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
hello pankaj ji,
its regarding my brother passport i knw he require an ecnr…how to apply and how it costs….?
Thank you.
@Noufal
For getting ECNR status, he can apply for reissue of passport by submitting an eligibility proof.
See eligibility documents required on this link: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Ok thank you sir
Hi Pankaji,
I have ECNR stamped in 1999 in my old passport but when I got my passport reissued in 2006 it’s mentioned as ECR. I have been traveling to UK but now have an opportunity to work in Dubai. When enquires I have very different answers like need to reissue new passport with No-ECR, can apply for No-ECR in my existing passport, Can show my old passport with ECNR stamp, can apply for POE some say now this issuing of POE has stopped.
I am totally confused after having offer letter and visa in my hand, kindly suggest. I am based in Hyderabad.
@Ayinmpudi
To get ECNR status, you only have option to apply for reissue of passport after submitting an eligibility proof (http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html). Visa on old passport would remain valid when you carry both new and old passports.
If you don’t have much time for passport reissue, you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
I have my passport with an ECNR stamp on it which has expired in May 2015. I want to travel to mauritius as a tourist. Will I require to change my ECNR status now or can I travel with the same passport ? Will there be a problem at the airport due to the expired ECNR status ?
@Asma
For tourist visa, ECNR/ECR does not matter. You can travel with ECR status passport also.
Hello sir ,
In my passport in the 2nd page its stamped that Emigration Clearance Not Required till he/she attains 18 years of age so now i am 23 and i need to fly to UAE. So what should i do.
@Alan
If you are going for employment, you must get ECNR status (by getting passport reissued) or emigration clearance from PoE office.
Sir I have got my passport in 2012 with ecr stamp.Although I attached my MBA degree while applied for passport still i got this stamp.
Now i want the ECNR stamp.How should i go for the same.
Please help me know this.
Thanks
@Ashad
Please apply for reissue of passport by submitting any of the eligibility proof mentioned on this page: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
For Re issue of passport from ECR to ECNR category, do i need to go through the same procedure of fresh passport applicant? Or Just Qualification certificate will do? Pls advice.
@Vipin
In case, there are no other changes in passport, then you need to only submit ECNR eligibility proof along with reissue application.
Hello sir
Since my ECNR has expired on May 2015 I don’t have neither ECR nor ECNR status in my passport , can I still travel to mauritius with the same passport without ECNR/ECR status ?
@Asma
If you not traveling for employment, you can travel to any country without ECNR status.
I am reissued passport on 2014. I wish to know the ECNR status and ECNR Stamp on my passport. I have already submitted the proof of Qualifications at the time reissuing passport. I passed SSLC .I need a fast reply.
@Ibrahim
If you passport does not have ECR stamp, its by default with ECNR status.
Hello sir,
I have got my working visa of dubai but I have ECR in my passport and as per the guidelines pf POE to get ECNR I need to Get my visa and offer letter attested by UAE Embassy and then by indian embassy. but the problem is if a girl is below 30 years then the visa can’t be attested. im unable to visit dubai due to this. My father’s name is different in passport and different in my Marksheets. that means there is only a difference of kumar in my passport and there is no kumar in marksheet. Please kindly help.
@Pooja
If you are able to get any other eligibility proof, you can submit that instead of mark sheet.
http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
Or, alongwith passport reissue application, you can get father name changed as per mark sheets.
Hello paknkaj ji.
Mere passport mai ECR printed hai or mai matric pass nahi hu or muje mere passport ko ECNR karvana hai to kese karva sakta hu or mai alag alag time mai total 36 months se jyada out of india raha hu. To mai ECNR karva sakta hu kya ? Or kese karva sakta hu plz guide kare thanks sir.
Dipesh mehta
@Dipesh
You can get ECNR status by submitting 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. 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 what is immigration?I have got job from dubai visa is came to me and my question is,I have applied passport in march 2015,when iam appling i applied for non ecr category, in my passport no ecr stamp and am i required any stamp or clearence.In airports i have any checkup about immigration or not or after arrived in dubai,please tell all about my questions please
@Sonu
As your passport does not have ECR stamp, your passport is by default with ECNR status.
You need not to worry about emigration now and you would be stopped at Indian airport for this.
Sir.
I have passport with ecr stamp. But visa coming from Kuwait on current passport. I have to apply for ecnr stamp. There will be any problems in Kuwait if I travel with both the passport for civil id. Old n new passport.
@Naveed
There won’t be any issue.
Visa on old passport would remain valid and you need to carry both passports.
Hello sir greetings to you,
Sir i need to apply for my wife’s passport. She falls under ECNR category. But the problem is that there’s a spelling mistake in her SSC (10th) pass certificate. Her name is printed as “Jaweriya” where as in all her other documents (voter id, aadhar card etc) it is printed as “Juveriya”. I am just confused what to do now as it is not possible to get her name corrected in the SSC certificate and can i submit my marriage certificate (as i am a professional degree holder) as a proof of ECNR for my wife? Her name is not included in my passport (spouse name) as i was unmarried at the time of my passport renewal. Please advise me sir.
Thank you in advance.
@Ali
You can submit following document:
i)An attested copy of marriage certificate issued by the Marriage Registrar needs to be submitted. For verification, spouse’s name needs to be endorsed in the applicant’s passport.
ii) Joint Affidavit as per Annexure D
Sir how much money it will cost for immigration at airport please tell me
@Sonu
There is fee charged for emigration at the airport.
Sir mera passport ECR ka hi aur maine graduation complete kar liya. Maine saudi ke job ko apply kiya aur visa aane wala hi. Mera question ye hi k jab mera passport bana tha tab maine class 10 nahi kiya tha ab maine apna passport renew kiya hi lekin ECR hi. To kya mujhe kuch problem hoga job ya airport pe. Pls help.
@Mohd
Before traveling to Saudi on employment visa, either you should have ECNR passport or emigration check from PoE office.
Else you would be stopped at the airport.
sir iam ECR passport account holder.I wish going to dubai..any emigration problem???
@Jibin
If going for employment, you would have problem with ECR passport.
Sir i want to go to UAE on tourist visa. My passport is printed with ECR category. Do I need fresh passport with ECNR. My 1.5 year son n wife will be going with me and they have passport with nothing printed regarding ecr or ecnr.
@Rehan
If traveling on tourist visa, one does not need ECNR status.
I have ecnr in my passport . I am a professional degree holder but I got my ecnr on the basis of 12th certificate. My wifes passport has ecr. How can I get her ecr removed. I got a job offer from oman. Pl reply
@Mohsin
Unless she is also going to work there, she does not need ECNR.
Still in case you want ECNR for her, you can apply for reissue of passport along with your eligibility documents as below:
1. Professional degree copy.
2. Certificate signifying relation
i)An attested copy of marriage certificate issued by the Marriage Registrar needs to be submitted. For verification, spouse’s name needs to be endorsed in the applicant’s passport.
OR
ii) Joint Affidavit as per Annexure D
Thanks a lot ,your valuable guidance is helping many dejected nd helpless people,may god bless you and give u properity
Regards
mohsin
sir….my mother decided to going with visit visa to UAE.But she has the ecr endorced passport.is there any emigration problem? our place in Trivandrum.I heared that some ecr passport holders are banned for visi to UAE in Trivandrum airport.Iam waiting for your solution….pls..
@Jibin
As she is not traveling for employment, she does not need ECNR status.