The ECR Stamp That Quietly Limits Where You Can Go
ECR stands for Emigration Check Required. If your passport carries this designation, printed inside the front cover, you cannot travel to 18 specific countries for employment without clearance from the Protector of Emigrants office under the Ministry of External Affairs. The countries on the list include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Malaysia, and several others where a large share of India's migrant workforce is employed.
