Job Spectra
Job Spectra
Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) is the compulsory insurance for Indian workers who need emigration clearance, mainly ECR passport holders going to ECR countries for jobs. MEA says it pays Rs 10 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability, plus medical, repatriation and legal cover, at a premium of Rs 275 for two years or Rs 375 for three. You buy it on eMigrate after your emigration application is filed.
What is Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana and who has to buy it?
Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) is the compulsory insurance for Indian workers who need emigration clearance, mainly ECR passport holders going to ECR countries for jobs. MEA says it pays Rs 10 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability, plus medical, repatriation and legal cover, at a premium of Rs 275 for two years or Rs 375 for three. You buy it on eMigrate after your emigration application is filed.
PBBY is a government-notified insurance scheme, not an optional add-on sold by an agent. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) describes it as a mandatory scheme for Indian emigrant workers in the Emigration Check Required (ECR) category who go to ECR countries for overseas employment. It started in 2003, was amended in 2006, 2008 and 2017, and the current version, PBBY 2017, has applied since 1 August 2017, as shown by the MEA page (last updated 10 April 2026) in October 2026.
The scheme itself was notified in the Gazette of India on 10 July 2017 (G.S.R. 864(E)). The notification says the insurance is mandatory for every Indian citizen who applies for and obtains emigration clearance under the Emigration Act, 1983, and also for emigrants going abroad for professions in the work categories under Section 2(o) of that Act, whatever their passport category. MEA repeats the second point on its page. In practice, if your passport is ECR and you are going to an ECR country for work, you cannot complete emigration clearance without a PBBY policy: MEA's emigration clearance guidelines list the PBBY policy among the required documents for every type of applicant.
Everything below comes from the MEA PBBY page, the 2017 Gazette notification and the PBBY documents published on eMigrate, read in October 2026. Confirm on the official page before you pay anyone.
The table lists each benefit as MEA and the Gazette state it. Where the two official texts word a benefit differently, we show both.
| Item | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Premium | Rs 275 for two years and Rs 375 for three years (MEA PBBY page). The Gazette says insurers must charge a 'fair and reasonable' premium and that service tax is charged as applicable. IFFCO-Tokio's PBBY page says taxes are extra. |
| Policy period | Valid for a minimum of two or three years, renewable during the employment contract (Gazette, para 4(ii)(a)). Online renewal must be offered on expiry, subject to proof of employment (para 4(ii)(n)). |
| Accidental death or permanent disability | Rs 10 lakh, for death or permanent disability leading to loss of employment while employed abroad, whatever the change of employer or location. The cover also stays valid on visits to India or a third country during the policy period (Gazette). |
| Medical (hospitalisation) | Up to Rs 1 lakh in total, up to Rs 50,000 per hospitalisation, for emergency hospitalisation due to accident or sickness in India, a third country or the country of employment. Cashless hospitalisation if treated in India (Gazette, para 4(ii)(f)-(g)). |
| Family hospitalisation in India | Up to Rs 50,000 for the spouse and first two children up to 21 years. The Gazette says this applies in the event of the insured worker's death or permanent disability, at a maximum of Rs 50,000 per year during the policy period. |
| Maternity (women emigrants) | MEA says up to Rs 50,000. The Gazette says a minimum cover of Rs 35,000 for a normal delivery and up to Rs 50,000 for a caesarean, per policy period, reimbursed at actuals. Treatment abroad needs documents certified by the Indian Mission or Post. |
| Return fare if sent home early | Actual one-way economy airfare to the international airport in India nearest your address, if you are declared medically unfit and your contract is ended within the first 12 months of cover, or if you are not received by the employer, the contract is changed to your disadvantage, or you are terminated early through no fault of yours. The Indian Mission or Post must certify the grounds, and original air tickets are needed (Gazette, para 4(ii)(h)-(i)). |
| Attendant's fare | Economy return airfare for one attendant in case of accidental death or permanent disability, plus the cost of transporting the body in case of death. Claim within 90 days of completing the journey (Gazette, para 4(ii)(d)). |
| Legal expenses | Rs 45,000 for litigation related to your overseas employment, if the Indian Mission or Post certifies that the case was necessary (Gazette, para 4(ii)(m)). |
| Not covered | Benefits do not apply in the event of war or internal conflict in the country of work, or where a Government advisory not to travel is in place (Gazette, para 2(ii)). |
The Gazette says the policy can come from any insurance company operating in India and registered with IRDAI. eMigrate publishes a 'List of Authorised Agencies' under its PBBY menu. As shown on eMigrate in October 2026, that list names ten insurers: IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance, The New India Assurance, The Oriental Insurance, Reliance General Insurance, Star Health and Allied Insurance, National Insurance, United India Insurance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance and Cholamandalam MS General Insurance.
Only three of them (IFFCO-Tokio, New India Assurance and Oriental) are marked as integrated online with eMigrate, and the last three on the list carry a notice flag on that page. The policy-count columns on the list stop at 2021, so the list may not be current. eMigrate's user manual for online purchase shows two insurers to choose from at checkout: IFFCO-Tokio and New India Assurance. Check which insurers the 'Select PBBY Agency' screen offers you on the day.
These steps follow eMigrate's 'User manual for online selection of PBBY policy'. The manual is undated, so screen names may have changed. Our eMigrate portal guide covers registration and the emigration application itself.
MEA's emigration clearance guidelines say everyone with an ECR-endorsed passport going to any of the 17 ECR countries for employment needs emigration clearance, whether hired through a registered recruiting agent, directly by a foreign employer or by a project exporter. For every route the documents listed include the passport (valid for at least six months, with a valid visa), the employment contract, a challan for the prescribed fee and the PBBY policy. Unskilled workers and women also need the contract attested by the Indian Mission, or a permission letter from it. Check your category in our ECR passport guide.
MEA's page also says no woman below 30 is granted emigration clearance for any type of work in an ECR country. If something goes wrong with the clearance, the Protector of Emigrants office that handles your application is the place to ask. Medical fitness is a separate step for Gulf jobs; see our GAMCA medical report check.
eMigrate has a 'Submit Claim for PBBY Policy' option, available from the PBBY Policy menu and other eMigrate menus. Its instruction note says claims registered on eMigrate are assigned online to the Protector of Emigrants, Mumbai, because most PBBY policies were issued by IFFCO-Tokio, which processes claims centrally in Mumbai. The note cites an office memorandum dated 15 January 2016, so the routing may have changed since. It also says insurers have logins to upload claim reports on eMigrate every month.
The deadlines below come from the 2017 Gazette notification. Your policy wording from the insurer may add conditions, so read it alongside these.
Job Spectra is operated by Spectravault Group LLP, with offices in Deira (Dubai), Bengaluru and Sugauli, Bihar. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and we do not sell insurance, so we cannot buy a PBBY policy for you; it is bought on eMigrate as described above. We do not guarantee jobs or visas, and our Trust Center explains our no-upfront-job-fees policy. You can browse current openings or submit your CV.
Last reviewed 2026-10-28. Information only, not legal advice.
Yes, for workers who need emigration clearance. MEA calls PBBY mandatory for ECR-category workers going to ECR countries for jobs, and the 2017 Gazette makes it mandatory for everyone who applies for and gets emigration clearance. MEA's clearance guidelines list the PBBY policy as a required document.
The MEA page says Rs 275 for two years and Rs 375 for three years. The Gazette says tax is charged as applicable, and IFFCO-Tokio's page says taxes are extra, so the amount you pay will be slightly higher. Pay only through the insurer's gateway reached from eMigrate.
Rs 10 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability leading to loss of employment while employed abroad. The cover stays valid if you change employer or location, and during visits to India or a third country within the policy period.
After your emigration application on eMigrate has an ARN, use 'Select PBBY Agency' under the PBBY Policy menu, enter your passport number and ARN, choose the period and insurer, and pay on the insurer's gateway. The policy is emailed to you and must be uploaded before you pay the clearance fee.
Use 'Submit Claim for PBBY Policy' on eMigrate, or contact the insurer on the number in your policy. Under the 2017 Gazette, report an accident within 30 days and file a death or disability claim within 90 days. Late filing needs a certificate from the Indian Mission or Post.
It reimburses a one-way economy fare to the international airport in India nearest your address if your employer does not receive you, changes the contract to your disadvantage, or ends your job early for no fault of yours. The Indian Mission or Post must certify the reason, and you need original tickets.
The Gazette gives hospitalisation cover in India for your spouse and first two dependent children up to 21, up to Rs 50,000 a year, in the event of your death or permanent disability. It is not general family health cover.
eMigrate's authorised list names ten insurers, with IFFCO-Tokio, New India Assurance and Oriental marked as integrated online. The eMigrate purchase manual shows IFFCO-Tokio and New India Assurance at checkout. Check the live 'Select PBBY Agency' screen for current options.
The Gazette says insurers must offer online renewal for a further period on expiry, subject to proof of employment, and eMigrate has a 'Policy Renewal' option. The official pages do not state the renewal premium.