St. Petersburg bars migrant workers with ‘labor patents’ from jobs in stores, salons, and gyms. Citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are exempt.
Source: Fontanka
St. Petersburg authorities have barred foreign nationals with labor patents, a type of work authorization, from jobs in health care, hairstyling, beauty services, retail, and sports and fitness services. The ban will remain in effect through the end of 2026.
City authorities said the restrictions are needed to “combat off-the-books employment.” The ban does not apply to citizens of Eurasian Economic Union member states (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan) or to foreign nationals holding work permits rather than labor patents.
City authorities introduced a similar ban for taxi drivers and couriers last year. Those restrictions were extended through 2026.
Russian authorities began tightening migration policy after the March 2024 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall outside Moscow. Among other measures, they made it harder to obtain Russian residence permits through a fast-track process based on marriage, approved new rules for expelling migrants, and banned schools from admitting migrant children who lack Russian-language proficiency.
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