Emigration Check Required (ECR)
These are a category of Indian passport holders which are marked as ECR. As per the Indian Government Emigration Act, 1983, these passport holder need to seek permission from Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for traveling to 18 countries given below.
List of 18 Countries where you need to take a clearance before your travel if your passport is ECR
If this stamp appears on your passport you need a clearance from the POE office to travel to the Countries listed above.
1. Valid Indian Passport
2. Valid Visa for the Destination Country
3. Valid return Air ticket for travel
Ans. Now a days Passport offices are issuing passport without the Emigration Check Required (ECR) or Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) pages. So if your passport does not have the stamp or the page for ECR that means you are not required to take a POE clearance for your travel. POE clearance is only required if your passport is having a ECR page, Endorsement stamp on it.
Q. What if I have an ECR stamp I want to travel as a tourist?
Ans. According to the new rule you are not required to take permission from the POE office.
List of 18 Countries where you need to take a clearance before your travel if your passport is ECR
- Afghanistan
- Bahrain
- Brunei
- Indonesia
- Iraq (emigration banned)
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Oman
- Qatar
- Sudan
- Syria
- Thailand
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Yemen
How do I check my passport is ECR or ECNR.
You can check the status of your passport very easily all you need to do is check the pages of your passport usually the stamp of the Emigration Check required ECR will be on the first two pages of the passport or the last two pages. It is a stamp from the passport office which will Say ECR or Emigration Check required.If this stamp appears on your passport you need a clearance from the POE office to travel to the Countries listed above.
Recent Exemption from Government of India for ECR passport holders,
With effect from 1st October 2007, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (Emigration Policy Division) have allowed Indian Passport Holder who ECR to travel without a Clearance from the POE office for purpose other than Employment. So if you are traveling for Purpose other than Employment you need to produce and the following documents.1. Valid Indian Passport
2. Valid Visa for the Destination Country
3. Valid return Air ticket for travel
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What if my passport is not carrying any stamp regarding ECR or ECNR do I still need to get a Clearance from POE office?Ans. Now a days Passport offices are issuing passport without the Emigration Check Required (ECR) or Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) pages. So if your passport does not have the stamp or the page for ECR that means you are not required to take a POE clearance for your travel. POE clearance is only required if your passport is having a ECR page, Endorsement stamp on it.
Q. What if I have an ECR stamp I want to travel as a tourist?
Ans. According to the new rule you are not required to take permission from the POE office.
