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 pankaj sir ;
As my visa for Saudi is expirey date is near till now I did not get immigration Clarence.
Please suggest what to do
Immigration will open are not . as I unable to get Indian embassy attested.
@Md Siddique
We don’t have information on when clearance would open without embassy attestation.
Hi sir I have ecr & I am going to other employment
I need or no
Pankaj Sir,,,,my passport is ECNR. Can i travel to saudi arabia after visa stamping.employment purpose..
@Nozrul
As your passport is with ECNR status, you can travel with visa and valid passport.
@MD SIDDIQUE
please give me your email or phon no.
Dear sir,
My mother is 48 years old , her passport had been issued stating ” EMIGRATION CHECK REQUIRED” . She wants to travel to Dubai for tourism purpose, is it compulsory to obtain ECNR stamp. If I want to obtain what should I do
P.s . She is uneducated doesn’t possess SSLC certificate.
@Sunil
She won’t need ECNR or emigration clearance as she is not going for employment.
Sir I have recidence visa on my pass port so immigration cheak is neccesary or not on that sir
Please reply on my email
@Mustafa
Yes, emigration clearance would be required in case you are traveling for employment.
My passport is new plz tell me sir emigration is required or not required for my passport
@Saddam
If your passport has ECR stamp, then you would need ECNR status or emigration clearance from PoE office.
Sir, i got my employement visa for dubai. and my passport is ecr.
and i am eligible for ECNR if i go to re-issue my passport in tatkaal application then how much days in i get my new non ecr passport. beacuse my visa validity is 2 months only.
and someone travel agent tell me to get temporry emigration clearance from PoE office. beacuse he say visa with old passport no. will not allow on airport. immigartion officer will not allow it.
is that right sir? Please help. i am totally confused.what i do
@Saif
You should get passport reissued under Tatkal scheme in 15-20 days.
Visa on old passport would still be valid and you need to carry both passports stapled.
Hi Pankaj,
I need a temporary ECRN stamp in my passport as I am going to Saudi for a Work visit visa. Please can u tell me which documents need to carry for temporary ECRN stamp in the POE office in Mumbai.
@Joseph
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
Hi Pankaj,
This is a Work Visit visa. And I want a temporary ECRN Stamp in my passport
@Joseph
There is no temporary ECNR stamping. Either its permanent ECNR status by getting passport reissued or getting clearance from PoE office.
Hi
There is a date of clash in my tenth passing certificate and birth certificate. They are issuing me an ECR category passport. What can I do to avoid it? Considering that tenth D.O.B is carried forward for all academic purposes and can’t be changed and changing birth certificate is a hassle too. Can I instead produce 12th certificate? Or grad degree?
@Monica
If you hold polytechnic diploma or a professional degree (MBBS degree, Engineering, Journalists, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists, Advocates, etc) then you can get ECNR on base of that too.
I am a Mass Communication graduate but I don’t have Press card 🙁
@Monica
You can show your degree.
Respected
Pankaj Sir,
I read many blocks , but I never ever seen such a positive blocker like you ! Thanks for understanding and helping us .
Sir I have problem , I have a passport issued in 2014 November. I want to go kuwait , but I am not even pass 10th (I am 10th field) what docoments required for allow me to go kuwait .
Thank you sir.
Abdul Alim-
Mob- 8623906979
@Alim
You can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Pankaj sir,
how many day’s will take for the POE procedure ?
And what’s the procedure of the same . plz explain details
thank you .
@Alim
It may take 3-4 days maximum
You need to carry following documents to PoE office (you may also apply online at: http://www.poeonline.gov.in)
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
Hi pankaj,
I have a Work visit visa for Saudi Arbia, I want a ECRS in my passport. Want documents are required for ECRS. I have a returned ticket to india also?
please I need some information
@Joseph
If you are not going for long term employment and its just a short visit, you won’t need ECNR.
Else you would need to either get passport reissued for ECNR or get clearance from PoE office.
Respected
sir you helped me a lot for this act of kindness i shall be highly obliged to you….
I have a ticket on the date of 7 dec14 of gulf airways for qatar as a employee but sir my name in ticket is one spelling mistake in compare to passport and visa name.
And “ok to board” has also been done in qatar.
so sir please advise can i able to go, or the air port authority stop me to travel
@Nazruddin
You should contact airlines to get this mistake rectified, else you may face issue at airport.
I change the country from qatar to uae if iam go india for vacation and return time i need any emigration check require
@Shadab
If your employment country has changed and you don’t have ECNR status, you would need to get clearance from PoE office again before leaving India.
Dear pankaj sir,
First of all thanks for your all reply mails i have cleared my more dought about ECR
THANKS
SURESH.
I TOOK ECNR STAMP BEFORE LEAVING FROM HYDERABAD TO Abu dhabi, UAE ON WORK VISA IN JUNE 2014.
I AM PLANNING TO VISIT INDIA FOR A WEEK to hyderabad IN DECEMBER . WILL I NEED TO GET FRESH ECNR STAMP AGAIN WHILE RETURNING?
@Arun
As its a short visit, you would not need to get clarance again.
Hello sir
I am working in ksa past 5 years I want to come on final exit
and go back saudi other visa my passport is is date of issue 07/02/2006
i donit no my passport is ECR OR ECNR please help me passpor No F6461885
I have ssc pass but 2 year differnt age on passport what to i do
@Shaik
If your passport has ECR stamp, then you would need ECNR status. Please get your passport reissued for ECNR by submitting 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)
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).
Dear sir Mr Pankaj batra I have sponcered my wife and my daughter here in UAE.they were with me But since last few months I sent them back to India and now the problem is their stay in India is going to complete 6 month on 22 of December so their visa will become invalid. So sir please guide me how to make them enter after 22 of December as the cancelation and new visa process is too costly and long. Is their any process for paying fines and making them enter here without any problem whether in India or UAE. Please help me
@Tahir
We don’t have much knowledge on your subject.
red sir,
when I am studying 12 th std i got my passport (2008) with ECR stamp. but I now completed B.E and planned to move Qatar. is there ecnr required for that?
@Kottees
You should get your passport reissued for ECNR before leaving for Qatar.
You can submit BTech degree copy or 10th class certificate for ECNR.
hello sir , my name is sanjay from jalgaon (ms ) sir i have got ECR in my passport 2011, now i want make a delete this ECR which documents are required , what is process and sir i want online form on passport website plz tell me and which branch i want to visit tell me branch name city name byee..
@Sanjay
Please check eligibility document list here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Hello Pankaj Batra sir ihave one question that I hav visit to UAE job visa last 2011-12 to 2013-12 ihav finish my visa but Iam going Qatar job visa Frm India- Hyd and I don’t hav 10 certificate so wat should I do plz reply me thankyou
@Akram
As you are not eligible for ECNR, you should get clearance from PoE office before leaving India.