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
Hello sir my ticket & visa is ready to OMAN
i was going 9th Jan, 2014 but i has problem in the airport for ECNR and after i could go back to home and after i going travel for application, then i get appointment dated on 16th Jan, 2014 and that time cancelled my passport by office and issue re-passport.
My question
========
1. passport expired date 2016 this passport have already visa but ECNR time i get re-issue passport so can i any trouble by visa & ticket from India OR Oman airport?
@Gautam
Visa on old passport would still be valid, you need to carry both passports together.
my brother in law , and his parents are got a tourist visa to uae . I arranged it through a travel agency . When I checked the passport of bother in law , noticed that EMIGRATION CLEARNCE REQUIRED “. He is mentally retarded . Is it necessary to get the emigration clearance suspension before his travel . He is accompanying with his parents . All of them having the confirmed return ticket also . Please give me a right advise .
@Abhilash
For tourist visa, ECNR is not required for any country, so they may travel without any issue.
Many many thanks …TO Mr. Pankaj..
Hiee sir I hav my pasport but in it there is no stam of ecr. So tht means my pasport is ecnr ? Coz I got my job visa from uae to work there. So I m bit confused that do I need to get stamp ? Any ? As this is my 1st job.
@Melvin
If there is no ECR stamp on your passport, its by default with ECNR status.
That means I can fly to dubai in job visa ? Without any immigration and all ! Jst get tkt and fly ? Or do I need to do anything before going to dubai. ! Thanx.
@Melvin
Yes, You need not to get any emigration clearance before leaving.
without any of stamp means ECR or ECNR can fly 2 dubai..
@Amey
Yes, without any stamp of ECR/ECNR.
so question of sending back 2 home…than and thanx mr,
pankaj
hiee sir i have a problem what Mr. melvin has. but i dont have vise
Hi
i have got job oppurtunity from Muscat (Oman), I am post graduate but my passort is endorsed with ECR stamp. date and place of issue is Jan 2005. Bhopal
Am i eligible for Job in oman with ECR. i have appointment letter from emplyoee.
from where i can change ECR to ECMR
@Dhirendra
You can get ECNR status only by applying for reissue of passport. You can submit 10th class certificate as eligibility proof.
If you don’t have much time for passport reissue, you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Dear Sir,
At present I am leaving in Dubai. I am a engineer. I have 2 year residence visa in my present passport. In my passport ECR stamp is there. First time I taken immigration suspension stamp from POE. Now I am going for leave in India. when I return back to India to UAE then again ECR require? On that basis I will do the process for this. My passport is expire in August 2015.
@Galani
You would again need emigration clearance from PoE while coming back.
You can get permanent ECNR status by getting passport reissued after submitting eligibility proof.
I read the passport Instruction booklet and found below in page 4.Note: A passport holder having employment visa in passport does not require clearance from POE when they go back after short visit to India.
Is it right?
@Galani
Logically it should be acceptable.
But with Indian emigration officers at airport, you never know. What’s their definition of short visit.
i apply a fresh passport …
in that i selected non-ecnr category (Y). but iam planning to go to KSA for the job purpose then how to make ECR Stamp on my passport …
@Saleem
You may have selected non-ECR and not non-ECNR as you mentioned. In case your passport does not have ECR stamp, it would be by default with ECNR status.
For going to KSA for employment you need ECNR status and not ECR.
In case your passport already has ECNR status, you need not to do anything and can travel without any issue to KSA for job.
dear sir i have visa for qatar my last passport have ecnr but new passport now what can id do now i have qatar visa how cen get ecnr
@Abdul
Does you new passport has ECR stamp? If yes, then only you would need ECNR status.
Else, passport is by default with ECNR status and you need not to do anything.
yes they stamp ecr now i have visa Qatar how cen get also how may days take time
@Abdul
Either you have to get passport reissued for ECNR status, or get emigration clearance from PoE office.
hi my passport is having ECR stamp and i was going to qatar for interview but i was not allow to board the floght as my visa was written as work business visa.Now i had call to POE they are telling that they required a letter from qatar embassy but qatar qirways is not giving any letter nor they will issue visit visa or busniess visa now what i should do.should i reissue my passport or poe will endorse my pass port with ECNR
@Akil
PoE cannot give emigration clearance without offer letter from employer or embassy.
If you don’t have these, only option now is to get passport reissued for ECNR status.
You can also get visit visa and fly on same.
Thanks pankaj
Hi, My husband is planning to travel to US and has got his business visa also stamped in his passport. But there is one more stamping stating ECR in this passport.Is he eligible to travel and it is urgent travel.So,is there any issue while entering in US.
@VruGopi
ECNR/ECR does not matter for US. There won’t be any issue w.r.t. ECR while entering US or leaving India.
My husband holds a manager visa in dubai n was supposed to travel yesterday but he couldnt because he dint have ecnr endorsed in his passport. He had lost his 10th and 2nd pu marksheet. He holds a diploma in hotel management from france. Would this be acceptable for change from ecr to ecnr status.
Another way to get ecnr endorsed would be according to the clause no 6. I hold a bachelors degree in engineering and have ecnr endorsed in my passport. Will this work. If yes then what are the documents to be provided and hpw long will it take under tatkal scheme?
@Younus
Yes, he can get ECNR status on basis of spouse professional degree.
You would need to submit copy of your degree certificate and an attested copy of marriage certificate issued by the Marriage Registrar or Joint Affidavit as per Annexure D.
Also your name needs to be endorsed in the applicant’s passport.
Under tatkal application, it should take max 10-15 days.
i have visa i need ecnr how can get stamp
@Abdul
Get ECNR status by getting passport reissued.
Hii,all,.I have a visa for Dubai,which is company sponsorship,but in my passport ecr is written,what should I do,is clearance is required,
@Ersad
As you would be going to Dubai for job, you would need emigration clearance or ECNR status.
For ECNR status, please get your passport reissued by submitting non-ECR eligibility proof (check here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html). If you don’t have time for reissue, you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Dear sir,
Can i get the details of the requirements of emigration for Indonesia at trivandrum
@Chandrasekhar
If you are leaving for Indonesia for employment, either you need to have ECNR status on passport or emigration clearance from PoE office.
hello
i am employment visa in uae and i would like to call my wife to live with me on familly visa , my wife hold ecr stamp on her visa . as i understand there is no problem tarvling other the epmloyment . can you please confirm
@Deepak
As she won’t be going on employment visa, she can travel even with a ECR status passport.
I have an ecr stamp on my passport and I am a seamen and on my 10 std marks sheet my father’s name der is a spelling mistake so to retcify it its taking all most 1 year is der any other option please help me
@Frank
You can see all eligibility documents here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Hello sir …
i have a query that my passport verfication status is been pending for police verfication after the police verfication is done at my home still from 15days please suggest me what i have do right now
..
@Saleem
Sometimes police station takes time in sending verification status back. Please confirm from local station for same.
thaks for your reply sir