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 am in last year b.com and i want to issue passport and what it wud be stamp ECR or NON ECR
@Inzi
If you submit your 10th class copy, you would be eligible for non ECR category.
thanks alot sir thankyu 4 reply
Sir,
I have ECR Stamped Passport, I want to for 03 months onsite work in Riyadh, Is it required ECNR certificate from PoE?
Srinivas
@Srinivas
In case the visa is employment, you would need ECNR status or emigration check from PoE.
Thanks Sir, Can I get ECNR to submit with Last year Income tax returns? Coz I don’t carry SSC/Original Certificate having professional cerificate!
@Srinivas
You can check all elgible document list on this page: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Sir, visiting visa for Dubai 3 months, need to get ECNR status??
@Praveen
ECNR won’t be needed when traveling on visit visa.
Hi Pankaj,
My passport is stamped with ECR. And If I had to travel to any other country for employment or further studies except for the 18 countries listed(which needs ECR clearance), Do i nned to get the ECNR or is it fine with out ECR clearance?
Also, if I had to apply for ECR clearance in hyderabad, what is the procedure to be followed for that and how long would it take to get the passport with ECR clearance?
@Soujanya
Only if you are traveling to one of the listed countries on employment visa, then you would need ECNR status or emigration check. Else, there is no need.
For permanent ECNR status on passport, you would need to get passport reissued and it would take same time as its taken in passport issue.
Thanks for the reply Pankaj…!!! So If I had to travel to US for employment, it is fine without ECR clearance. Correct???
The reason being I had travelled to other country for visiting and since ECR clearance is not mandatory for visiting, I didn’t made an attempt to get the clearance. So just wanted to make sure if it is fine for US for employment reasons?
@Soujanya
Yes, for traveling to USA on any kind of visa, ECR/ECNR does not matter at all.
Thank you so much Pankaj..!!!!
Sir…i want to take my wife along with me to Dubai but she is 9th passed. How can I take her along when my company is providing ne family visa
@Sagar
She won’t need ECNR status or emigration clearance as she is not traveling on employment visa.
Thanks for your reply !!!
So, in that case my wife also don’t require immegration clearance even if ECR stamped on her passport.
One more thing..my wife need to carry return ticket while coming to Dubai from India?
thanks for your reply in advance.
@Mamatha
In case she is going on dependent visa, she won’t need return tickets.
Hi pankaj sir im working in qatar now If I will get Bahrain employment visa is it need ECNR clearance im working in abroad more than 5 years please reply sir.thanku
@Ahmad
ECNR status is still needed, does not matter how many years you lived abroad.
When you have lived abroad for more than 3 years, you become eligible to get ECNR status. So if you want you can get permanent ECNR status by getting passport reissued
Sir i got uae employment visa but my pass port in ECR thats why i apply the reessue pass port for ECNR status in thatkal . My vissa with old pass port number its ok for travel to me with new pass port with ECNR
@Pradeep
Yes, visa on old passport would still be valid and you need to carry both passports.
Dear Sir,
My visa is stamped but my agent is telling I need ECNR on my passport without ECNR I can’t travel to Saudi pls give me your suggestion and how to get stamped ECNR on my passport.
Thanks
@Mohammed
Yes, your agent is right, you can’t travel without ECNR status or emigration check from PoE office, if you are going for employment.
Either you can get passport reissued for permanent ECNR status or can get emigration check from PoE office.
I had studied in madarsa having Hifz E Quran certificate based on that I had got admission to pursue my graduation from MOULANA AZAD NATIONAL URDU UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD this university is recognized from central government. I haven’t done SSC.
My passport is having ECR I want to remove ECR permanently based on graduation certificate is it possible to remove ECR , if possible so how can I process and what documents are required…?
@Mujthaba
I am not sure if Hifz E Quran certificate is equivalent to SSC or not.
Please check this eligible document list: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
And see if you fit into any of these categories.
Dear pankaj sir I m not scc pased but I won’t permanent ecr censeld..I have a visa six month velid plz sir ripy
I have perused B.E degree an want to issue passport for employement purpose in foreign so I should have ECR or ECNR passport
@Shreyansh
You should get ECNR passport (aka non-ECR)
My passport is ecr stamp , i am matriculataion , can my passport change to ecnr stamp , please reply sir
@Dhiraj
You can get ECNR status by applying for reissue of passport along with submitting 10th class certificate.
hi sir
my wife carrying ecr but i want to bring her on dubai on resident visa.will be required ECNR before leaving india. Can she travel without ecnr?
@Ambar
She won’t need ECNR as she would not be traveling on employment visa.
Hi, Mr. Pankaj I’m going on VISIT to Dubai so is it compulsory to do ECNR stamping???
@Mujthaba
If you are not going for employment, you won’t need ECNR status.
hi pankaj sir…
my passport with ECR travlling delhi to malaysia ….how to solve a matter plz reply me sir..
@Prince
If you are not going for employment, you won’t need ECNR.
Sir I got my work permit and visa to work in kuwait, but I didn’t notice that my passport was issued with ECR. so it’s there any alternative way such that without changing passport number I can get a temporary ECNR.!?
@Sans
You can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Dear sir,
My fiance is divorce and he holds a passport in which it yet says he his married and it has a name of his X wife.His passport ll expire in 4 yrs frm now . I live in dubai and he his coming here on employment bases with the same passport but has mentioned in the company a divorce so you think he should make a new passport or let it expire.. and if I marry before you think it will be a problem because his passport will popup someother name of his spouse rather thn mine.. plz your suggestions will be great
@Sania
It would be better to get spouse name in passport changed after divorce.
Respected sir
i am from india i have ecr passport can i reissue my passport from qatar with ecnr status by submitting sslc 10th certificate.
@Nawaz
Yes, you can get passport reissued with ECNR status by submitting 10th class copy.
PANKAJ SIR
HOW MUCH TIME WILL TAKE FOR ECR TO ECNR
IN MUMBAI OFFICE
@Hitesh
As it involves passport reissue, it would take 30-40 days under normal application.