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
Sir i am 8th strd pass so i have ecr stamp passport so i will go to saudi arabia for tailoring employment visa from bangalore india my ecr clerance to ecnr
@Rafiulla
You should get emigration clearance from PoE office
Ser I am not sslc pass but I have now one saudi visa any problem for my travelling
@Ramsheed
You should get ECNR status or emigration clearance from PoE office before travel.
Sir I have to move Nigeria with ecr stamped passport. Can I move or ecnr required before leaving India kindly Help me
@Isk Singh
For Nigeria, ECNR is not required, so you can travel without any issue.
Please chek my passport emegration
India to dubai
L3736267 please sir replay
Mail
Whatsup nomber my sir 8295967288
Thankyou sir
Hello sir
my old passport ecr .I renewed in dubai so now I don’t see ani things now cancelled my contract I come new visa so need again ecr check…. plz help …thinks
@Basu
If there is no ECR stamp on new passport, its by default with ECNR status and you don’t need to get any further stamping.
sir my passport dont have ecnr, now i got an employment visa from uae, how can i travell to u a e
@Rajeev
Please either get ECNR status by getting passport reissued or get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Sir mera paasport 8 din pehle aaya h usme ecr h or mujhe ecnr karna h mere paas 10th mark sheet h but paasport me name chang h or mark sheet me name or h please my help me kya kron
@Aas
You can submit a different proof if you have: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/NonEcrDocuments.html
While filling the passport application form, you should have checked you have different name option.
Hello sir
my name is Sk nadim
I will be leaving for Dubai (UAE) by the end of November for employment purpose and on my passport its written emigration check required what do I have to do regarding the emigration check please help me sir.
@Sk Hamid
You either need to get passport reissued for ECNR or get emigration check from PoE office before travelling.
Dear sir my name natarajan
I my first passport 1997 than i go two Kuwait 3rd working 2003 return than renew my passport again 2007 now I am trying south Africa some body told u want ecnr .how apply and how many days process please help me sir
thank u
@Rajan
You don’t need ECNR for South Africa.
Sir my passport ecr i have entry visa for kuwait mere frnd ne beja hai to immigration krvani haii to help me sir me alredy pehle kuwait me 4 year raha hu but abhi bol rhe hai ki immigration band ki hui hai gov ne so help me sir
@Sunil
You need to get passport reissued to get ECNR status.
As you lived outside India for 4 years, you are eligible and need to submit passport copies showing entry and exit dates from India, while applying for passport.
Dear sir
I got my passport at below age 18..now i completed engineering… while i am going to employement visa for gulf country…..if i clear my ecnr or not….while i clear my ecnr i dont want new passport i want ecnr clearence stamping what is the procedure
@Halith
You can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Better you get passport reissued for ECNR status.
Sir may passport 2009 eissu but ecr sir I’m 5 yearse work Saudi I want to change ecnr
@Hemant
You need to get passport reissued to get ECNR status.
As you lived outside India for 4 years, you are eligible and need to submit passport copies showing entry and exit dates from India, while applying for passport.
hello sir m Dubai job k liye ja raha hu . m confuse hu ki muje emigration ki zarurat hai ya nahi . main 10th class clear hu. please help me
@Sunny
Yes, you would need ECNR status on passport or emigration clearance from PoE office.
sir I’m in critical situation my passport is in ecr status I got a job in Dubai i’ll get visa in 15 days but I have to change my passport in ecnr.. but there is a problem in it my birth certificate and have d.o.b as 27.11.89but my 10th mark sheet as27.5.89. so if I have to apply for ecnr everybody says tat it will take 1month is there any way to get ecnr did u tell me solution please sir its urgent.. may I eligible for poe
@Arun
Once you have visa, you can get emigration clearance from PoE office.
My father wants to apply for passport. He passed matriculation. But he didn’t have certificate with him now. I don’t want ecr in his passport. I have checked other documents list also but he don’t have them either . how can he get ecnr passport.
@Mehar
In case he does not intend to go any of the listed countries for job, there is no need to get ECNR passport.
Thanks. Anyhow he is eligible for ecnr aa he is above 50.
Sir …Austriala business visa person Immgration chacking is reuired ? If person Doesnot Answer immgration question … If immgration asked in english ….If person is not Know properly english language . ..mens person -40% English good 60 % week … if person did not clear immigration ….What immgration take step
Hello sir .
Pankaj ji
Mai uttrakhand se hu 9th pass mera passport ecr hai. Aur mera Saudi ka employment visa laga hi 29 Nov.2015 ko as a cook. Jiski validity 3 mounth hai kya mera immigration tab tak ho payega ya nahi agar nahi to plzzz koi way batai ki mujhe kya karna chahiye …..plzzz sir I’m waiting your complete ansar ..???
@Satendra
Please get emigration clearance from PoE office.
Sir mai saudi Arabia jana chahta hun mera pasport ecr hai mai ja skta hun ya nhi
@Firoj
Yes, you can go after emigration clearance from PoE office.
Dear sir my name is Mohammad shahid ansari my passport is ECR and I am not 10th passed so how can i my passport ECNR sir
@Md
You should get emigration clearance from PoE office.
sir
I got visa for Muscat Oman . my passport 2nd page is blank. but on last page Emigration Check Required is written.
do I need emigration clearance before leaving country ?
please help
@Satnam
yes, you need to either get ECNR status passport or emigration clearance from PoE office before leaving India.