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
I have Oman residence card,passport .and to21st April 2014 ticket and returning ticket and26April2014 .but my passport not have ecnr stamp …any problem in traveling .i m not employees my father is working there
@Partham
As you are not travelling on employment visa, you won’t need ECNR status.
You can travel without any issue.
Sir,
I have renewed my passport and its not even a year old, on my previous passport I had done Ecnr for U A E Visit as well as Employment visa, Now I will be going to U A E again on Employment Visa, Do I have to get E C N R done ?
Waiting for reply !
@Imran
In case your new passport has ECR stamp, you would need ECNR status or emigration check from PoE office before leaving India.
Dear sir,
I am doing PhD in Aerospace Engineering and I am planning to do Post Doctoral from USA/Europe. Post Doctoral is kind of research job in which person is working as researcher in the institute/lab and receives salary from it. My passport was due to expire on September 2014 and I applied for reissue of my passport at PSK, Lalbag, Bengaluru. I submitted following documents,
1. PAN card (I worked in industry for 1.5 years)
2. Institute Student ID
3. Bonafide Certificate issued by institute
4. Institute hostel allotment letter
5. AADHAR card.
Authority at the PSK told me you are not eligible for ECNR since you have not submitted 10th std mark sheet. I tried to convince them that person can not study PhD without passing 10th std. I did not have 10th mark sheet at that moment and I can get it after 1 week because I have to ask it from my hometown. I received my new passport which writes “Emigration Check Required”. Last year I attended a conference in USA and at that time immigration officer told me to remove ECR stamp(in my old passport) because having ECR stamp means I am 10th fail.
My question is will I face any problem if going USA/Europe for post doctoral? If yes then what I can do? If I am not wrong then I have to submit my degree certificate when I receive it after 1 year. But problem in that case is I have to again pay the passport fee which is Rs 2000 (60 page) and again have to go through same procedure.
@Dharmesh
In case 10th class certificate was not available, you should have submitted your professional degree copy (B.Tech/B.E./Diploma etc).
Only proofs mentioned on this page are accepted: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
For going to USA, ECNR is not needed so even if you have ECR nobody can stop you.
In case you don’t intend to visit any of the listed countries for job, you should not worry about ECR.
Thank you sir.
hi i am Azarutheen now i am in abudhabi. ill came mission visa for last 4 month back. at the time i am going to POE office and cancel the Emigration. now i am going to change residence visa thats y i am planing to go india. once i got a residence visa i return to UAE. if u have any prm about ECR in that time. but visa only changed same company sponsored.
@Azarutheen
Emigration officer may stop as visa type has changed.
It would be better to get emigration clearance or ECNR status before leaving.
I have a appointment with psk office 15th may. But he told no talkal scheme Only normal available.and 15 days required for re issue passport. Now I dnt hav a much leave only 10 days. Please suggest me what I do.. Thanks for your Replay…
@Azarutheen
I am surprised why no tatkal scheme is available for passport reissue at your PSK. Can you ask them same.
If you don’t have enough time, go to PoE office and get emigration clearance again.
thanks
HI Pankaj,
I am a physician and I do have ECR stamp on my passport. I would like to remove it from my passport (was advised to remove in Immigration) though it wouldn’t affect my employment in the USA. I was wondering how many days it would take to delete the ECR stamp as I would be leaving to the USA on June 2nd. I am asking this, since I read in other forums that it would take only 2-3 days to delete it. I don’t want to risk by submitting my passport if it takes more than 1 week. Thanks in advance for your reply.
@Madhu
As of now, there is no procedure of ECR deletion. One has to apply for reissue of passport with ECNR status.
So you can only get rid of ECR by getting a new passport issued.
As for USA, it does not matter, I would advise you to not go for it.
hi
sir I’m working in Kuwait as a house driver i don’t have ecnr because i am not qualified when i returned to india after 2&half years my passport damaged. then i got new passport in india. after that I came again to kuwait as a same job but Other places in kuwait now i finished 2years & I’m working more 2years can i get ecnr stamp on my passport. because on my 1 passport i had 2years experience & my 2passport had 2year experience pls sir Help me on this…
@S.Mohd. Ariff
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) are eligible for ECNR status.
You would need following documents:
1. Passport copy (first two and last two pages, including ECR/Non-ECR page and the page of observation (if any), made by Passport Issuing Authority)
2. Applicant has to submit a written statement detailing all the dates of exit and entry into India and produce the passport for verification. (Format: Sl. No, Date of Exit. Port of Exit, Page Number of passport containing the stamp, Similarly details of corresponding entry. The last column should mention number of days spent outside India. This should be more than three years (1095 days).
Sir..
am taking my staff for an exhibition to malaysia.
We have confirmed return tickets too
My organiser of the show ITPO. ,government of India is organising work permits for my staff
my question is that since they have ECR stamp on the passports. .will they need to clear it.
or can we show the immigration officer that we are going for only 8 days and returning to India.
Please let me know
@Dinesh
There was no need of work permit visa for such a short trip as ECNR is required if one is travelling on employment visa to Malaysia.
Now it depends on emigration officer mood, if he clears on seeing return tickets.
Hello Pankaj,
Yesterday I was offloaded since my passport had ECR required, i was going to abu dhabi on an employment visa, now I have to make a new passport since there are no more ECNR stamps, Now my question is since my employment visa has my old passport number will my visa become invalid.
Awaiting your reply!
Thanks,
Yasser
@Yasser
Visa on old passport would remain valid. You would need to carry both old and new passports together.
Thank u Mr Pankaj
I appreciate your time to reply me. Thank you@ Pankaj Batra.
When my daughter was minor she got a normal passport with stamp ‘Immigration clearance not required upto 19.10.11″. Now she is going to US on a tourist visa for vacation. Does she need to get a new passport with ECNR as now a days ECNR stamp is not put on existing passport and one has to get new passport.Can she travel on existing passport without any problem.
@N P Singh
For visiting USA on any kind of visa and for all tourist visa to any country, one does not need ECNR status.
So there is no need for her to get ECNR status at this time.
Hello Sir,
I am going to Dubai, UAE on tourist visa but Visa has sent by my employer. Later once i reach there they will convert it to Employment Visa. But my question is I do not have any ECR or ECNR stamp on my passport. Do I need to get ECNR stamp before leaving India or when I will get my employment permit then I need to come back to india to get it done? I am flying on 26th May(After 3 days). I will appreciate your fast response.
Thanks,
Ali
@Ali
First, your passport is already with ECNR status because it does not contain ECR stamp.
Second, for tourist visa, ECNR status is not required.
Thank you Sir for the clarification.
Hi Pankaj,
I am provided with the an offer in Dubai and My Passport is marked with the ECR stamp. I am an Engg and an MBA but still the stamp exist.
Now, the trouble is my work Visa is in process on my valid passport no. and Passport office states that the stamp of ECNR can be removed infact the new passport will be issued. This will take time and it is bit tight on our hand.
They have suggested to meet the protector of emigrants “POE”. Can you please advise how this problem can be resolved without issuance of new passport and how POE can help ?
Appreciate an early revert.
Thanks
@Sheetal
PoE office can issue one time emigration clearance for travelling to Dubai after seeing your employment visa, job offer letter etc.
This should not take more than 2-3 days. They would stamp your for clearance, it won’t make your passport with ECNR status, but would be valid for travel on employment visa to Dubai.
Noted Pankaj, With this at-least the emigration problem. However to make it ECNR the new passport is to be issued. Can we do this in Dubai ? Also, does my Husband have any problem in travelling as he will be accompanying me however he will visiting on family residence visa, but he intend to work sometime later in Dubai.
Look forward for your reply.
Thanks in advance.
@Sheetal
You can get passport reissued in Dubai with ECNR status.
Regarding your husband, he won’t be having issue as he is not travelling on employment visa as of now.
I am going to visit Dubai and Mauritius with my wife. We have return Air ticket, Mumbai-Dubai-Mauritius-Mumbai and 30days tourist visa for Dubai. my wife’s passport carries, ECR stamp, will it make any problem at emigration counter on departure?
@Ashok
For tourist visa, ECNR stamp does not matter. With return air tickets, she won’t be stopped at the airport.
I am engineering + MBA degree holder working in GULF. When renewing my son passport, it was stamped as ECR required ( cleared 10th std few days back). To whom I have to approach to get ECNR status. the passport was issued in chennai
Sudhakar
@Sudhakar
You would need to apply for reissue of passport for getting ECNR status.
Dear Sir
We are the Manpower Recruiter from mumbai i would like to known can we recruit for ECNR Countries (Ex : Australia,Fiji ETC) And would like to known do we require POE License or Permission for This type of recruitment and for publishing Advertising in newspaper do we require permission or license from POE.
Please do the needful with your guidance.
Thanks and Regards
@Mitesh
We have no idea about your case.
Hi sir amazed with your responses for all those questions, Now I am doing my engineering degree my friends told me to apply for passport as it was easy to get passport during the course, but my college staffs advised me to apply for passport after the completion of the course so that I will get a professional passport, my doubt regarding this is, is there any difference between an ordinary passport taken by submitting my 12th certificate and professional passport taken by submitting my degree certificate if yes how it differs
@Ahamed
Earlier this difference was there, when professional degree was ECNR status eligibility. But now, you can get ECNR status by submitting matriculation certificate also.
So, if you really need passport now, you should for it as it won’t make any difference.
Hi there
this side AK
just want to ask 2 thing regarding my friend
1.This week he renew his passport but he is minor so this sep he would be 18 years
so just want to ask that either he require ecnr if he will come to dubai for employment purpose or that ecnr stamp already exist
2. And if employment visa will in his hand so is it possible that he get that stamp on the same day
waiting for ur revert
Appreciate in Advance
@AK
He can get ECNR status by applying for reissue of passport by submitting matriculation certificate.
Is it possible to get this work done on the same day if not how many days it will take to get ecnr stamp
@Akshay
Getting ECNR status = getting passport reissued. It would take same time which takes in getting passport.
30-40 days for normal application, 7-15 days for tatkal.
Hey pankaj,
i got poe stamped when coming to qatar as my passport was ECR stamped.Now i am in qatar & have got RP.Now i would be applying for ECNR here.is there any prob with RP if i get a new passport issued & my visa is having old passport no. Thanks
@Saurav
Visa on old passport would still be valid and you would need to carry both old and new passport together.
Hi Pankaj,
My husband is in Bahrain and i would be joining him shortly but my passport has ECR, I would not be working in bahrain. He would not send me the return ticket as we have plan to stay for longer duration. Please suggest fast.
@Taj
As you would not be going on employment visa, you won’t need ECNR status.
Main Janna chahta hon ke main apni wife ko housewife ( non employee ) visa per Bula Raha hon, but problem yeh hai ke uske passport main ” emigration check required” likha hai to Kiya uske liye emigration zaroori hai ya nahi???
@Noori
ECNR tabhi chahiye hota hai jab koi naukri ke liye ja raha ho. Aapki wife housewife hai aur job nahi karengi to unhe ECNR status ki jarorat nahi hai.
Shukriya 🙂
sIR,
I GOT MALAYSIA VISA ON MY PASSPORT. BUT MY PASSPORT HAS ECR STAMP. NOW TO CLEAR ECR I HAVE TO REISSUE PASSPORT IN THAT CASE WILL I HAVE TO APPLY AGAIN FOR VISA OR MY OLD PASSPORT VISA WILL REMAIN VALID. PLEASE REPLY THANKS
@Satinder
Visa on old passport would remain valid and you would need to carry both old and new passports.