No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Study Abroad

A No Objection Certificate, the full form of NOC, is a legal document issued in order to nullify any objections that any third party may have to the contents mentioned in the document. Issued either by governmental or private bodies, institutions, companies and individuals, NOC serves various purposes. 

NOC, short for the “No Objection Certificate” is a legal document that can even be presented to the court of law, if required. The document represents the contract between the two parties involved and therefore, described in the document. Containing the basic details of the parties that draw a contract between them, the NOC only contains the basic details of both along with to whomsoever it may concern.

For students willing to pursue their higher education abroad, a No Objection Certificate may come into use for finding accommodation, getting a scholarship, applying for a loan or several other reasons. In this article, we have covered all the details around NOC, its types, uses, application process, validity period, fees and what to do on receiving an NOC. Read forth to know more. 

What is NOC?

A NOC holds as much legitimacy as any other legal document and abides by the law, therefore, it can be presented for and against in a court of law, if the situation requires. 

NOC is required in several instances of studying abroad. For example, a student moving abroad on a student exchange program basis will be required to get an NOC from their home institution stating very clearly that the institute holds no objection against the student pursuing their education in a foreign higher education institute for a designated amount of time. 

Uses of NOC

A NOC is a multi-faceted document and can be used in the following (but not limited to) instances. 

• NOC for visa - for students and employees
• NOC for property/vehicle transfer
• NOC while leaving a job, to be issued by the employer
• NOC for foreign travel 
• NOC for leaving/changing a course of study
• NOC for GST registration
• NOC from home/building owner to run your business on their property
• NOC for bank and court purposes
• NOC for student exchange and educational scholarships and loans. 
• NOC to attend an event/conference.

Types of NOC

Based on the issuing body and the uses of NOC, there are the following types of NOCs. However, this list is not exhaustive of all the types of NOC and there may be more as per the organisation or applicant concerned. 

• Educational NOC - issued by an educational institution (high school/college/university).
• Employment NOC - issued by the employer to the employee to establish the association of the latter with the organisation from the joining date to the current/end date. 
• Vehicle NOC - issued by the regional RTO offices to vehicle owners declaring a clear history and that the vehicle is not used as collateral in any of the agreements.
• Property NOC - for property transfer
• NOC for GST Registration, and more. 

Who Issues an NOC?

The NOC is generally issued by business owners, government officials, contractors, employers and educational institutions. The issuer of an NOC is decided by the purpose of the NOC being served such as - for studying abroad needs such as going to study at a university abroad and applying for education loans and scholarships, the NOC will be issued by the head of the institution (preferably from the home country) on institute’s letterhead. For bank-related worlds, the NOC is issued either by the branch manager or a senior executive involved, NOCs for vehicle transfer are issued by regional RTO, NOCs for property are issued by the landlord and NOCs for jobs are issued by the employer. 

Why is NOC Required to Study Abroad?

A NOC is required from the high school or home institution of the student to declare that the student has passed their previous qualifications without any impending or due examinations and that the student is allowed to go abroad to further their education. This NOC is required at several points such as - applying for a visa, scholarship or to a university abroad. A bonafide certificate or NOC may also be required by the host institution abroad to validate the entry-level education of the applicant at their university. 

How to Get a NOC Certificate to Study Abroad?

The application process for getting an NOC differs according to the purpose being served by it and the person/institution/organisation issuing it. Similarly, each of the issued NOC may have a different format and writing style, all of which are acceptable if they carry an official stamp and/or are forwarded on the issuing body’s official letterhead.

The following are the steps to get a No Objection Certificate for students to study abroad. 

• Students willing to study abroad must write an application to their current institution head to get an NOC. In the application for NOC to study abroad, the student must clearly define their reasons for taking their higher studies abroad and how studying abroad will help them align with their career needs. 
• Students must also mention to which university/college are they going to study as this information may get included in the NOC. If the student is going to use the NOC to apply for a scholarship or student exchange program then, the same must be mentioned in the application. 
• The institutional head then provides a No Objection Certificate to the student containing the following details:
• Name and address of the issuing body and/or organisation. 
• Name and address of the foreign university/college or scholarship or exchange program. 
• Name of student and status of their previous qualification and if possible, the course that they are getting admitted to at the foreign institution.  

Documents Required

Based on the level of legitimacy involved, the following documents may be required along with the application for the No objection certificate. 

• A government ID card (Aadhaar Card, passport, driving license or voting ID).
• Address Proof (Aadhaar Card, voter ID card, or electricity bills - not older than 2 months)
• Proof of acceptance from the foreign institution (in case of going to study abroad)
• No dues/no charge certificate from the current employer (if a working professional/employee is planning to study abroad)
• Copy of stamped passport pages (optional)
• Bonafide Certificate (for students and employees)

Validity of NOC

The validity of a No Objection Certificate varies according to its terms of use. The certificate remains valid until its purpose is served. The validity period of a NOC may last from 6 months to a year, 2 years, 5 years or even more and the same is mentioned within the document. 

Fees for Getting an NOC

The fees for getting an NOC are required by the institution to confirm that your request is genuine and you need the certificate for a legitimate reason. Therefore, the fees for a No Objection Certificate differ from institution/organisation to individual providing the NOC. 

Some institutes may charge as low as INR 100 in their NOC application fee. The NOC fees may go up from INR 500 to INR 2000, depending upon the demand and purpose of the NOC. 

This was all about the No Objection Certificate (NOC). We have discussed several different types of NOCs and shed light on the NOC to study abroad. For any doubts, you may leave your queries in the comments below. 

Candidates looking for assistance with the university application process can get in touch with our Shiksha Counselling Services on the same.