Immigration weekly update: November 28, 2018


India: Mandatory registration extended to all Indian nationals

UPDATE: Citing technical difficulties, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a public notice suspending the below registration requirement until further notice.

Mandatory registration of all ECNR (Emigration Check Not Required) Indian passport holders will be required. The MEA issued the measure to extend protection and ensure the welfare of overseas Indian emigrants. India

Previously, the requirement to register with MEA was limited to Indian nationals with Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) stamped in their passports. The requirement will extend to ECNR Indian passport holders.

The employment/work permit includes 18 countries; Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Key considerations

All Indian ECNR passport holders traveling on employment/work permits will be required to register online. The registration is to be completed at least 24 hours prior to travel. Failure to register will lead to cancellation of travel.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from Emigrate.

Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Debra Beynon, Regional Immigration Manager, APAC or Bopanna Nanjappa, Immigration Manager for India.


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