Working in the Gulf from India: ECR passports, eMigrate clearance, licensed agents and where to get help

First check: is your passport ECR or ECNR?

India's emigration rules turn on one notation in your passport. If it carries the Emigration Check Required (ECR) notation and you are going abroad for a job in an ECR country, you need emigration clearance (EC) before you leave; if it does not, you fall in the ECNR category and need no clearance, because the MEA says no separate mention of ECNR is made in the passport [2]. The MEA's April 2026 overview names 19 ECR countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, the UAE and Yemen, and says clearance for Libya and Yemen is currently suspended [1]. So every Gulf job taken on an ECR passport needs clearance. Clearance is only about work: an ECR passport holder visiting an ECR country for any other purpose does not need it [2]. ECNR passport holders going to work in an ECR country may still register on eMigrate voluntarily and buy the PBBY policy; the MEA tried to make that registration compulsory from January 2019 but put the advisory in abeyance after confusion over the rollout [1].

• Look at your passport's observation pages for the ECR notation before you talk to any agent.
• An older MEA FAQ still says 17 or 18 ECR countries [2]; the April 2026 overview lists 19 [1]. All six Gulf states appear in both.
• Whether you qualify to have the ECR notation removed is a Passport Seva matter; we could not open the Passport Seva site from our network, so we do not list the categories here.

How emigration clearance works on eMigrate

Emigration clearance is granted by a Protector of Emigrants after checking your papers, and it is all handled on eMigrate, the MEA portal launched in 2015 for ECR workers going to notified countries [1]. eMigrate checks your passport details against Passport Seva at registration, which the MEA says helps catch fake passports, and it is linked to the Bureau of Immigration so that immigration officers at Indian airports can confirm your clearance online [1]. A revamped version, eMigrate V2.0, with a mobile app, was launched on 14 October 2024 [11]. Under a May 2024 agreement with CSC e-Governance, Common Services Centres are to help you register, upload documents and book medical and other services on eMigrate [9]. The Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi describes the worker's side of a direct hire: the employer, already registered on eMigrate, has the visa attested by the embassy and generates the employment contract inside eMigrate; the worker signs it, and the employer or the worker buys the PBBY policy; then the application for emigration clearance is filed with passport, visa, insurance, contract and photo, and gets a number starting with EN; the clearance fee is paid online or at an SBI branch, the chosen PoE office decides, and the approved clearance can be downloaded from eMigrate [14]. When an agent recruits you, the agent files the same papers: your passport valid for at least six months with the visa, the employment contract, the employer's demand letter and power of attorney, the fee and the PBBY policy [2].

• Direct hire through eMigrate is meant for small numbers: the Abu Dhabi embassy says an employer hiring more than 10 workers in a year must go through a registered agent in India [14].
• Every foreign employer must register on eMigrate before recruiting from India, so the embassy can check its record [1].
• Keep your own copy of the signed contract and of the clearance. Immigration officers check the clearance against eMigrate [1].

Check the recruiting agent yourself

Under section 10 of the Emigration Act, 1983, nobody may work as a recruiting agent without a registration certificate from the Protector General of Emigrants [1]. You can check an agent in two places. The first is eMigrate, which the MEA says keeps the list of registered agents [2]. The second is the MEA's own Overseas Employment page, which publishes a downloadable list of active Recruiting Agents by state and district [3]. The list dated 8 April 2026 has 2,447 entries, each with the registration certificate number, the registered office address, phone and email, and a status column [4]. A separate list shows the state government agencies that recruit, such as Bihar's and Haryana's [5]. The MEA says every registered agent is issued a licence number that is shown in its office and in its advertisements, including on social media, so you can look it up [7]. The same page lists foreign employers placed in the Prior Approval Category after complaints by Indian workers; further hiring by them is allowed only after consultation with the Indian mission [3], [1]. That list had 816 employers when it was generated on 8 April 2026 [6].

• The agent's name and registration number appear on the MEA list, with status Active.
• The office you visit matches the registered address on the list.
• The licence number on the advert or social media post matches the list.
• The employer named on your offer is not on the Prior Approval Category list, or if it is, the mission has cleared the hiring.
• Do not rely on a screenshot sent over WhatsApp; open the MEA file or eMigrate yourself.

Fees: what an agent may charge and what the Gulf says

The MEA's advisory on overcharging says that, under the Emigration Act, 1983, a recruiting agent may collect at most Rs 30,000 plus 18% GST from you for its services, and must give you a receipt for what it collects [7]. A May 2025 PIB release from the Protector of Emigrants in Thiruvananthapuram repeats the same cap [10]. The same MEA advisory says unregistered agents were taking Rs 2 to 5 lakh from job seekers [7]. The Gulf side is stricter still. The UAE government portal says the employer pays recruitment expenses under UAE labour law [22]. Article 40 of Saudi Arabia's Labor Law puts recruitment fees, the iqama and work permit fees, and the return ticket at the end of the job on the employer [23]. Qatar's Labour Law bars licensed recruiters from collecting any recruitment fee or other charge from the workers they recruit [24]. The MEA adds that reputable foreign employers normally pay the airfare, board and lodging and insurance [7]. For the 19 ECR countries the MEA also fixes Minimum Referral Wages for each job category, and no employer from those countries may hire Indian workers below them [1]. The embassy in Abu Dhabi adds that food and accommodation must be given on top of the referral wage [15].

• Ask for an itemised receipt for every rupee you pay.
• If an agent asks for lakhs of rupees, that is far above the legal cap; report it.
• The Embassy of India in Doha still quotes an older Rs 20,000 limit on its FAQ [19]; the newer MEA and PIB documents give Rs 30,000 plus GST [7], [10].

Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY): the compulsory insurance

PBBY is a compulsory insurance policy for every ECR worker going to an ECR country for a job, and you cannot get emigration clearance without it: eMigrate is linked to the insurers so that the policy you enter is checked [1]. The 2017 version of the scheme, in force since 1 August 2017, pays Rs 10 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability, for a premium of Rs 275 for two years or Rs 375 for three [1], [13]. The MEA lists the other benefits: hospital treatment up to Rs 1 lakh, at most Rs 50,000 per stay, in India or abroad; a one-way economy ticket home if you are found medically unfit; the cost of bringing the body home after a death abroad; family hospitalisation in India up to Rs 50,000 a year; maternity cover of Rs 35,000 for a normal delivery or Rs 50,000 for a caesarean; an attendant's fare; and legal expenses of Rs 45,000 [1]. The embassy in Abu Dhabi adds that cover continues if you change employer or place of work, that an Indian mission's certificate of the death or disability is accepted by the insurer, and that the policy can be renewed online [13]. The policy is bought online from one of the authorised insurers through eMigrate [14].

• PBBY is a central government scheme for emigrant workers. It is separate from Kerala's NORKA Pravasi ID card, which has its own insurance; see our NORKA ID card guide if you are from Kerala.
• Keep the policy number with your contract. A claim usually needs the mission's certificate [13].

Extra rules for women and for domestic workers

The MEA's FAQ says emigration clearance is not granted to women under 30 who hold ECR passports, for any job in an ECR country; women going back to the same employer after leave can get a no-objection certificate from the PoE, and the rule does not apply to women with ECNR passports [2]. Recruitment of Indian women as domestic workers is limited to state government agencies; the MEA's April 2026 overview says 11 agencies but then lists 17, from NORKA Roots and ODEPC in Kerala to agencies in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram, Odisha and Punjab [1]. A foreign employer who hires an ECR woman worker directly must deposit a bank guarantee of USD 2,500 per worker with the Indian mission [1]. For unskilled workers and domestic workers, the MEA FAQ says the employment documents must be attested by the Indian embassy, and names Kuwait among the countries where this applies [2].

• A private agent offering a housemaid job to a woman with an ECR passport is outside these rules.
• Ask which state government agency is processing you, then check it on the MEA list of state agencies [5].

Country notes: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain

UAE: a real job offer is an offer letter issued through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), and you can check it by its reference number on MOHRE's application status service; entry permits issued in Dubai can be checked with GDRFA, and those from the other emirates on ICP's eChannels [22]. A residence visa is processed only after you enter on a valid entry permit and stay in the country until it is done [22]. On the Indian side, the employer registers on eMigrate and has your visa attested by the embassy in Abu Dhabi or the consulate in Dubai before the contract is generated [14]. If your degree has to be attested for the job, see our UAE degree attestation guide. Saudi Arabia: Article 40 of the Labor Law puts recruitment, iqama and work permit costs on the employer [23]. The embassy's community welfare wing in Riyadh mediates labour disputes, registers grievances on MADAD, offers a free interpreter for cases at the Riyadh labour courts and registers foreign employers on eMigrate [18]. Qatar: licensed recruiters may not charge workers any recruitment fee [24]. The embassy in Doha tells workers whose agent misled them or pushed a tourist visa to complain to the Protector General of Emigrants, the embassy or MADAD [19]. Kuwait: it is an ECR country [1], and domestic and unskilled workers need their documents attested by the Indian embassy [2]. Oman: the embassy in Muscat takes complaints on unpaid wages, leave, food and lodging, overtime and other labour disputes in person or by phone, email and social media, and holds an open house with the ambassador on the last Friday of every month [20]. Bahrain: it is an ECR country [1], and the MEA's helpline list gives the embassy's toll-free number 80001770 and lines in Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil [8].

• Our UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait scam alerts cover the common scams once you arrive, and our CV format guides for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar cover the job search itself; all are linked below.

Warning signs of illegal recruitment

These signs come from MEA, PIB and embassy material. One alone does not prove fraud, but each is a reason to stop and check the agent on the MEA list or eMigrate before you hand over money or your passport.

• The agent works only through WhatsApp, Facebook or text messages and gives no office address [7].
• You are told to travel on a tourist or visit visa and switch to a work visa later [7], [19], [22].
• The fee asked is above Rs 30,000 plus GST, or there is no receipt [7].
• There is no employment contract signed by the employer, the agent and you, stating the job, salary and benefits [7].
• You are asked to sign blank papers or a contract with unclear terms [10].
• The advert shows no licence number, or the number is not on the MEA list [7], [4].
• The job is advertised through social media posts with fake offer letters or agreements with foreign agencies [10].
• A private agent offers a domestic worker job to a woman with an ECR passport [1], [2].

Where to complain and get help

In India, the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK) runs a 24x7 helpline in 11 Indian languages: 1800 11 3090 toll-free within India, +91 11 2688 5021 from abroad (charged), WhatsApp +91 74283 21144 and email helpline@mea.gov.in [1]. It registers complaints and follows them up with agents, employers and missions, and also helps with eMigrate [1]. Six walk-in centres, the Kshetriya Pravasi Sahayata Kendras in Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai, Patna and Kochi, work with the local PoE office [1]. You can also file a grievance on eMigrate itself, or write to the Protector General of Emigrants at pge@mea.gov.in [1], [7], [19]. If the agent is registered, the MEA issues a show-cause notice and can revoke its certificate; complaints about illegal agents go to the state police, and the MEA referred 465 of the 1,541 complaints it received in 2025 to state governments for action [1]. Abroad, contact the embassy's community welfare wing or file on the MADAD portal at madad.gov.in, which any Indian citizen can use to log and track a complaint [21]. The MEA keeps a list of 24x7 helplines for Indian missions in the Gulf [8], and the embassies publish their own.

• UAE: 800 46342 toll-free for the PBSK in Dubai, WhatsApp 00971 543090571 [16].
• Saudi Arabia: Embassy in Riyadh 800 247 1234 toll-free; Consulate in Jeddah 800 244 0003 toll-free [17].
• Qatar: Embassy in Doha +974 4425 5777 [8].
• Oman: Embassy in Muscat 80071234 toll-free, cw.muscat@mea.gov.in [20].
• Bahrain: Embassy 80001770 toll-free [8].

You can also complain in the country where you work

Your home country’s offices are not the only place to complain. If an employer in the Gulf does not pay you, changes your contract, keeps your passport or makes you pay for your job, you can file a complaint with the labour ministry of the country where you work, even as a foreign worker, and you can report fraud or threats to that country’s police. Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain list their labour complaint services as free on their official pages [27], [33], [36]. These channels are used: Qatar’s Ministry of Labour registered 5,369 worker complaints against companies in the first quarter of 2026 [31]. Before you file, gather copies of your passport and visa or work permit, the contract you signed at home and any contract you were given on arrival, payslips or bank statements, receipts for any fees you paid, and your chats and call logs with the employer or recruiter. Watch the time limits: Saudi Arabia’s settlement service asks for the complaint within 12 months [27]. The embassy’s community welfare wing and MADAD can help you prepare and follow up the complaint, but the decision is made by the host country’s authorities, and you can use both at the same time.

• UAE: the MOHRE app or website, or the Labour Claims and Advisory Centre on toll-free 80084. MOHRE also takes reports of forced labour and human trafficking [25], [26].
• Saudi Arabia: HRSD’s amicable settlement service, through Qiwa, the HRSD website or the unified number 19911; domestic workers file through Musaned [27], [28].
• Qatar: the Ministry of Labour’s Unified Complaints and Disputes Platform, which also takes complaints against registered recruitment agencies, or info@mol.gov.qa; 16505 for fraud or requests for unofficial payments [29], [30], [32].
• Oman: the Ministry of Labour’s free labour complaints e-service, which also allows a group complaint, or its call centre 80077000 [33].
• Kuwait: the Public Authority for Manpower, through the Labour Relations unit that holds the company’s file or the As'hal Manpower service; violations can be reported confidentially through Report Me in the Sahel app, and the authority runs shelters for migrant workers [34], [35].
• Bahrain: the Ministry of Labour’s complaints service in person, on 17873637 or 17873919, or online, for workers with a valid work permit; for exploitation or trafficking, the LMRA hotline 995 [36], [37].

What we could not confirm

We only use sources we could open. The eMigrate portal answered, but its robots file asks automated tools not to crawl it, so we read only the home page and took eMigrate's steps from MEA and embassy documents that describe them. The Passport Seva site and the MADAD portal did not open from our network, so the ECNR categories are not listed here and MADAD is described from the Muscat embassy's page. The websites of the Indian embassies in Kuwait and Bahrain failed a security certificate check, and the MEA helpline list we used has no Kuwait entry, so for Kuwait use the PBSK helpline or MADAD. Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower, Bahrain's LMRA, MOHRE and the Qatar Visa Centre site were also unreachable, which is why we say nothing about pre-departure medical tests or visa centre steps for each country. Finally, MEA pages from different years give 17, 18 or 19 ECR countries and 10 or 16 PoE offices; we follow the April 2026 overview. For the channels in the section on complaining where you work, we used the UAE government portal, HRSD’s service page, and the Oman and Bahrain labour ministry websites, which did open; for Qatar’s Ministry of Labour, Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower and Bahrain’s LMRA we relied on an ILO leaflet and on newspaper reports that quote those bodies. Older Qatari hotline numbers appear only in a 2021 booklet, so we have not listed them.