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
Dear sir,
I entered dubai on visiting visa in December 30-10.after one month employment visa stamped on my passport as I m non metric and ecr stamp on my passport.so I wanted to go to India n come back without any
Problems
I hope you will reply me.
@Harsha
If you go to India, please get emigration clearance from PoE office before leaving India.
Dear sir
My new passport
How i know have ecnr on my passport
@Mohammad
If there is no ECR stamp, its with ECNR status by default.
Thank you sir……
Dear Sir,
my brother got employment visa for bahrain, But problem is he has ECR stump on his passport. and nowadays emigration clearance problem going on from PoE office. Please suggest me, What should i do? I already paid visa money..
@Afsar
If he can’t get emigration clearance from PoE and also he is not eligible for ECNR status, then there won’t be any other solution.
Sir,
Before i have oman employment visa. This visa expired on 9 September 2014. Before i will give my passport for emigration. But passport should not came before 9. After my visa finished. Now now company try to visa extend. So what I do? Ones again i do it for emigration or do passport ecnr? And how
Dear Sir
I have ECR passport and want to travel for KSA on work visit visa. Do I necessarily need to obtain emigration clearence certificate from the POE office?
@Jamal
Yes, you need to get emigration clearance from PoE office before traveling.
Hi sir
I am going to kuwait for employment visa but problem is my passport mention ECR stamp if ECR stamp delete or not plz any solution
@Naseem
Either you need to get passport reissued with ECNR status, or you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Hello Sir,
I intend to travel to New Zealand for a week as a tourist. The ECNR status on my passport has expired as of date 7 Feb 2013 at age 24. Do I need to apply for a reissue of passport to travel since ECNR status has expired?
Thanks
@Pooja
ECNR status does not matter for visiting New Zealand, so you can travel without any reissue/stamping on passport.
I have employment visa to UAE and i have not completed my 10th and i have ecr in my passport and my agent told me that he will get the ecnr stamp on my passport but he says all immigrant office are closed in India & not posible sign by foreign employer in my visa, emigration clearance problem going on from PoE office. Please suggest me, What should i do? I already paid visa MONEY so pls help. me,
@Sisir
In order to get emigration clearance from PoE office, you would need job contract from foreign employer.
Hi sir,my passport is having ecr stamp.i am staying in dubai for last 4 years.. to remove it can i go to india ambessy in dubai?it will be help full for me?
@Gobind
Yes, you can get passport reissued from Indian embassy in Dubai with ECNR status.
Hi
last three n half years I m in dubai in nov I m going to india. On my passport there is a ecr stamp. One of my friend told me that after three years no need to do any formalities to cancel d stamp. It is true
@Vandana
You still need to get ECNR status on passport, which can be done by applying for reissue of passport.
As you have completed three years outside, you won’t be required to submit any other proof for ECNR eligibility.
Is possible to go singapore for diploma course(student pass) with ECR pp?
@Dev
Yes, there is no need of ECNR for student visa.
Sir,
How long it will take to get ecnr status on passport from poe?and what is the procedure?
@Rashad
It may take 3-5 days. You can apply online here: http://poeonline.gov.in/
I applied business visa for my sister to qatar. Her passport is having ecr . Wil there any problem in immigration
@Paru
There should not be any issue in case of business visa. Make sure return tickets are available.
SIR,
I HAVE APPLIED FOR DELETION OF ECR FROM MY PASSPORT ON THE BASIS OF STAYING MORE THAN 3 YEARS ABROAD. THE PREVIOUS PASSPORT HAD VALIDITY OF 6 MORE YEARS. THEY STARTED THE PROCEDURE OF RE-ISSUING PASSPORT ON THE BASIS OF POST POLICE VERIFICATION. HOW MUCH TIME IT WILL TAKE ME TO RECEIVE THE NEW PASSPORT IN THIS CASE?
@Nehal
Generally it takes 20-30 days in passport reissue.
How much it will cost for this procedure?emmigration with poe?
@Rashad
We are not sure about charges, but it should not cost more than 1000 Rs.
Thanks 4 reply…SIR…
Sir…my wife apply employment pass on her study base..4 singapore and also apply my (husband) dependant pass but problem is ECR on my pp i get job at singapore or not? Should i get POE letter?
@Dev
For Singapore, ECNR/ECR does not matter.
http://moia.gov.in/services.aspx?ID1=111&id=m7&idp=104&mainid=73
Dear Sir,
If I am re-issued my passport on post verification mode, can I travel on urgent basis without police verification, will there be any problem in emigration at the airport. Is there any other solution.
@Nehal
Its not advisable to travel without police verification. It may create issue, if caught.
But my problem is that my previous passport had a KSA visa for employment stamped on it. I am already late due to ECR problem in the passport. I don’t think my company in KSA will give me much time. So if I wait for the police verification, it is likely I will lose the job. In such condition what should I do? When I get through emigration check up, will emigration staff know that my police verification has not been done. Do the Passport Office or Police normally keep the emigration department informed about such things?
@Nehal
As all systems are computerized and linked, they can check at that time and send you back.
I am not really sure if they do it or not.
Sir,
I have got new passport. The old passport was cancelled when i applied for the new one to get ecnr status. But the problem is that the previous passport has valid KSA visa. Do I need to transfer the visa to the new one or carry both passports???
@Nehal
You need to carry both passport, Old visa would remain valid.
Sir,
I heard that emmigration with poe is stopped now..when it will restart?
@Rashad
We don’t have idea about same. You can call PoE office and confirm.