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
Thanks a lot man!… This is the first time I get a reply for a web query. keep rocking dude….
Hi, pankaj!!
Inspite of reading many comment, i still wanted to clear my doubt. i m going to muscat by next week for 6 month – temparary visa as my husband working there. do i require ECNR Stamp.
Vaishali,
You don’t need a ECNR stamp as you are not going there for employment. Don’t worry and enjoy your trip.
Hi Pankaj,
Good to see many solution as above for different query but I have little query that when I had got my passport in 2004, ECNR stamp was not done. Recently I had been visited passport office and got information that ECNR is not required now onwards so pls focus on it. Also they had shifted the same from regional office(Ahmedabad) to some other place. So pls guide for that also.
Dear Pankaj,
Greetings from myside…
Thanks for making me clear, but i want further input from urside at earliest…m migrating to Oman for employement…rcvd Visa n Tckt…My passport is issued from Ahmedabad Passport office during 2002.There is no stamp of ECNR..moreover they had striked out line with black ink which shows ECNR in full words..so second option remains..which shows ECR except few countires mentioned like Pakistan, Bangladesh,etc.. Please now reply me… in this case…do i still need ECNR stamp in my passport…
Dear Mr. Pankaj,
My passport was issued in 2000. i have ECNR striked by pen. what does it mean? now, I am going to hongkong on holiday. I heard that we dont require visa to travel to hongkong. is it right? do i also need ECR/ECNR stamping. I am travelling on 19th nov. kindly help me.
Nilesh,
Yes Nilesh, ECNR stamp is not required anymore other than for travelling for employment to 18 countries mentioned above in the article.
Address for Ahmedabad passport office is:
Regional Passport Office,
Opp. L D Engg. College Hostel
University Road,
Gulbai Tekra
Ahmedabad-380 006
Milap,
Yes, you need to get ECNR stamping as you going to Oman for employment.
Suneetha,
For Hong Kong, you don’t require ECNR stamping. Also Visa is also required as its issued on arrival to Indians.
Enjoy your Trip.
i got an offer letter from UAE as a store keeper, but in my passport it is written ECR and I am not cleared my SSC and also dont have PAN card, tell me the solution to get ECNR in my passport
Anil,
Now-a-days even a 10th class pass or a PAN card holder can get ECNR.
Hi Pankaj,
I am going for employment purpose to France. I have ECR stamp on my passport. Do I need to apply before going to get this stamp removed?
Pravesh,
For France, ECNR stamping is not required.
Enjoy your trip to romantic land.
Hello,
My wife’s passport was issued in jan 2008, with nothing on 2nd page. We want to go to thailand on tourist visa . Can there be a problem ? As i saw thailand is still in the list of those 18 countries requiring clearance ?
Vivek,
First of all, your wife do not need ECNR as her passport was issued in 2008 and does not have anything on 2nd page and so its default ECNR stamped.
Secondly, ECNR is not required for Tourist visa to any country.
Enjoy your trip to Thai Country.
Dear Mr. Pankaj,
Regards:
I have the personal passport issued from regional Passport office gaziabad dated 01/12/2006. I am a diploma holder in mechanical engineering working in narora atomic power plant and now on the verge of retirement. While applying for passport i was unable to produce the qualification certificates due to being misplaced in trnaasfers. The passport was issued to me on the basis of NOC from the Department and date of birth from 8th standard certificate . I wish to travel to Singapore in Jan’09 for 2 weeks to see my daughter. There is no notation in my passport for ECR/ECNR. Do I require to go for ECNR. Kindly clarify.
Thankyou
(V.K.Gupta)
Mr. Gupta,
First of all, ECNR is not required for traveling to Singapore, So you don’t need to get your passport stamped with ECNR.
Secondly, If your passport does not have any notation on second page saying ECR or ECNR, that means its by default ECNR stamped. As the new passports issued by Govt of India are with ECNR only in most of the cases.
My sister is travelling on 25th November,08. She is coming on Visit Visa. She has ECR on her passport. Can she still travel or she requires Emmigration Clearance stamp. She had got her passport from Thana office. Does she has to go there for this matter.
Dear Mr. Pankaj,
I am overwhelmed seeing almost like a retun mail clarification from you regarding my querry whether my passport which is not stamped with ECNR require the same or not for visiting Singapore to see my daughter residing there. Your clarification has been so clear and to the point which leaves no doubt in my mind and I hope I will not face any problem at the immigration while departure from india. thanks a lot.
Truly yours,
(V.K.Gupta)
NAPS, NARORA
Hello ,
Me and wife are planning a tourist visit to bangkok in last week of december, Is it possible to for us to go there and get the visa on the airport ?