ECNR while leaving India or entering into US.
Thanks 🙂
Will i be able to get ECR converted to ECNR while i am in the US?
That is if i want to travel to any country which is in the list for employment purpose
@Atirek
You will need to get passport re-issued for ECNR status.
Moreover, ECNR is only required once you are leaving India for any of the listed 18 countries for employment.
Thanks 😀
I hav renewed my old ECR stamp passport by Regional Passport Office Bhopal (M.P.),
now it carries “ECR (Emmigration Check Required) endorse on back page has been cancelled by Regional Passport Officer” & then Seal & Signature put on same passport.
so whether it is requirement of clearance from protector of emigrants for employment visa for Sharjah (UAE) Location. Please Suggest me very soon, it urgent
@Animesh
As your passport now has ECR cancelled, that means ECNR status has been provided, now you don’t need clearance from PoE office.
Thanks u sir
hi pankaj my passprt was issued in 2004 whch has ECR I am travellng to riyadh for job for ECNR only pancard is enough r some other documents also needed & how many days does it take for this procedure.plz reply
@Fasi
Passport would be re-issued for ECNR status. It may take 30-45 days.
For required documents list, check this page: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
What is Police Clearance Certificate, India this link my hubby gv two me
http://forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?547757-What-is-Police-Clearance-Certificate- in that tehy hv gv in point no – 5and 6
read this
5. The police clearance itself consists of a document issued by the Govt of India, Ministry of External Affairs, Regional Passport Office and bears the heading POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE. It reads “There is no information against XYZ holder of Indian Passport No ABC….. which would render him/her ineligible for the grant of travel facilities including visa for: (the name of the country eg USA). It will be signed by/for Regional Passport Officer and bear the stamp of ministry of eternal affairs.
6. The passport will have a stamp headed ‘Observation’. The stamp will include ‘endorsement#’ (same as the ref no. on the above document), date and ‘P.C.C. issued for’….. (the name of the country eg USA). Again it will be signed by/for the regional passport office and bear the stamp of ministry of external affairs.
he told me i req this stamp
@Pallavi
You can apply online for police clearance certificate: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/online/pccOnlineApp
what is the validity period of passport clearance certificate for US
@Pallavi
We don’t have any idea about this.
Hi Pankaj ,
Thx for ur suggestions.
I need to have an urgent ECNR stamping. I need it in one week. Should I go to any agent and get it done or I can use any tatkal scheme ? Please let me know the same.
Thx in advance.
@Shaurya
Most probably, you won’t be able to get passport re-issued in one week.
Its better to get emigration clearance from Protector of Emigrants (PoE) as it may take less time.
My motherin law is coming to meet us in Dubai. She is 69 years old and her passport was issued in January 2003.
The airline has given us an OK to board message. Will she require ECNR. Should she go the immigration office or is the age of senior citizen will be ok to travel.
@Mathew
She won’t require ECNR as she is not going for employment.
Thank you Pankaj. I have made her do an ECNR stamp from the passport office.
I appreciate your prompt reply.
Hi Mr. Pankaj, i m in uae for almost 3yrs, now my visa is getting expired my company is renewing my visa, but i had a stamping of emigration not required against my current visa/contract, now i will have 2yrs visa stamped on my pp will i have any issue on my emigration, please advice
@Rohan
You may be stopped at emigration counter while leaving India as ECNR staus won’t be valid for new visa.
So whenever you go back to India, make sure to get passport reissued with ECNR status or get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Dear Sir,
Can i possible to go Dubai with ECR passport for tourist purpose?If go can i collect NOC from PoE or any other documents need?
@Rajesh
For tourist purposes, ECNR is not required, so you may travel with ECR status on passport.
Just go to website http://moia.gov.in/services.aspx?mainid=73 and read.ur tension will get over.
This website is all about emmigration ,just go through it and ur query will get resolved or atleast u will find a way .
Dear Pankaj,
Good Evening !!
I have not completed my SSC OR HSC, but then i have applied for Equivalent to HSC Certification course (Preparatory) from YCOUM University. In which I scored above 60 % this course was consists of Just 2 subject English & Mathematics.
Requesting you to Kindly confirm is this certificate accepted for ECNR ? say as if I need to go & work in UAE, or those 18 country.
Awaiting your reply !!
Thanks & Regards,
Suraj
@Suraj
High school certificate would be necessary for getting ECNR status.
Please check if you are eligible under any other category as per this page :http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Dear Pankaj,
it says :- School leaving certificate / Secondary School leaving certificate/ Certificate of Recognized Boards from the school last attended by the applicant OR ANY OTHER RECOGNIZED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.
Will my certificate not be excepted in (ANY OTHER RECOGNIZED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION). As I have certificate which says Equivalent to HSC & the University is well known.
Thanks
@Suraj
I am not sure if it would be accepted.
I am right now in duabi working & my visa is getting expired in sep my company has told me to renew the contract,
My Quire is
Emigration stamping was done through an agent when i came to dubai ,The stamping is from POE it says against my Visa but my visa is getting expired, renewal will be new visa or the old..?? if it is old or new will i have to get it emigration stamped again
from POE ?, IF i renew my visa here in dubai will i have any issue on emigration or if i am going to india from dubai will i have any issue, will my visa get renewed , Kindly advice please
@Rohan
There won’t be any issue until you go back to India.
You won’t be able to come back from India without ECNR status or emigration clearance on new visa.