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 we have Iraq visa and i am going to work ,my passport have ecr stamp how i make ECNR passport urgent Req.
@Raju Ram
You will have to apply for reissue of passport with ECNR status.
sir how many day for reisse passport in jaipur we need urgent
@ECR
Even in case of tatkal, minimum 10-15 days would be taken.
15 days or before if police report send urgent, passport will come in 7 days
Sir I have ECR Passport and I am working in libya. I will go short leave after 2 months
I have only 10 days leave.If I apply reissue passport by tatkaal’ it’s take min 15 days
How can I solve this problem Please give me your good satiation.
@Md Asad
You can get emigration clearance from PoE office, if you don’t have enough time.
You can apply online here: http://www.poeonline.gov.in/
no problem, it will not take that much time, you take bank statement of 12 to 14 months, and pan card or any supportive documents, and ssc and passport with same spells, manage police for verification urgent, if old verification is okay it no need to further inquiry, then you will receive the passport in (3) days, or it will take 6 to 8 days only.
Sir Poe office how much time take and which document need for POE office
I chequed POE form but my certificate date of birth and passport date of birth diffrents,
which one I use in POE. Can you give me details of POE form
@Md Asad
From PoE, it may take 1-3 days.
You would need following documents for emigration clearance at PoE office:
1. Passport (valid atleast 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
Hi Pankaj Batra ,
My Mother is 50 years Old and her Passport requires a ECR Clearance. She is travelling to Dubai.
We stay in Bangalore . Please let me know the Procedure taht i have follow to get a ECR Clearance.
Regards,
Hemanth Rai B B
@Hemanth
If she is not traveling on employment visa, she does not need ECNR status.
In case she is going for job, she can get ECNR status on passport by applying for reissue of passport.
Dear sir,
Sorry sir,I don’t understand what is Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Policy 2006,
Because I have no any Bima policy,
@Md.Asad
You should buy this policy before emigration clearance from PoE office.
Good morning. My brother in law got labour visa from bahrain. They need ecnr stamp. Where can they do. Can u advice. He is from chennai.can it be done direct . How much it cost for labour visa. Thanks in advance.
at passport office apply in tatkal fee for reissue in normal 1500 and tatkal 3,500/- if police verification is previous clear, in normal it will be take time for 5 days, or else 10 days, if new passport apply passport with ecnr, submit 10th class or above docu. bank statement and id’s maximum 2 or 3
@Faisal
He should apply for reissue of passport to get ECNR status. It can be directly done in passport office.
hello sir, in my passport my wife name is Sufiya Shaik, actually her name is Sufiya Tabassum as per hindus i changed her name after marriage, now i have to take her passport how will i apply, and one more problem is my wife name in SSC and inter is Sofiya Tabasssum and in professional certificates i.e., Degree and B.Ed. Sufiya Tabassum and her ID’s also Sufiya Tabassum, please suggest me as soon as possible
Hi Sir,
In my passport they have ECR stamp. Now I completed 3 1/2 years in dubai. How i clear ECR in my passport.
@Shaikh
You can get ECNR status by applying for reissue of passport.
can I reissue in dubai?
@Shaikh
Yes, you can get passport reissued in Dubai.
Thank you very much Mr.Pankaj
hello sir, in my passport my wife name is Sufiya Shaik, actually her name is Sufiya Tabassum as per hindus i changed her name after marriage, now i have to take her passport how will i apply, and one more problem is my wife name in SSC and inter is Sofiya Tabasssum and in professional certificates i.e., Degree and B.Ed. Sufiya Tabassum and her ID’s also Sufiya Tabassum, please suggest me as soon as possible
@Shabbir
This page is about ECR/ECNR queries and we have little knowledge on passport name issues.
Please contact any passport agent and he may be able to help you out.
sorry sir okay
does re stamping for ECR after crossing the age of 18 involve reissuing of the passport all together or is it done in the same existing passport?
@Nitish
It would require reissuing of passport.
Hi.. I’m travelling to Abu Dhabi on spouse visa in 10 days, and my passport has the ECR stamp. Since I don’t have time to apply for a reissued passport, will I be able to travel without a return ticket?? Also, my spouse’s name is not on my passport, but I have copies of our marriage certificate. Thanks for your help and the valuable imformation.
@Garima
In case you are not traveling on employment visa, you won’t need ECNR status.
Dear sir,
My passport date of birt and cetificate date of birth diffrent between 4.6 years
and my passport is ECR. I wants to Reissue passport,but I confuised for date of birth ,what I do. Please give me full details,
@Md Asad
You can submit any other eligibility document for ECNR status.
Check all documents here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Hi, I appreciate your generous efforts sir .
I am above to leave qatar on job visa, My passport is issued in 2006,I have ECR stamp on it, I am an MBA graduate,DO I need ECNR stamp , I am confused ,kindly assist me .Thanks is advance.
@Ali
Yes, you would need ECNR status as you are going on employment visa.
hello sir ,
My passport does’nt have any stamp on its second page, what does it mean,it is issued before 2007. I got job offer from qatar. and am graduate. Please advise me, I already booked my air ticket next week. Regards.
@Moosa
No ECR endorsement means ECNR status by default.
Hi,
I got my employment visa to travel to Dubai. But at the Chennai airport I was sent back coz I don’t have an ECNR stamp. What are the procedures to get this done as soon as possible, as I need to join my work immediately?
@Aswin
You can get emigration clearance from PoE office, if you don’t have time for passport reissue for ECNR status.
Hello sir,
I got employment visa from UAE but my passport is having ECR Stamp.
Can you pls suggest me How can I proceed for to get ECNR stamp and pls let me know what documents required for this procedure.
Thanks & Regards
@Pavan
You should get passport reissued for ECNR status.
This page has document list required for same: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Pankaj Sir,
I have managed to get my brother visa for pipefitter trade for Bahrain. His passport is ECR and now since his employment visa is available, how can he be able to do ECNR Status on his passport.
He cannot apply for re-issue of passport with ECNR Status, since by doing this his passport details will change and visa will become invalid.
PLEASE HELP US TO HANDLE THIS SITUATION
@Wasim
Visa would not become invalid on reissue of passport. Old passport needs to be carried along with reissued one.
If still you don’t want to get passport reissued you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Pankaj Sir,
Can my brother go directly to POE santacruz and get ECNR Status, as his visa has been directly issued through me and no agent involved in his recruitment. He is unqualified and hence we are confused how to do his ECNR Status.
I have completed B.Tech from Hyderabad, JNTU. I am going to Canada to do my M.S. in Canadian University in Montreal. My Passport has Emigration Check Required (ECR) Stamp on it. Do I need to get this converted into Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR), before I travel to Canada.
@Madhukar
For traveling to Canada, one does not need ECNR status. So you can fly even with ECR stamped passport.